This is a list of important unsolved problems in neuroscience. A problem is unsolved if no answer is known or if experts disagree on the solution.

Consciousness

Consciousness: How can consciousness be explained? What role does the brain play in creating feelings, thoughts, being awake, paying attention, and being alert? Binding problem: How do parts of a scene, such as objects, background, and emotions, come together to form a single experience? What role does the brain play in creating a sense of self? Quantum mind: Do quantum effects, such as entanglement and superposition, affect how the brain works and help explain aspects of consciousness? Is there a "hard problem of consciousness"? If so, how can it be explained? Vertiginous question: Why does a person's experience feel real from their own perspective? What purpose does consciousness serve? Problem of mental causation: How do thoughts and feelings lead to actions? What causes near-death experiences? How can death be defined? Can consciousness exist after death? If the brain creates consciousness, how can some people with severely damaged brains suddenly become aware before dying, a phenomenon called terminal lucidity? Which living beings have consciousness? Animal consciousness: Which animals or other life forms experience feelings or thoughts? Are philosophical zombies possible? How can we determine if a being has feelings or experiences?

Problem of representation: How does the brain process and understand information about the world? Bayesian mind: Does the brain use predictions based on probabilities to understand the world? Computational theory of mind: Is the brain like a computer, using symbols and rules to process information? Connectionism: Can the brain be explained using models similar to artificial neural networks? Embodied cognition: Does the whole body, including how it interacts with the environment, affect how the brain thinks? Extended mind thesis: Does the mind include the outside world, such as using tools or written notes as part of thinking, just as limbs become part of the body? Mind-body dualism: Is the mind separate from the body? Modularity of mind: Is the brain made up of separate parts, each evolved to solve specific problems? Dynamical neuroscience: Is the mind a system that changes over time based on interactions and patterns?

Sensation, perception and movement

• Perception: How does the brain change information from the senses into clear and personal experiences? What are the rules that help the brain organize how we see and understand things? What are the parts or things that make up how we experience the world inside and outside our bodies? How does the brain combine information from different senses like sight, hearing, and touch? How do our personal experiences connect to the real world around us?

Learning and memory

• Learning and Memory: Where are memories stored in the brain, and how are they brought back? How can learning be made more effective? What is the difference between memories we are aware of and those we are not? Which molecule helps the brain mark important connections for future use?
• Neuroplasticity: How flexible is the adult brain?
• Cognition and Decisions: How and where does the brain compare the value of a reward with the effort needed to achieve it to influence behavior? How do past experiences change how we see things and act? How do genes and the environment affect how the brain works?

Language

• Language: How does the brain process language? What is the source of meaning in words and ideas?
• Language Acquisition: Debate exists about how children learn language. One view suggests that language skills are built into the brain from birth (psychological nativism). Another view argues that language develops through interaction with the environment, social experiences, and the brain's ability to recognize patterns and think abstractly. Is the ability to use grammar based on inborn brain structures or on learning through communication with others? This question is connected to how language first develops and how it is learned. Is there a special part of the brain responsible for language, or is language spread across multiple brain areas? Why do people learning a second language often not reach the same skill level as native speakers, and why do learners differ in their progress? What methods are most effective for learning a second language successfully?
• Animals and Language: How much of human language can animals be taught? Do animal communication systems share features with human language, such as structured rules in bird calls? What is the role of linguistic intuition, and how does it form and work? Is it shaped by the unique experiences and situations people encounter throughout their lives?
• Linguistic Relativity: How do grammar rules in different languages affect the thinking habits of their speakers? Does using a language train people to think in certain ways that differ between languages? Are the effects of language on thinking caused by grammar structures or by cultural differences that influence how languages are used?

Mind-body connection

• Free will, especially how the brain's structure and function relate to making choices. How do thoughts and decisions influence the body and brain?
• Sleep: What is the purpose of sleep in the body? Why do people experience dreams? How does the brain work during sleep? How is sleep connected to the effects of anesthesia?

Computational neuroscience

• Computational theory of mind: What are the limits of thinking about the mind as a type of computer?
• Computational neuroscience: How important is the exact timing of electrical signals in the brain for processing information? Is there a standard process that brain columns perform? How does the brain process information through the combined activity of many nerve cells? What level of detail is best for describing how the brain processes information? What is the neural code?
• How do general anesthetics cause loss of consciousness?
• The emergence and evolution of intelligence: What are the rules and processes behind the creation of new ideas (such as insight, creativity, intuition, decision-making, and "eureka" moments)? How does a person's mind develop over time during growth and development?