Understanding how the brain ignores distractions: Research findings from HUN-REN Scientists
Hungarian researchers have recently made a groundbreaking discovery regarding how our brains process information in our environment. HUN-REN researchers, in collaboration with American colleagues, have published a paper in the scientific journal Nature Communications, shedding light on why our brains tend to overlook certain details that may not seem relevant to our current goals.
This phenomenon is known as attentional blindness, and it is a result of our nervous system’s innate ability to filter out distractions and focus only on the elements that are deemed important at a given time. Just like organizing a desk to work, our brains create a mental “desk” when observing our surroundings, prioritizing information based on its relevance. However, this selective process may change from task to task.
The research conducted by Gergő Orbán’s team at the HUN-REN Wigner Research Center for Physics, in collaboration with Peyman Golshani‘s lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, involved mouse experiments to investigate how the brain processes different types of information. The results, with Márton Hajnal as the lead author, were published in Nature Communications.
Through the analysis of neural activity in mice, researchers found that the brain utilizes a mechanism called multiplexing, where different types of sensory information are represented in the same network of neurons independently. This allows the brain to create a “working table” where visual and auditory information can be processed separately.
Furthermore, the study revealed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a region of the brain responsible for decision-making, can suppress irrelevant stimuli based on the situation at hand. This ability to filter out unnecessary information is crucial for effective decision-making and cognitive functioning.
By studying both mouse and human brains, researchers gained valuable insights into how our brains prioritize and process information, giving us a better understanding of how we distinguish important details from distractions. This research not only sheds light on the complexities of our cognitive processes but also provides potential implications for improving decision-making strategies in both animals and humans.
Overall, this study highlights the remarkable capabilities of the brain to selectively focus on relevant information while filtering out distractions, ultimately enhancing our understanding of how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
