This study investigates the neural signature of conscious access independently of decisional processes using a model-based approach analyzing inter-trial variability in electroencephalographic (EEG) responses to auditory stimuli. Even without a task, the EEG showed bifurcation dynamics around 250-300 milliseconds post-stimulus, with late sustained activity occurring on some trials but not others. This activity predicted both task-related reports and reports of conscious content during task-free listening. Source localization implicated the same neural networks in task-free conscious access as in explicit report, excluding frontal executive components. Analyzing brain dynamics through variability is crucial for identifying core signatures of conscious access.

Claire Sergent, Martina Corazzol, Ghislaine Labouret, François Stockart, Mark Wexler, Jean-Rémi King, Florent Meyniel, Daniel Pressnitzer