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attention

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·September 23, 2025·6 min read

Brain Reveals Attention Works Like a Zoom Lens

A new study shows that our brain’s attention system first prepares broadly, then zooms in on specific details within fractions of a second. Using EEG and machine learning, researchers tracked how people focused on either the color or movement of dots before they appeared.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 17, 2025·4 min read

Musicians Tune Out Distractions More Easily

A new study shows that musically trained individuals have an easier time focusing on the right sounds in noisy environments. By measuring brain activity during tasks requiring attention to specific melodies, researchers found stronger signals linked to conscious attention and weaker signals tied to automatic distraction in musical participants.

This shows a brain and an aging timeline.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 2, 2025·5 min read

Attention and Focus Abilities Peak Between Ages 27 and 36

Researchers analyzed 139 neuroimaging studies spanning ages 5 to 85 to map the brain’s activity in cognitive control. They found an inverted U-shaped lifespan trajectory, with brain activity rising through adolescence, peaking between ages 27 and 36, and then gradually declining.

This shows two people working and listening to music at the same time.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 10, 2025·6 min read

When Music Meets Attention: How Background Tunes Shape Focus

A new study compared background music listening habits between young adults with and without ADHD, revealing distinct patterns in when and what they listen to. ADHD-screened participants reported more frequent music use during both less demanding tasks and while studying, with a stronger preference for stimulating tracks.

This shows a brain surrounded by fruits.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 5, 2025·6 min read

Promise of Reward Changes How We Pay Attention

A new study reveals that our brains treat sensitivity and decision bias as separate processes when rewards are at stake. Using eye-tracking and EEG during a visual task, researchers found that attention-related brain regions ramp up when we focus on potential rewards, but only when it boosts sensitivity—not bias.

This shows a woman wearing a brain stimulation headset, focused on looking at her computer.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 30, 2025·4 min read

AI Brain Stimulation Boosts Attention at Home

Researchers have developed an AI-powered brain stimulation system that safely enhances attention at home. Using adaptive algorithms and non-invasive electrical stimulation, the system adjusts intensity based on individual traits like head size and current focus levels.

This shows electrical outlets that look like faces.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·July 25, 2025·3 min read

Face-Like Objects Hijack Our Attention More Than Real Gazes

Seeing faces in objects—known as face pareidolia—triggers a powerful attentional response, according to a new study. Researchers compared how people react to real averted gazes versus imagined gazes from face-like objects and found both draw attention, but through different mechanisms.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 16, 2025·5 min read

Running the Clock: Attention and Movement Skew Time Perception

A new study shows that the way we move our bodies can warp our sense of time — not just because of physical exertion, but because of the cognitive demands of motor control. Researchers found that participants overestimated stimulus durations while running, walking backward, or performing a distracting mental task, compared to standing still.

This shows a brain and people meditating.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 9, 2025·5 min read

Mindfulness Meditation Boosts Attention Across All Ages in 30 Days

A new study shows that just 30 days of daily mindfulness meditation significantly improves attentional control, regardless of age. Using precise eye-tracking methods, researchers found that mindfulness enhanced reaction speed, focus, and resistance to distractions.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 27, 2025·6 min read

How the Brain Filters Distractions to Stay Focused on a Goal

A new attention model reveals how the human brain allocates limited perceptual resources to focus on goal-relevant information in dynamic environments. Researchers developed “adaptive computation,” a system that prioritizes important visual details—like traffic signals over flashy cars—based on task relevance.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 23, 2025·5 min read

Zoning Out or Zoning In? How Aimless Wandering Trains the Brain

Summary: New research reveals that the brain may be learning even during unstructured, aimless exploration. By recording activity in tens...

Featured Neuroscience

·May 16, 2025·4 min read

Astrocytes, Not Neurons, Drive Brain’s Attention and Alertness

For nearly a century, scientists believed that neuromodulators like norepinephrine adjusted brain communication by acting directly on neurons. A new study overturns this long-held view, revealing that astrocytes—support cells long considered secondary—are the key intermediaries.