Testing the assumptions underlying fMRI adaptation using intracortical recordings in area MT

We conclude that selective adaptation effects in fMRIa are relatively easy to miss even when they exist (for instance by presenting stimuli for too long, or because neurons that enhance after adaptation cancel out the effect of neurons that suppress). Moreover, we argue that adaptation should be understood in the context of the computations that a neural circuit perform. Using fMRIa as a tool to uncover neural selectivity requires a better understanding of this circuitry and its consequences for adaptation.