Overview

• The Cogitate Consortium's seven-year adversarial collaboration tested two leading theories of consciousness using multimodal brain imaging across 256 participants in 12 labs.
• Results published in Nature show no definitive support for either Integrated Information Theory (IIT) or Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT).
• Evidence highlights the posterior cortex's role in conscious perception, challenging GNWT's focus on the prefrontal cortex as the primary region for consciousness.
• Sustained neural activity during conscious experiences contradicts GNWT predictions of transient peaks, while high-frequency oscillations between visual and frontal regions support parts of its framework.
• The study's inconclusive findings prompt researchers to refine hypotheses, develop quantitative evaluation frameworks, and plan follow-up experiments to resolve ambiguities.