Shunting (neurophysiology)

Shunting is when something is blocking the path of something else. In the case of neurophysiology (which is when scientists study how the brain and nerves work), shunting is when some parts of a nerve cell are blocking the flow of electrical signals that go through the cell. It's kind of like a traffic jam, where some cars are blocking the road and making it hard for other cars to get through. This can happen naturally in our bodies, but scientists can also use special tools to study it and try to understand how it affects our brains and nervous systems.