Spontaneous brain activity across scales and species is predictable!

Brain continuously anticipating sensory, motor, and cognitive outcomes and acts as a ‘‘prediction machine.’’ 

Brain’s spontaneous activity, i.e; ongoing internal processes independent of external stimuli is core to this capability.

During rest, spontaneous activity expands the variability of potential representations, enhancing the accuracy and adaptability of these models. When performing tasks, internal models direct brain regions to anticipate sensory and motor states, optimizing performance.

The authors in this review demonstrate evidence from various species three key aspects of spontaneous brain activity’s role in prediction: the similarity between spontaneous and task-related activity, the encoding of behavioral and interoceptive priors, and the high metabolic cost of this activity, underscoring prediction as a fundamental function of brains across species.

https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(25)00127-8

https://sciencemission.com/predictive-nature-of-spontaneous-brain-activity