Signature of consciousness in the dynamics of resting-state brain activity

TLDR

Resting‑state functional connectivity may arise from ongoing cognition or from underlying structural connectivity, a debate highlighted by evidence that long‑range connectivity persists after loss of consciousness. This study tests whether cognitive and structural contributions can be disentangled in resting‑state patterns. Under anesthesia, dominant configurations are rigid, low‑capacity, and lack negative correlations, whereas wakefulness shows a flexible, richly explored repertoire—these dynamical traits serve as a signature of consciousness.

Abstract

Significance What are the origins of resting-state functional connectivity patterns? One dominating view is that they index ongoing cognitive processes. However, this conclusion is in conflict with studies showing that long-range functional connectivity persists after loss of consciousness, possibly reflecting structural connectivity maps. In this work we respond to this question showing that in fact both sources have a clear and separable contribution to resting-state patterns. We show that under anesthesia, the dominating functional configurations have low information capacity and lack negative correlations. Importantly, they are rigid, tied to the anatomical map. Conversely, wakefulness is characterized by the dynamical exploration of a rich, flexible repertoire of functional configurations. These dynamical properties constitute a signature of consciousness.