Can a brain's diversity (electrical integration) be measured, and could more complex brain activity indicate richer experiences of consciousness?

Modern neuroscience uses fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to watch the brain function in real time… In terms of electrical activity, blood flow, and glucose usage.

Often, test subjects are asked to perform various tasks while under MRI observation. Doing this illustrates which areas of the brain are active and which are not when performing various functions.

The “integration” of these various structures is carried out not only by interconnected neural networks, but also by the brain’s connective tissues, the so-called “white matter” which acts as a sort of information super-highway connecting the various structures.

We know from such observations that the more connected the brain’s structures are, the more easily the person accomplishes things and solves problems. This appears to be a prime factor in intelligence…. The brains of very intelligent people work more efficiently than those of lower intelligence.

What effect this has on the overall sensation of “consciousness” is hard to say, since that’s much more a matter of perception involving the sensory cortexes in the brain.