Paradigm shift in consciousness research: the child′s self‐awareness and abnormalities in autism, ADHD and schizophrenia

Self‐awareness is a pivotal component of any conscious experience and conscious self‐regulation of behaviour. A paralimbic network is active, specific and causal in self‐awareness. Its regions interact by gamma synchrony. Gamma synchrony develops throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence into adulthood and is regulated by dopamine and other neurotransmitters via GABA interneurons. Major derailments of this network and self‐awareness occur in developmental disorders of conscious self‐regulation like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.

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