A new study from the Murayama Group has been published in Cell Reports. In this study, the researchers discovered that, unlike in the conscious state, the functional network of the cerebral cortex becomes divided into multiple subnetworks during unconscious states. They also found that the neurons forming each subnetwork are intermingled across multiple brain regions, with connections extending beyond regional boundaries. Furthermore, although certain groups of neurons—considered hub cells due to their coordinated activity with many other neurons—contribute significantly to the formation of network structure, these hub cells do not account for the differences in network architecture between conscious and unconscious states.
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Press Release: https://www.riken.jp/press/2026/20260207_1/index.html
Cell Reports : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116902
