Our understanding of the neural basis of consciousness is mostly restricted to large-scale brain activity patterns as measured by methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magneto/electro-encephalography (M/EEG). In contrast, we lack even basic understanding of circuit-level mechanisms supporting consciousness - particularly in humans - despite the fundamental role that such mechanisms likely play in instantiating larger-scale brain activity patterns supporting conscious states and contents. Here, we review what progress has been made on circuit-level theories of consciousness (e.g., apical amplification theory, dendritic integration theory) and argue that such theories can be tested in humans using recently developed, state-of-the-art methods. Doing so will further facilitate translation of consciousness science into clinical settings and strengthen the bridge between circuit- and network-level theories of consciousness.

Department of Neuroscience Carney Institute of Brain Science Brown University Providence RI USA

Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts University of West Bohemia Pilsen Czech Republic

Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod CNRS UMR 5229 Lyon France; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Université de Lyon France

School of Communication Sciences and Disorders University of Central Florida Orlando FL USA

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