- 제목: Thalamocortical network dynamics in human conscious perception

- 연사: 민병경 교수님 (서울대학교 사범대학)

- 초청자: 최명환 교수님(서울대학교 생명과학부)

- 일시: 2026년 6월 11일 (목) 오전 11시

- 장소: 서울대학교 관악캠퍼스 자연과학대학 500 동 1층 목암홀

- 링크: https://snu-ac-kr.zoom.us/j/89840360149?pwd=xSoRKdjq47gkLRmAnGzigHD7tOyCWa.1

  회의 ID: 898 4036 0149 암호: 12345

- Abstract:

Conscious perception is a core aspect of human cognition, yet its underlying neural mechanisms remain incompletely understood, particularly regarding the contribution of thalamocortical interactions. To investigate this issue, we combined magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a visual fusion paradigm in which alternating red and green stimuli were perceived either as separate colors or as an illusory fused orange percept. MEG recordings revealed prominent 6-Hz thalamic activity accompanied by thalamocortical inhibitory coupling selectively during the conscious perception of the fused orange color. This sustained thalamic disinhibition was temporally linked to enhanced activation in higher-order visual cortices, suggesting that thalamocortical synchronization contributes critically to the conscious formation of mental representations. Consistent with these findings, fMRI analyses demonstrated distinct neurodynamic patterns predominantly within higher-order thalamocortical circuits rather than first-order sensory pathways. In particular, anticorrelated dynamics emerged between the visual stream network and the default-mode network. Dynamic causal modeling further indicated that iterative integration across higher-order thalamocortical systems supported fused-color perception, whereas inhibitory interactions predominated during non-fused perception. To causally examine the role of higher-order thalamocortical networks, we additionally applied non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex, a principal hub of the default-mode network, attenuated hemodynamic responses within higher-order subthalamic and central executive regions associated with fused-color perception. These findings collectively suggest that coordinated interactions between higher-order thalamocortical and default-mode networks are critical for conscious mental representation. Together with our previous neuroimaging work, the present neuromodulatory evidence supports a thalamocortical inhibitory framework of consciousness, in which both thalamic inhibitory regulation and recurrent integrative processing across higher-order thalamocortical circuits are essential for conscious perception.