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SUMMARY:Using narratives to understand human conscious experience - Dr Lor
 ina Naci\, School of Psychology\, Trinity College Dublin
DTSTART:20180209T163000Z
DTEND:20180209T173000Z
UID:TALK100252@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise White
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Consciousness is\, arguably\, the central quality of
  human life. Yet\, how it emerges from the workings of the brain remains p
 oorly understood. For example\, until recently\, little has been known abo
 ut how different individuals may form similar conscious experiences\, or t
 he extent to which severely brain-injured patients – who cannot provide 
 self-report – can form conscious experiences similar to those of healthy
  people. I will discuss an innovative approach for understanding the share
 d neural basis of our conscious experience\, as we engage in ubiquitous ac
 tivities of daily life. For the first time\, I have demonstrated that a co
 mmon neural code underpins similar conscious experiences in healthy indivi
 duals\, and that this code may be used to interpret these experiences with
 out recourse to behaviour. This approach provided strong evidence for inta
 ct conscious experiences in several brain-injured patients\, who were thou
 ght to lack consciousness for many years. To further investigate its neura
 l mechanisms\, I have abolished consciousness via anesthesia in healthy pa
 rticipants. Using the same naturalistic approach\, I have shown that cogni
 tive processes are hierarchically impaired under deep anesthesia and that 
 these impairments are key for understanding information integration in the
  conscious brain. This work sheds light on the common neural basis of huma
 n consciousness and has important medico-ethical implications for vulnerab
 le patients\, including those in coma\, where accurate prognostication can
  help save a patient’s life. \n\nBio \n\nLorina Naci is an Assistant Pro
 fessor of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. \nHer work focu
 ses on developing novel biomarkers of healthy and disordered cognition in 
 the aging and patient populations\, such as brain-injured\, deeply anesthe
 tized\, and Parkinson’s. Concurrently\, she explores the medico–ethica
 l and societal implications of these applications to build ethical guideli
 nes for use in clinical settings. In recent work\, she has used neuroimagi
 ng to understand how consciousness emerges from the healthy brain and to d
 etect conscious awareness in some brain-injured patients who appear to be 
 entirely vegetative.  Her recent work has enabled some of these individual
 s to communicate their thoughts to the outside world.  Lorina’s research
  has been published in high-impact scientific journals and covered widely 
 in the international media.  She holds a L’Oréal for Women in Science R
 esearch Excellence Fellowship\, and in 2017 received the L’Oréal Founda
 tion France and UNESCO International Rising Talent Award.\n\n
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology
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