Is it time to put rest to rest?

The so-called resting state, in which participants lie quietly with no particular inputs or outputs, represented a paradigm shift from conventional task-based studies in human neuroimaging. Our foray into rest was fruitful from both a scientific and methodological perspective, but at this point, how much more can we learn from rest on its own? While rest still dominates in many subfields, data from tasks have empirically demonstrated benefits, as well as the potential to provide insights about the mind in addition to the brain. I argue that we can accelerate progress in human neuroscience by de-emphasizing rest in favor of more grounded experiments, including promising integrated designs that respect the prominence of self-generated activity while offering enhanced control and interpretability.

Automated summary

The resting state paradigm in human neuroimaging represents a shift from traditional task-based studies, but the value of exploring rest further is uncertain. While rest remains dominant in many subfields, data from tasks have shown benefits and insights into both mind and brain. Emphasizing grounded experiments over rest could accelerate progress in human neuroscience.