Spontaneous neural activity utilizes the majority of the brain’s
energy budget, but its function remains mysterious (1–8).
At the level of single neurons, embedded in the local circuitry of a cortical
area, spontaneous activity has been shown to emulate the pattern
of activity evoked by the neuron’s optimal stimulus, suggesting that
at least at this level of description, spontaneous activity is likely to
reflect the history of coactivation within local networks (9).