ajutegevus

Ajutegevus refers to the activity of the brain, encompassing the electrical and metabolic processes that underlie neural information processing, perception, cognition and behavior. The term is a compound of aju (brain) and tegevus (activity). In standard Estonian usage, ajuaktiivsus is the more common term for brain activity, but ajutegevus is sometimes used in scientific and educational contexts to denote the same general concept.

Research on ajutegevus relies on multiple measurement methods. Electrical activity is recorded with electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG), capturing action potentials and local field potentials and revealing brain rhythms such as alpha, beta, and gamma. Metabolic activity is inferred from functional imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), which track changes in blood flow or glucose utilization that accompany neural activity. Additional approaches include intracranial recordings and optical imaging in certain research settings.

Applications span basic and applied neuroscience. They include studying cognitive processes, perception, and behavior, as well as clinical uses in neurology—such as epilepsy monitoring and coma prognosis—sleep research, and the development of brain-computer interfaces. Interpreting ajutegevus requires careful consideration of the different spatial and temporal resolutions of measurement methods and the relationship between observed signals and underlying neuronal activity.