Visceral inputs, brain dynamics & subjectivity
Brain dynamics are usually considered to be constrained by brain-related parameters, such as anatomical connectivity and conduction delays, or by external factors, such as the stimulus to be processed. This classical point of view ignores the fact that the brain constantly monitors bodily inputs, in particular from life-supporting organs such as the heart or the stomach. I will present recent evidence that visceral inputs constrain brain dynamics, as measured in humans with resting-state magneto-encephalography, functional MRI, or single-unit recordings. From a functional point of view, the neural monitoring of visceral inputs may play a fundamental role by generating an egocentric reference frame, from which first-person perspective, or subjectivity, can develop. I will present data showing that neural responses to heartbeats in the default-network play a functional role as they encode self-relevance in spontaneous thoughts but also predict subjective visual experience. Visceral-brain interactions might thus represent a core mechanism constraining both brain dynamics and « cold » cognitive processes.
Date:
27 April 2017, 16:00 (Thursday, 1st week, Trinity 2017)
Venue:
Sherrington Building, off Parks Road OX1 3PT
Venue Details:
Sherrington Library
Speaker:
Professor Catherine Tallon-Baudry (Professor Catherine Tallon-Baudry)
Organiser:
Ines Barreiros (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
ines.barreiros@chch.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Ines Barreiros (University of Oxford)
Topics:
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Ines Barreiros
