Name: What happens in your brain when you pay attention?
Uploaded: 2017-06-08T14:48:53Z
Duration: 6 min 22 s
Description: Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this exciting science in this brief, fascinating talk.

Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this exciting science in this brief, fascinating talk.

What happens in your brain when you pay attention?

Attention is more than focusing on one thing; it's also the brain's active filtering of distractions. In experiments with flickering squares, the brain's frontal area worked as a filter, allowing only chosen information to dominate. This filtering ability often falters in people with ADHD, making focus especially difficult. New advances in brain-computer interfaces could retrain the brain or even help people who have lost the ability to communicate.

Your Brain Filters Out Distractions To Focus—Or Struggles When It Can't

brain

algorithm

cognitive science

machine learning

mental health

technology

neuroscience

mindfulness

TED Stage Talk

Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar: What happens in your brain when you pay attention?