Canadian psychologists, studying the brain activity of subjects during attention tasks, discovered a mechanism by which the brain suppresses unnecessary information.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University have discovered that certain environmental factors, also associated with human genetics, can suppress brain activity that helps with concentration. This discovery is an important impetus for the treatment of attention deficit disorder.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience talks for the first time about an active noise cancellation mechanism that helps our brains not be distracted by unnecessary information when it is necessary to focus on a specific task.
For the first time, Canadian scientists led by Dr. John MacDonald discovered the existence of this mechanism back in 2009. However, until now, it was not clear how much it can help in ignoring visual distractions
The study consisted of three experiments with 47 students (mean age 21). All of them were given the task of visual search, which requires special concentration of attention.
The volunteers were given hats with sensors that allowed scientists to track and record brain signals associated with concentration, distraction, and interference suppression.
In modern society, the problem of concentration of attention is very acute, because the electronic devices and applications around us constantly distract their owners from pressing tasks.
Understanding how such noise can be suppressed can be of particular benefit to clinicians in the treatment of attention deficit disorder patients.
The main cause of accidents when driving a vehicle is the constant distraction of drivers' attention. Everyone's ability to concentrate on a particular task is very individual. It takes some effort not to be distracted by the background signals emanating from modern gadgets, and many people simply cannot.
John McDonald, Simon Fraser University
Canadian scientists continue to study the mechanisms of suppression of interference with attention. In particular, they found that such mechanisms weaken with age, and that women are better able to focus on certain visual tasks that require increased attention than men.