Ancient brainstem neurons found to filter distractions, may aid ADHD research
7 reported2 unconfirmed
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University have discovered a group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts as a focus filter, helping animals ignore distractions. The study, published in Nature Communications and federally funded, was conducted in mice. When researchers temporarily switched off these brainstem neurons, the mice became unusually distractible, similar to symptoms seen in ADHD. Reactivating the neurons restored normal focus. The researchers believe these neurons are present across vertebrate species, including humans, and may eventually lead to more precise treatments for attention-related disorders such as ADHD and autism.
What’s reported
The neurons are located in the brainstem, an evolutionarily old region shared by all vertebrates.
When the neurons were temporarily switched off in mice, the animals became hyper distractible.
Reactivating the neurons the next day restored the mice’s ability to ignore distractions.
The study ruled out vision or movement problems as causes of the distraction.
The research was funded by the federal government and published in Nature Communications as an editorial highlight.
The team designed an attention task similar to human studies, using visual cues on a screen.
Lead author Ninad Kothari is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University; senior author Shreesh Mysore is a neuroscientist.
Open questions
Whether these neurons serve the same function in humans as they do in mice.
Whether the neurons function differently in people with ADHD or autism.
Key figures
Shreesh Mysore, senior author and neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University
Ninad Kothari, lead author and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Arunima Banerjee, co-author
Qingcheng (Jessica) Zhang, co-author
Wen-Kai You, co-author
Sources: ScienceDaily
