Resting state brain activity and functional brain mapping

Functional brain imaging studies commonly use either resting or passive task states as their control conditions, and typically identify the activation brain region associated with a specific task by subtracting the resting from the active task conditions. Numerous studies now suggest, however, that the resting state may not reflect true mental "rest" conditions. The mental activity that occurs during "rest" might therefore greatly influence the functional neuroimaging observations that are collected through the usual subtracting analysis strategies. Exploring the ongoing mental processes that occur during resting conditions is thus of particular importance for deciphering functional brain mapping results and obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of human brain functions. In this review article, we will mainly focus on the discussion of the current research background of functional brain mapping at resting state and the physiological significance of the available neuroimaging data.