A dynamic bifurcation mechanism explains cortex-wide neural correlates of conscious access

Conscious access is suggested to involve “ignition,” an all-or-none activation across cortical areas. To elucidate this phenomenon, we carry out computer simulations of a detection task using a mesoscale connectome-based model for the multiregional macaque cortex. The model uncovers a dynamic bifurcation mechanism that gives rise to ignition in a network of associative regions. A hierarchical N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)/α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor gradient plays a critical role: fast AMPA receptors drive feedforward signal propagation, while slow NMDA receptors in feedback pathways shape and sustain the ignited network. Intriguingly, the model suggests higher NMDA-to-AMPA receptor ratios in sensory areas compared to association areas, a prediction supported by invitro autoradiography data. Furthermore, the model accounts for diverse behavioral and physiological phenomena linked to consciousness. This work sheds light on how receptor gradients along the cortical hierarchy enable distributed cognitive functions and provides a biologically constrained computational framework for investigating the neurophysiological basis of conscious access.