#23 — Global Workspace Theory (GWT) and Prefrontal Cortex: Recent Developments (Baars et al., 2021)

We think of the cortex in terms of anatomical regions, but the cortex works as a whole. Static, gross anatomical divisions are superseded by the dynamical connectome of cortex. This holistic viewpoint is detailed in the recent paper in the Journal Frontiers in Psychology: Consciousness Research, titled "Global Workspace Theory & Prefrontal Cortex: Recent Developments" (Baars, Geld & Kozma, 2021), which we discuss in this episode.  A wide range of experimental and theoretical studies in the field of consciousness emphasize the complex and rapid interactivity of numerous regions and connectivities in the cerebral cortex. That dynamical view of the cortex should give us pause about proposing dichotomies that may not be in evidence. This paper aims to clarify some empirical questions that have been raised, and review evidence that the prefrontal and posterior regions of the brain support dynamic global workspace functions, in agreement with several other authors. Our special guest for Episode 23 is Dr. Robert Kozma, professor and director of the Center for Large-Scale Integrated Optimization and Networks (CLION) at the FedEx Institute of Technology, and professor of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Memphis. Ilian Daskalov, our student interviewer, joins us to explore this recent paper on GWT and Prefrontal Cortex. To follow along with this discussion, here is the link to the source paper: Baars, B. J., Geld, N., & Kozma, R. (2021). Global Workspace Theory (GWT) and Prefrontal Cortex: Recent Developments. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 5163. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.749868 Talking Points 0:00 – Intro 4:04 – Divisions between PfC and other neuronal regions tend to be misleading. 5:57 – Global Workspace Theory: An Overview 10:23 – The Role of Metaphors in Science 15:37 – Consciousness is the Dynamic Core of the Brain. 21:44 – Unifying Principles of the Global Workspace “Family” of Theories 30:59 – What is “Binding” and “Broadcasting” in the Brain? 34:39 – What did Raccah et al. (2021) Get Wrong about GWT? 43:22 – What is Neuropercolation Theory? 58:12 – Conscious and Unconscious Metacognition 01:07:07 – The Dynamical Connectome of Cortex 01:12:01 – Functional Rich Clubs (FRICs) by Deco et al. (2021): Part of GW “Family” 01:17:30 – Final Thoughts Links & Publications — Website and Social Media — Episode Summary: https://bernardbaars.com/episode-23 Website:https://bernardbaars.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BernardJBaars Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernardJBaars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjbaars/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OnConsciousnesswithBernardBaars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baarslab/?hl=en   — Robert Kozma, Ph.D. — University of Memphis: https://www.memphis.edu/msci/people/rkozma.php CLION: https://www.memphis.edu/clion/ IEEE: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37284339400 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kozma Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Nddbg2gAAAAJ&hl=en PubMed Publications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Kozma%2C%20Robert Neuropercolation Theory (PDF): https://escholarship.org/content/qt2qn4778j/qt2qn4778j.pdf   Link to paper by Deco et al. (2021): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-01003-6