Neuroimaging the consciousness of self: Review, and conceptual-methodological framework

Paul Frewen; Matthias L Schroeter; Giuseppe Riva; Pietro Cipresso; Beth Fairfield; Caterina Padulo; Andrew Haddon Kemp; Lena Palaniyappan; Mayowa Owolabi; Kwabena Kusi-Mensah; Maryna Polyakova; Nick Fehertoi; Wendy D'Andrea; Leroy Lowe; Georg Northoff

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.023

Neuroimaging the consciousness of self: Review, and conceptual-methodological framework

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2020 May:112:164-212. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.023. Epub 2020 Jan 26.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: pfrewen@uwo.ca.
² Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences & Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany.
³ Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab., Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145, Milan, Italy; Center for Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University of Chieti, Italy.
⁵ Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom.
⁶ Robarts Research Institute and Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁷ Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁹ Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁰ The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States.
¹¹ Neuroqualia (NGO), Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada.
¹² Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Canada.

PMID: 31996300
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.023

Abstract

We review neuroimaging research investigating self-referential processing (SRP), that is, how we respond to stimuli that reference ourselves, prefaced by a lexical-thematic analysis of words indicative of "self-feelings". We consider SRP as occurring verbally (V-SRP) and non-verbally (NV-SRP), both in the controlled, "top-down" form of introspective and interoceptive tasks, respectively, as well as in the "bottom-up" spontaneous or automatic form of "mind wandering" and "body wandering" that occurs during resting state. Our review leads us to outline a conceptual and methodological framework for future SRP research that we briefly apply toward understanding certain psychological and neurological disorders symptomatically associated with abnormal SRP. Our discussion is partly guided by William James' original writings on the consciousness of self.

Keywords: Interoception; Introspection; Resting state; Self-referential processing.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / physiology*
Consciousness*
Ego*
Humans
Neuroimaging*
Self Concept*

Grants and funding

375104/CIHR/Canada