Neural correlate

The concept of a neural correlate of a mental state is an important concept for materialists, those philosophers who believe that all mental states are equivalent to brain states. According to strict materialists, all properties credited to the mind, including consciousness, emotion, beliefs, and desires have direct neural correlates. There is much room for disagreement, for example, many people believe that consciousness requires synchronous spikes of neurons in different regions of the brain (which have been observed), and others think this is merely an epiphenomenon. However, both sides in this debate would agree that some purely physical event can fully explain consciousness.

The concept of a neural correlate is a fundamental concept in neuroscience. In recent years, papers have been published on the neural correlates of awareness, emotions, and decisions.

References

• Schall, J. "On Bulding a Bridge Between Brain and Behavior." Annual Reviews in Psychology. Vol 55. Feb 2004. Pp 23-50.