Overview

• A recent study by Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science explores the brain's ability to focus and filter information in distracting settings, such as a bustling restaurant.
• The research identifies two key brain regions, the intraparietal sulcus and the anterior cingulate cortex, that adjust our sensitivity to relevant and irrelevant stimuli.
• Findings challenge the common misconception that a lack of focus is due to limited mental capacity, suggesting instead that the complexity of brain coordination is the main factor.
• The study's insights could aid in understanding attention-related disorders like ADHD and inform strategies for treating conditions like treatment-resistant depression.
• Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the C.V. Starr Foundation, the research is published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.