# The performance of mind: from movement, mental states, and consciousness

## TL;DR

This paper explores how brain oscillations and movement relate to mental states and consciousness using EEG and electrophysiological markers.

## Contribution

The paper proposes new neurophysiological mechanisms and suggests integrating oculomotor research into understanding movement and consciousness.

## Key findings

- EEG analysis reveals insights into mental states, motor performance, and consciousness through neural oscillations.
- Three electrophysiological markers (P300, readiness potential, N30 wave) are highlighted for future experimentation.
- Oculomotor research may clarify the link between movement generation and consciousness via neural integrators and attractor models.

## Abstract

Integrative neuroscience increasingly recognizes that the brain evolved primarily as a biological system for generating movement. Viewed as a complex oscillator, the brain is now widely investigated through electroencephalography (EEG), which occupies a central position in both motor neuroscience and cognitive research, particularly in the study of consciousness. In this perspective article, we revisit experimental findings from both animal models and humans demonstrating how the analysis of brain oscillatory dynamics including neural entrainment allows the investigation of mental states, motor performance, and consciousness. By examining three well-established electrophysiological markers (the P300 evoked potential, the readiness potential, and the somatosensory N30 wave), we propose that new neurophysiological mechanisms may be identified and explored through future experimentation. We further suggest that insights from oculomotor research, especially the concept of the neural integrator and its extension to working memory and dynamic attractor models, may help clarify the functional interplay between movement generation and consciousness.