The cerebral basis of consciousness 2404-P-4-NP-ZS

___MODULE 1: Neural correlates of conscious and unconscious states.
Presenter: Dr. Urszula Górska

Topic 1. Introduction to the problems of consciousness
1. Psychophysical problem
2. Philosophical approaches to consciousness (dualism, mentalism, materialism)
3. The difficult problem of consciousness
4. Neural correlates of consciousness

Topic 2. States of unconsciousness (sleep and anesthesia)
1. Ascending reticular system
2. Characteristics of sleep stages
3. Sleep-related phenomena (dreams, lucid dream, parasomnias)
4. Characteristics of the action of selected anesthetics in the brain
5. Stages of general anesthesia
6. Research and theories of action of anesthetics
7. The thalamocortical system

Topic 3. Consciousness disorders
1. Characteristics of global disorders of consciousness
2. Discussion of behavioral diagnostic scales
3. Epileptic seizures and states of consciousness
4. Focal brain damage affecting the content of consciousness (agnosia, blindness, side skip syndrome)
5. Consciousness in a split brain

Topic 4. Research on consciousness - perceptual and attentional processes
1. Psychophysiology of the study of consciousness
2. Perceptual tasks - manipulation of the content of consciousness (binocular rivalry, masking)
3. Attentional systems and phenomena related to attention (change blindness, attentional blink)
4. Attention and awareness

Topic 5. Theories of consciousness.
1. Higher order hypotheses
2. Neural global workspace
3. Lamme's local return transmission
4. Predictive coding
5. Integrated information theory

___MODULE 2: Body awareness
Presenter: Dr. Marta Łukowska

Topic 1: Altered states of bodily (self-)awareness
1. Case analysis
2. Neural correlates
3. Methods of treatment and rehabilitation
4. Consequences for research on (self-)awareness

Topic 2: Sensorimotor concepts of (self) awareness
1. Aspects of bodily self-awareness:
a. sense of limb ownership
b. sense of body ownership
c. feeling of being located in the body (embodiment; self-location)
d. first-person perspective
e. sense of agency
2. Review and demonstration of experimental methods for manipulating body awareness:
a. Numbness illusion
b. rubber hand illusion (RHI)
c. Illusion of identification with the body (full-body illusion)
d. Body swapping illusion
e. Exteriorization experience (out-of-body illusion, OBE)
3. Critical analysis of measurement methods used in research using experimental manipulation of body awareness.

Topic 3: Visceral concepts of (self-)consciousness
1. Interoception, homeostasis – definitions and discussion
2. Visceral concepts of self-awareness:
a. Interoceptive predictive coding
b. Neural subjective frame
c. Proto-self
d. The sentient self
3. Neural correlates of interoception:
a. autonomic nervous system
b. island bark
c. heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEP)
4. Interoceptive abilities:
a. Interoceptive accuracy
b. Interoceptive sensitivity
c. Interoceptive awareness
5. Review and demonstration of methods for measuring interoceptive abilities:
a. Heartbeat tracking task
b. Heartbeat tapping task
c. Heartbeat discrimination task
d. Body Awareness Scale of Porges' Body Perception Questionnaire
e. The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA)
6. Atypical interoception in a clinical context.

Topic 4: Raising interoceptive awareness
1. Presentation of research results on methods of increasing interoceptive awareness
a. Meditation: body scan
b. Sensory deprivation: floating, anechoic chamber
c. Relaxation (Schultz, Jacobson)
d. Cardioceptive training
2. Demonstration of the selected method of increasing interoceptive awareness.

Total student workload

Hours with a teacher: 30 Time devoted to individual student work (hours): 60 - reading literature: 30 hours - exam preparation: 30 hours Total: 90 hours

Learning outcomes - knowledge

Effects of the field of education: K_W06 has detailed knowledge of the structure and functions of the human nervous system and knows methods of examining its functions; has basic knowledge of the structure and functions of the nervous system of selected animals K_W07 has extended knowledge of the relationships between the functioning of the central nervous system and motor activities, cognitive and emotional functioning of humans Effects of the subject of education: -has knowledge of brain processes correlated with conscious phenomena; -has extended knowledge of the relationships between the functioning of the central nervous system and human cognitive and emotional functioning

Learning outcomes - skills

Effects of the field of education: K_U15 is able to identify the sources and mechanisms of individual disorders; can propose activities that improve the quality of a person's life Effects of the subject of education: -can read with understanding and critically analyze scientific texts in the field of neurobiology and neuropsychology, sociobiology and evolutionary psychology; takes into account biological factors in explaining human behavior; -can critically respond to simplified or inadequate popularization of scientific knowledge in this field -can relate the results of psychological research to philosophical concepts of man

Learning outcomes - social competencies

Effects of the field of education: K_K03 having diagnostic and therapeutic competences, applies them in a way that respects the dignity and subjectivity of the person; provides information in an understandable way and adapted to the needs and developmental level of the recipient K_K05 understands the need to expand knowledge from other disciplines to better understand human bio-psycho-social functioning; is aware of the importance of the mental sphere for the quality of general human functioning K_K06 correctly identifies and resolves dilemmas related to performing the profession; is aware of the scope of his/her competences; can recognize situations in which he should turn to experts from another field of science/practice Effects of the subject of education: -critically analyzes own and other people's views in relation to the main concepts of consciousness; -adopts a critical attitude towards the research results of other authors

Observation/demonstration teaching methods

- display

Expository teaching methods

- participatory lecture
- informative (conventional) lecture

Exploratory teaching methods

- case study
- laboratory
- observation
- practical
- experimental

Type of course

specific course (attribute withdrawn)

Prerequisites

None

Course coordinators

Term 2024/25L:

Urszula Górska-Klimowska
Monika Lewandowska
Marta Łukowska

Term 2023/24L:

Urszula Górska-Klimowska
Monika Lewandowska
Marta Łukowska

Term 2022/23L:

Urszula Górska-Klimowska
Monika Lewandowska
Marta Łukowska

Term 2025/26L:

Marta Łukowska
Ewa Ratajczak

Assessment criteria

Oral exam

Practical placement

Not concerns

Bibliography

-- Module 1 ---
Compulsory literature:
Susan Blackmore (2ed) "Consciousness. An Introduction"

Additional literature:
1. Anti Revonsuo "Consciousness. The science of subjectivity" rozdział 10.
2. Uhrig (2014) cerebral mechanism of general anesthesia
3. Zeman - The science of sleep
4. Górska (2016) Zaburzenia świaodomości z perspektywy neuroobrazowania
Lektury uzupełniające zostaną podane po kolejnych wykładach.

--- Module 2 ---
_Compulsory literature:
1. Wierzchoń, M. i Łukowska M.(2016). Ucieleśnione poznanie. W: Bremer J (red.) Przewodnik po kognitywistyce, Kraków: Wydawnictwo WAM, s. 605-622.
2. Łukowska, M., Siedlecka, M. i Wierzchoń, M. (2016). Poznawcze i neuronalne mechanizmy doświadczania podmiotowości: analiza problemu na przykładzie iluzji gumowej ręki. W: A. Warmbier (red.), Spór o podmiotowość: perspektywa interdyscyplinarna, Kraków: Księgarnia Akademicka, s. 145-160.
3. Łukowska, M.(2014). Poza ciało: różnice indywidualne w podatności na eksterioryzację. Rocznik Kognitywistyczny 7, 31-41. doi: 10.4467/20843895RK.14.005.2691
4. de Vignemont, Frédérique, "Bodily Awareness", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2020 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL =
5. Brewer, R., Murphy, J., & Bird, G. (2021). Atypical interoception as a common risk factor for psychopathology: A review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 130, tylko strony 470–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.036
6. Park, H. D., & Blanke, O. (2019). Coupling Inner and Outer Body for Self-Consciousness. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(5), 377–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2019.02.002

_Additional literature:
1. Łukowska, M. & Kałwak, W. Ucieleśnione poznanie. Kurs online w Copernicus College https://www.copernicuscollege.pl/kursy/poznanie-ucielesnione
2. Critchley, H. D., & Harrison, N. A. (2013). Visceral Influences on Brain and Behavior. Neuron, 77(4), 624–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2013.02.008
3. Park, H.-D., & Tallon-Baudry, C. (2014). The neural subjective frame: from bodily signals to perceptual consciousness. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 369(1641), 20130208. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2013.0208
4. Dieguez, S., & Blanke, O. (2011). Altered states of bodily consciousness. In E. Cardeña & M. Winkelman (Eds.), Altering consciousness: Multidisciplinary perspectives: History, culture, and the humanities; Biological and psychological perspectives (pp. 237–262). Praeger/ABC-CLIO.
5. Blanke, O., Slater, M., & Serino, A. (2015). Perspective Behavioral, Neural, and Computational Principles of Bodily Self-Consciousness. Neuron, 88(1), 145–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.029
6. Brener, J., & Ring, C. (2016). Towards a psychophysics of interoceptive processes : the measurement of heartbeat detection. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 371, 20160015. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0015
7. Azzalini, D., Rebollo, I., & Tallon-baudry, C. (2019). Visceral Signals Shape Brain Dynamics and Cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(6), 488–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2019.03.007

Additional information

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