Looking may Improve Attention

Looking at someone may help improve the attention as per a study at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, published in the journal Science Advances. // This ascertains the statement, which parents often tell their children in an attempt to grab their engagement — “Look at me!”

A fundamental chemical for brain performance called norepinephrine (involved in paying attention) is found to be locally regulated in the visual cortex (brain region for visual stimuli) during the combination of visuals and attention.

“A certain amount of this chemical needs to be released for optimum brain performance and ability to pay attention. So, if there is either too much of it or too little of it, it may affect how we process information,” says study senior author Martin Paukert, MD, assistant professor of cellular and integrative physiology at UT Health San Antonio.

In addition, the study also found a significant role of the brain’s support cells called astrocytes during attention.

“When a person makes a movement, such as turning the head to listen to a parent, and that is combined with visual stimulation, then more norepinephrine is released where visual information is processed. Our second finding, also important, is that astrocytes can reliably detect the rate of norepinephrine release,” says Dr. Paukert.

Hence, the study provides a better understanding of mechanisms like norepinephrine activity and the astrocyte response that may help develop sensory-specific attention.

Advertisement

Source-Medindia