This study investigates how brainwide blood volume relates to neuronal activity in mice, revealing that neurovascular coupling is more complex than previously thought. Using functional ultrasound imaging and Neuropixels recordings, the authors discovered that blood flow is not just a reflection of bulk neural activity but is driven by two opposing neural populations. One group of neurons increases activity during arousal events like whisking, while the other group decreases activity; notably, these two populations possess distinct hemodynamic response functions. This dual-population model successfully predicts blood volume fluctuations across various brain states, including sleep and active wakefulness. Because these opposing populations coexist throughout the entire brain, their combined activity explains why blood supply signals appear consistent across different regions. Ultimately, the study provides a unified framework for understanding how the brain regulates its blood supply in response to internal states.

References:

• Landemard A, Krumin M, Harris K D, et al. Brainwide blood volume reflects opposing neural populations[J]. Nature, 2026: 1-9.