Briefly describe the cortical core and the role it plays in cognition.

A generally-held belief, supported by mounting evidence, is that the cortical core supports human consciousness: the mighty thalamus located deep in the heart of the brain connects to nearly every region in the cortex and together the two thalami and the cortex form the cortical core, the central machinery of the brain. The two thalami are nestled into the center of the brain and form a massive influence over the cortex and the brain in general. The thalamo-cortical core, made up of the thalami and the cortex, can almost be thought of as a single massive hub that provides the lightning fast connectivity needed for waking cognition and the modulatory influences required for shifting the brain through the stages of sleep and the states of consciousness. Together they form the target for anesthesia and, when damaged, the basis for sustained unconsciousness and vegetative states.