Table 1.
Similarities and differences between the GNW and UAL theories
| Assumptions about structures and functions | GNW theory | UAL theory |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Specific neuronal types are involved in consciousness | Layer II/III excitatory pyramidal neurons with long-range projections | Not committed to a specific neuronal type |
| Local processors contributing to conscious contents | Perception, motor control, memory, value, and attention | Perception, motor control, memory, and value |
| Shared principles of brain organization and neural dynamics | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing |
| Brain structures play a special role in consciousness | Prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and parietal cortices | Minimal consciousness can be realized in a plurality of brain structures |
| The role of attention in conscious processing | Dedicated attention networks are necessary | Dedicated attention networks are unnecessary; inhibition and amplification dynamics within the different networks are sufficient |
| The role of learning in conscious processing | The theory does not comment on learning processes, but global broadcasting facilitates a wide range of cognitive functions | The architecture supporting consciousness was selected for enabling UAL |
| Animal groups endowed with conscious experience | The theory is not committed to a specific phylogenetic distribution; primates are considered conscious, and there is limited speculation regarding other mammals and birds | Vertebrates, coleoid cephalopods, and some arthropods |
| Assumptions about structures and functions | GNW theory | UAL theory |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Specific neuronal types are involved in consciousness | Layer II/III excitatory pyramidal neurons with long-range projections | Not committed to a specific neuronal type |
| Local processors contributing to conscious contents | Perception, motor control, memory, value, and attention | Perception, motor control, memory, and value |
| Shared principles of brain organization and neural dynamics | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing |
| Brain structures play a special role in consciousness | Prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and parietal cortices | Minimal consciousness can be realized in a plurality of brain structures |
| The role of attention in conscious processing | Dedicated attention networks are necessary | Dedicated attention networks are unnecessary; inhibition and amplification dynamics within the different networks are sufficient |
| The role of learning in conscious processing | The theory does not comment on learning processes, but global broadcasting facilitates a wide range of cognitive functions | The architecture supporting consciousness was selected for enabling UAL |
| Animal groups endowed with conscious experience | The theory is not committed to a specific phylogenetic distribution; primates are considered conscious, and there is limited speculation regarding other mammals and birds | Vertebrates, coleoid cephalopods, and some arthropods |
Table 1.
Similarities and differences between the GNW and UAL theories
| Assumptions about structures and functions | GNW theory | UAL theory |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Specific neuronal types are involved in consciousness | Layer II/III excitatory pyramidal neurons with long-range projections | Not committed to a specific neuronal type |
| Local processors contributing to conscious contents | Perception, motor control, memory, value, and attention | Perception, motor control, memory, and value |
| Shared principles of brain organization and neural dynamics | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing |
| Brain structures play a special role in consciousness | Prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and parietal cortices | Minimal consciousness can be realized in a plurality of brain structures |
| The role of attention in conscious processing | Dedicated attention networks are necessary | Dedicated attention networks are unnecessary; inhibition and amplification dynamics within the different networks are sufficient |
| The role of learning in conscious processing | The theory does not comment on learning processes, but global broadcasting facilitates a wide range of cognitive functions | The architecture supporting consciousness was selected for enabling UAL |
| Animal groups endowed with conscious experience | The theory is not committed to a specific phylogenetic distribution; primates are considered conscious, and there is limited speculation regarding other mammals and birds | Vertebrates, coleoid cephalopods, and some arthropods |
| Assumptions about structures and functions | GNW theory | UAL theory |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Specific neuronal types are involved in consciousness | Layer II/III excitatory pyramidal neurons with long-range projections | Not committed to a specific neuronal type |
| Local processors contributing to conscious contents | Perception, motor control, memory, value, and attention | Perception, motor control, memory, and value |
| Shared principles of brain organization and neural dynamics | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing | Hierarchical organization, recurrent dynamics, and predictive processing |
| Brain structures play a special role in consciousness | Prefrontal, anterior cingulate, and parietal cortices | Minimal consciousness can be realized in a plurality of brain structures |
| The role of attention in conscious processing | Dedicated attention networks are necessary | Dedicated attention networks are unnecessary; inhibition and amplification dynamics within the different networks are sufficient |
| The role of learning in conscious processing | The theory does not comment on learning processes, but global broadcasting facilitates a wide range of cognitive functions | The architecture supporting consciousness was selected for enabling UAL |
| Animal groups endowed with conscious experience | The theory is not committed to a specific phylogenetic distribution; primates are considered conscious, and there is limited speculation regarding other mammals and birds | Vertebrates, coleoid cephalopods, and some arthropods |
