Consciousness transitions during epilepsy seizures through the lens of integrated information theory

Abstract

Consciousness is one of the most complex aspects of human experience. Studying the mechanismsinvolved in the transitions among different levels of consciousness remains as one of the greatestchallenges in neuroscience. In this study we use a measure of integrated information (ΦAR) toevaluate dynamic changes during consciousness transitions. We applied the measure to intracranialelectroencephalography (SEEG) recordings collected from 6 patients that suffer from refractoryepilepsy, taking into account inter-ictal, pre-ictal and ictal periods. We analyzed the dynamicalevolution of ΦAR in groups of electrode contacts outside the epileptogenic region and compared it with the Consciousness Seizure Scale (CCS). We show that changes on ΦAR are significantly correlated with changes in the reported states of consciousness.