The Ancient Brain Cells That Decide What You Ignore

Johns Hopkins found a tiny cluster of brainstem neurons, called PLTi, that filters out distractions.

These inhibitory neurons exist in all vertebrates — fish, birds, reptiles, mice and humans.

Silencing them made mice highly distractible; switching them back on restored sharp focus.

The finding challenges the idea that attention lives mainly in the human prefrontal cortex.

It points toward new, possibly non-stimulant treatments for ADHD and attention disorders.