Neural response suppression, haemodynamic repetition effects, and behavioural priming

Abstract

Repeated stimulus processing is often associated with a reduction in neural activity, as measured by single-cell recording or by haemodynamic imaging techniques like PET and fMRI. These reductions are sometimes linked to the behavioural phenomenon of priming. In this article, we discuss issues relevant to theories that attempt to relate these phenomena, concentrating in particular on the interpretative limitations of current imaging techniques.