Active brain cells use oxygen, but exactly how neurone activity drives brain metabolism is poorly understood. A paper by Li & Freeman (2011) in a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology sheds light on this important question, by demonstrating how indistinguishable patterns of local neural responses can be accompanied by distinct patterns of brain oxygen consumption. They cleverly exploit the topographic organisation of sensory cortices, using visual stimuli to manipulate the area of activated cortex, and show that global cortical activation can influence local measurements of neural and metabolic activity. The results are important for understanding the basis of non-invasive measures of brain function.
展开▼
