know that there are adults who are more easily distracted than others when performing a task.
More gray matter could indicate a more immature brain.
Now, research conducted in the United Kingdom, found that the cause could be in brain structure. The inattentive have a greater volume of gray matter in the brain region that is responsible for maintaining attention, say scientists at the University of London.
The gray matter is an essential component of the central nervous system and is distributed on the surface of various brain regions, including those who are responsible for muscle control, sensory perception, memory and emotion.
Some theories have linked to it with information processing and reasoning, and therefore it is thought that its volume in the brain is associated with the intelligence of an individual.
But these theories have not been verified.
more gray matter, the more distracted
Now, to investigate the relationship of the volume of gray matter and the attention span, the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience (Journal of Neuroscience) , compared the brains of individuals who are easily distracted by those who hardly lose attention.
Professor Ryota Kanai and his team first analyzed the ability of distraction of a group of volunteers healthy with a questionnaire that should answer questions like: how often noticed the signs on the streets or going to the supermarket to buy something and when I got there they had forgotten what to buy, etc.
Those who were more distracted and received the highest score.
volunteers then underwent structural MRI scans.
The researchers found that the most obvious difference in brain structure of more distracted, those who had more points in the questionnaire, and the most attentive was the volume of gray matter in a region of the cerebral cortex called the superior parietal lobe (LPS) on the left.
The most distracted, scientists say, had more gray matter in this region.
later to see if this structural difference is actually due to the ability of distraction or attention of a person, the scientists asked volunteers to carry out several tasks containing various distractions.
The scientists measured the time it took individuals to perform the task both with and without distraction it.
According to Professor Kanai, the level of distraction of the person could be measured by the time it took to perform the task.
brain stimulation
subsequently repeated the experiment. But this time the scientists used a noninvasive brain stimulation called transcranial magnetic stimulation, with which you can "off " selectively the activity of regions of the cerebral cortex.
In the experiment, the researchers "off" the participants left LPS for half an hour, during which time they had to perform the same task as in the previous year.
The results showed that the time was carrying out the task had increased 25%. That is, individuals are more easily distracted and therefore took longer.
According to Professor Kanai, this shows that the LPS plays a role in the "hierarchical control " care and tries left LPS overcome the distractions.
In the study, individuals with larger left LPS were most distracted.
Scientists do not know why it works in this way the left LPS, but believe that a greater volume of gray matter showing a less mature brain.
"As we grow and develop, the gray matter is " pruning " neurons to work more efficiently," explains researcher .
"And a greater volume of gray matter could indicate a less mature brain."
theory adds the scientist, supports the assumption that children are more easily distracted than adults.
Not everyone, however, is lost for the distracted.
Professor Kanai and his team are exploring ways to improve the standard of care in those with a large volume of gray matter.
and are testing a technique called transcranial direct stimulation, with which, they say, may be possible to stimulate the brain by sending an electrical current to LPS inadvertently left by electrodes placed in the head.
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