When neuroscientists stare at the brain scans of their research subjects, they may not be getting a clear picture of what's going on in those brains at one moment in time and how they're responding to current stimuli--they may also be catching a glimpse of how the brains are preparing to respond to future events.
Scientists using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) make the assumption that blood flow into a particular brain region is directly linked to the amount of activity in the cells of that region. This is because active cells need more oxygen, and blood ferries it to them [Nature News].
Now, a surprising new study has found that blood rushes to parts of the brain where the neurons haven't yet jumped into action, and the researchers say this anticipatory response may be skewing the interpretation of fMRI scans. In the study, published in Nature ...
