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Old 02-10-2010, 11:26 PM   #49 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JacobAziza View Post
Every time a neuron fires, it requires energy. Different areas of the brain get activated which were relatively inactive before, depending on what sort of thought it is engaged in. Its not just different patterns, it more total activity (just like you see in all those MRI scans, where different areas "light up")
What you're seeing on those scans are small changes in a large background activity. The brain doesn't (at least according to our limited knowledge) really work like a bunch of on-off switches. It's more of an ongoing chaotic (in the mathematical sense) process. See for instance here: Appraising the brain's energy budget ? PNAS
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