Consciousness, and a Cure?

A newly identified group of neurons that play a role in consciousness may have implications for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Basal forebrain GABA parvalbumin neurons play a key role in triggering the synchronized rhythms that characterize conscious thought.

Harvard Medical School (HMS) researchers have identified a specific class of neurons that help synchronize activity in the cortex, triggering brain waves characteristic of consciousness, perception, and attention. The findings, which appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, may help to identify therapies in disorders such as schizophrenia.

“This is a move toward a unified theory of consciousness control,” co-senior author Robert McCarley, professor of psychiatry, said in a news release. “We’ve known that the basal forebrain is important in turning consciousness on and off in sleep and wake, but now we’ve found that these specific cells”—basal forebrain GABA parvalbumin neurons (PV neurons)—“also play a key role in triggering the synchronized rhythms that characterize conscious thought, perception and problem solving.” 

 “Our brains need a coherence of firing to organize perception and analysis of data from the world around us,” McCarley said. “What we found is that the PV neurons in the basal forebrain fine tune cognition by putting into motion the oscillations required for higher thinking.”

According to researchers, different states of mind are defined by distinct waveforms and frequencies in the electrical field of the brain. When the brain is alert and performing complex calculations, the cerebral cortex (where higher-level thinking takes place) thrums with cortical band oscillations in the gamma wavelength; in some neurological disorders like schizophrenia, these waves are out of tune. Understanding the mechanism the brain uses to sync up for conscious thought may suggest potential therapies for disorders like schizophrenia where the brain fails to form these characteristic waves, McCarley said. 

Read more articles by Laura Levis

You might also like

Radcliffe Institute Announces 2025-2026 Fellows

Scholars pursue projects ranging from reducing ethnic violence to searching for an undiscovered super-Earth.

Taking the Fight for Equality into the AI Era

Radcliffe Institute conference tackles bias, fairness, inclusivity in AI development.

Research on Hold

Funding freeze halts Harvard projects overnight.

Most popular

Rebecca Henderson: Does Capitalism Need to be Reimagined?

How to reform capitalism to confront climate change and extreme inequality, with economist and McArthur University Professor Rebecca Henderson

The New Gender Gaps

What to do as men and boys fall behind

Danielle Allen Debates Far-Right Blogger Curtis Yarvin

Popular monarchist debates Allen on democracy.

Explore More From Current Issue

Children's Books from Ann Kim Ha

Ann Kim Ha’s poignant children’s books

Restaurant Recommendations Cambridge 2025

Tastes from Cambridge’s eclectic restaurants

Harvard Commencement and Alumni Events 2025

Harvard Commencement and Alumni Events 2025