title: Towards a cognitive neuroscience of self-awareness.
abstract: Self-awareness is a pivotal component of conscious experience. It is correlated with a paralimbic network of medial prefrontal/anterior cingulate and medial parietal/posterior cingulate cortical "hubs" and associated regions. Electromagnetic and transmitter manipulation have demonstrated that the network is not an epiphenomenon but instrumental in generation of self-awareness. Thus, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting the hubs impedes different aspects of self-awareness with a latency of 160ms. The network is linked by ∼40Hz oscillations and regulated by dopamine. The oscillations are generated by rhythmic GABA-ergic inhibitory activity in interneurons with an extraordinarily high metabolic rate. The hubs are richly endowed with interneurons and therefore highly vulnerable to disturbed energy supply. Consequently, deficient paralimbic activity and self-awareness are characteristic features of many disorders with impaired oxygen homeostasis. Such disorders may therefore be treated unconventionally by targeting interneuron function.
authors.affiliation: Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. Electronic address: hanslou1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France. Electronic address: Changeux@noos.fr.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Changeux
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark. Electronic address: rosenstand.astrid@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenstand
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D000066494:Cognitive Neuroscience; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012649:Self Concept; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
keywords: Default mode network; Dopamine; GABA; Interneurons; Metacognition; Oxygen homeostasis; Paralimbic network