Researchers
say that a shell-shaped region in the center of the mammalian brain, known as
the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), is likely responsible for the ability to
routinely and seamlessly multitask. The process is done by individual neurons
that act like a “switchboard,” continuously filtering sensory information and
shifting more or less attention onto one sense while relatively blocking out
distracting information from other senses, including sound. Latest research supports
a newly emerging model of how the brain focuses attention on a particular task,
using neurons in the Thalamic Reticular Nucleus as a switchboard to control the
amount of information the brain receives, limiting and filtering out sensory
information that we don’t want to pay attention to. Filtering out distracting
or irrelevant information is a vital function. People need to be able to focus
on one thing and suppress other distractions to perform everyday functions such
as driving, talking on the phone, and socializing. The new research sets the
stage for ever more detailed studies on the complex behavior involved in how
the mammalian brain pays attention to what’s important, and especially how
those neural circuits are broken in cases of attention-deficit diseases, such
as Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and schizophrenia. The new question now is how much
“distracting” information the TRN can block or allow through and how this
mechanism can get disrupted in models of disease, such as autism.
What I just said?
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