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Artificial Intelligence in Health Machine consciousness

consciousness can be understood, underscoring the need “lucidity” denotes clarity of thought regarding a specific
for a multidisciplinary approach. subject; and “self-consciousness” entails the capacity
Consciousness, intrinsically linked to the complex to perceive oneself as an individual entity. Disorders of
processes of the human brain, is broadly defined as consciousness – whether quantitative or qualitative – fall
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sensitivity and awareness of internal and external beyond the scope of this article.
existence. Contemporary inquiries into consciousness The brain systems that constitute consciousness
3,4
in medicine and psychology often draw on experimental develop from those that control its level. The foundation
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studies and clinical cases involving changes induced by for varying levels of consciousness lies in the content
trauma, disease, or pharmacological interventions. of consciousness. Figure 1 illustrates the hierarchical
5,6
Scientific approaches to consciousness generally rest organization of sensory and motor systems, arranged in
on two key ideas: One emphasizing human subjective parallel and integrated to underpin consciousness. At the
experiences and their content, and the other focusing top level, consciousness encompasses and coordinates
on the neurological underpinnings observed in clinical functions, such as emotions, memory, and sensory-motor
treatments for neurological and behavioral disorders. 7,8 processes. Emotions, positioned below consciousness, act
Consciousness is increasingly understood as an as intermediaries, integrating signals from memory and
emergent property of neuronal connections, representing sensory systems. Memory serves as the central information
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a cascade of events that evolve over time to drive change. repository, directly interfacing with motor and sensory
10
Rather than a binary state, contemporary perspectives systems. The sensory systems provide environmental
propose a spectrum of conscious states, from basic inputs, while motor systems execute outputs based on
awareness to more intricate manifestations of self- processed information. This structural arrangement
consciousness. 11,12 highlights how these systems collaboratively handle
information flow, enabling adaptive and abstract functions
1.1. Human consciousness across various levels of complexity.
A thorough understanding of human consciousness is Understanding how these systems typically operate is
essential before exploring its potential replication in a central objective of neuroscience. From a neuroscience
machines. Human consciousness is not easily categorized perspective, the level of consciousness influences all
or isolated, 13,14 as it manifests in various forms. 15-17 Most neuronal processes. Specific cortical and subcortical
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of human cognitive activity occurs in states of primary processes regulate attention and awareness, which in turn
consciousness, which include mind-wandering activities determine the level of consciousness. Any meaningful
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such as recalling personal memories, envisioning future reactions require at least a minimal degree of attention,
scenarios, and adopting the perspectives of others. 18 which facilitates choice and sustained information
The human brain, as part of the central nervous system, processing. The capacity to generate experiences that can
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serves as the biological foundation of consciousness. later be reported is known as awareness.
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Understanding this biological basis shed light on the The brain circuits that regulate consciousness are
diverse manifestations of human consciousness. 20,21 To commonly referred to as the consciousness circuit. These
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assess the feasibility of artificial consciousness, it is crucial
to consider our present knowledge of the neurological
structures that underpin human conscious experience. 22 Consciousness
Consciousness, at its core, is a state of awareness of
oneself and the surrounding environment. It encompasses Feelings
sensory recognition and awareness, both of which cease
during states such as sleep, coma, or death. Clinically,
consciousness is viewed in three dimensions: First, as Mental storage
an inner awareness of experiential events; second, as
an intentional reaction toward external objects; and Neuromuscular Perceptual
third, as knowledge of one’s conscious self. In states of system systems
full wakefulness, the intensity of consciousness varies
significantly, often heightening during challenging
experiences. Awareness itself can be divided into three Figure 1. Sensory and motor systems are coupled in parallel, arranged
hierarchically, and perform input, output, and internal processing
dimensions: Vigilance, lucidity, and self-consciousness. functions across a range from basic to highly abstract. Image created by
“Vigilance” refers to the ability to remain purposefully alert; the author.

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 25 doi: 10.36922/aih.5690