The Importance of New Findings of Research on Consciousness for the Treatment of Depression in Elderly

Abstract

The recent resumption of the discussion of Stuart Hameroff's and Roger Penrose's theory, which assume that theperception of qualia is realized by a quantum physics information processing in microtubules and coincidingpublication, at the same time of recent progress of the so called conscious electromagnetic information field (cemi)theory prompted the authors to the trial to integrate these theories with the earlier explanations of consciousness. Inorder to present the intuitive model of interacting components of consciousness, the authors provide short reviews ofthe 'Orch OR' and ‘cemi’ theories. This enables them to distinguish three distinct, cooperating processes underlyingthe phenomenon of consciousness, namely (a) perception, including the feeling of qualia, (b) the realization ofmental imagery and (c) the feeling of subjectivity, identity manifested by the ability to self-awareness. The ability tounderstand the essence of the self-awareness is important for health care professionals, because consciousnessdisorders are a frequent medical symptom in emergencies, anesthesia and depressive syndromes in elderly. Theauthors emphasize the usefulness of transcranial magnetic stimulation, as a method of intervention in brain'sendogenous electromagnetic field, or more precisely in its element caused by the 'default mode network'. Theyemphasize also that effectiveness of the use of mindfulness methods in the treatment of depressive syndromes alsoresults from reducing the activity of "Default Mode Network”.