The Where and When of Intention

Although a subjective urge-or intention-to act appears to precede a voluntary action by almost a quarter of a second, neuroscientists have not had a clear picture of the brain activity that underlies this intentional state. In his Perspective, [Eagleman][1] discusses new work ([ Lau et al .][2]) that uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to distinguish brain areas that are activated in response to the intention to move versus the actual movement. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/303/5661/1144 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/303/5661/1208