ReviewBrain sciences2026
Consciousness in the Brain: An Integrative Review of Contemporary Theories.
Review in Brain sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Understanding consciousness remains one of the most significant challenges in neuroscience, philosophy, and cognitive science. Despite substantial advances in neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and computational modeling, a comprehensive account of the neural basis of conscious experience has yet to emerge. This review examines several leading contemporary theories of consciousness, including the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT), Integrated Information Theory (IIT), Recurrent Processing Theory (RPT), Dendritic Integration Theory (DIT), Predictive Processing (PP), and the Memory Theory of Consciousness (MToC). The philosophical foundations, core theoretical claims, and empirical evidence supporting each framework are critically evaluated. Particular attention is given to how these theories address phenomenal consciousness-the subjective quality of experience-and access consciousness, i.e., the availability of information for cognitive control, report, and behavior. By comparing convergent and divergent predictions across theoretical perspectives, this review highlights key areas of agreement, ongoing debates, and unresolved questions in the field. The analysis suggests that consciousness is likely to involve multiple interacting neural mechanisms operating across different spatial and temporal scales, underscoring the need for continued interdisciplinary research to advance a more comprehensive understanding of conscious experience.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.