Autonomic nervous system is key driver of global fMRI signal, study finds

The activity of the human brain is known to be closely connected to other physiological signals, such as heart rate and breathing. A study by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and other institutes reveals that a global spatiotemporal pattern in the brain (i.e. a pattern in brain activity that repeats itself across the brain and over time) is a central component of these brain-body interactions.