Consciousness transitions during epilepsy seizures through the lens of integrated information theory

Consciousness is one of the most complex aspects of human experience. Studying the mechanisms involved in the transitions among different levels of consciousness remains as one of the greatest challenges in neuroscience. In this study we use a measure of integrated information (Φ_AR) to evaluate dynamic changes during consciousness transitions. We applied the measure to intracranial electroencephalography (SEEG) recordings collected from 6 patients that suffer from refractory epilepsy, taking into account inter-ictal, pre-ictal and ictal periods. We analyzed the dynamical evolution of Φ_AR in groups of electrode contacts outside the epileptogenic region and compared it with the Consciousness Seizure Scale (CCS). We show that changes on Φ_AR are significantly correlated with changes in the reported states of consciousness.