November 22, 2024

Unlocking the Secrets of Consciousness: New Brain Imaging Study Illuminates Critical Connections

The idea of a “default” network is based on the idea that particular networks within the brain are most functionally active when the brain is in a resting state of awareness. In contrast, other networks are more active when the brain is performing goal-directed tasks.To investigate the practical properties of this default brain network, the scientists analyzed 7 Tesla resting-state practical MRI data from the Human Connectome Project.”Our objective was to map a human brain network that is vital to awareness and to supply clinicians with much better tools to find, anticipate, and promote healing of awareness in patients with extreme brain injuries,” explains lead-author Brian Edlow, MD, co-director of Mass General Neuroscience, associate director of the Center for Neurotechnology and Neurorecovery (CNTR) at Mass General, an associate professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and a Chen Institute MGH Research Scholar 2023-2028.