CAS PS 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Left Brain Interpreter, Sleep Deprivation, Brainstem

• School: Boston University
• Department: Psychological & Brain Sciences
• Course: CAS PS 101
• Professor: Robert Reinhart

Document Summary

Consciousness is the subjective experience of the world, resulting from brain activity. It is the quality or state of being aware of an external object os something within itself. However, it is really dif cult to de ne consciousness in a precise way (it is pretty abstract). Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events. Conditions of impaired consciousness provide useful points of contrast to normal (fully functioning) consciousness. There is a qualitative distinction between two different states: persistent vegetative state: full coma that lasts more than a month. There is no evidence that the patient is conscious and is having internal states. By using brain imaging/recording to examine the brain of a person in an apparent coma, doctors might be able to determine whether the patient is a candidate for treatment.