Brain Waves: Cracking the Code of Focus and Distraction

MIT researchers discovered that circling waves in the brain's prefrontal cortex help regain focus following distraction. These waves, similar to herders, guide the cortex back on track, observed in monkey studies during visual tasks. The findings could illuminate recovery mechanisms in human attention spans.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have uncovered a crucial brain process involving circling waves of activity in the prefrontal cortex, pivotal for regaining attention after distractions. This discovery might pave the path to understanding how humans regain focus when their attention wavers.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, the team conducted experiments on monkeys, demonstrating how these rotating waves synchronize neuron activity to help re-establish concentration. This 'full-circuit' catching mechanism ensures that the monkeys could resume tasks effectively after being sidetracked.

According to Professor Earl K. Miller, the waves function as herders that direct the brain back to its original task. The research emphasizes the prefrontal cortex's pivotal role in higher-order brain functions and could have broader implications for addressing attention-related challenges in humans.

(With inputs from agencies.)