Different human brains react similarly while watching a movie

A new study suggests that our brains react in a way similar to other people's brains while watching a movie.

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have succeeded in developing a method fast enough to observe immediate changes in the function of the brain when watching a movie.

By employing movies it was possible to investigate the function of the human brain in experimental conditions that are close to natural.

Traditionally, in neuroscience research, simple stimuli, such as checkerboard patterns or single images, have been used.

Viewing a movie creates multilevel changes in the brain function. Despite the complexity of the stimulus, the elicited brain activity patterns show remarkable similarities across different people - even at the time scale of fractions of seconds.

The study found a notable correlation between the brain signals created by films in all test participants, and these similar signals were found in specific areas of the brain.

The analysis revealed important similarities between brain signals of different people during movie viewing.

These similar kinds or synchronized signals were found in brain areas that are connected with the early-stage processing of visual stimuli, detection of movement and persons, motor coordination and cognitive functions.

The results imply that the contents of the movie affected certain brain functions of the subjects in a similar manner, Kaisu Lankinen said of the findings of her doctoral research.

The research is published in the NeuroImage journal.