New Study Shows How the Brain Prevents Distractions

Sharon Moore August 04, 2015

U.S. researchers recently conducted a study with a large number of adults in order to determine how the brain adapts to conditions of distraction during goal-oriented activities.

For the study, they recruited 101 adults and collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data as the participants performed a colour-word Stroop test. Applying graph theory, the researchers identified clusters of interregional coupling in which connection strength between and within neural networks differed with varying demands for inhibitory control.

The ability to focus on something, despite the presence of distracting stimuli – for instance, reading a scientific journal whilst listening to the music, with some huge noise in the background, requires the ability to inhibit distracting stimuli. Practising such ability is important in many life settings, including work and school, and is an important pillar of psychological well-being.

Significant network measures were linked to the performance of the subjects in order to determine the behavioural impact of network shifts.

The researchers identified a network of neural nodes that became more interconnected during periods of high demand for inhibitory control. Frontal regions predominated, including the medial dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right anterior insula acting as network hubs.

The findings showed that when greater inhibitory control was needed, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex becomes more tightly interconnected with other nodes. This suggests that the region has a greater influence on the specific processes occurring within those nodes. And an observed increase in anterior insula node strength suggests that the region orchestrates switches between different functional networks by directing highly connected hubs to bring their module networks online or to down-regulate them based on current needs.

"Although present findings do not have direct clinical implications, they do provide a framework for deeper insight into the particular network dysfunction occurring in populations with known inhibitory difficulties," the researchers wrote, citing ADHD as an example.

The new study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source of this article: Flexible brain network reconfiguration supporting inhibitory control