Brain Scans Show Fluid Waves Linked to Attention Lapses
Source: news.mit.edu Key Points: Sleep loss triggers cerebrospinal fluid waves similar to deep sleep maintenance. Lapses come with a slower heart rate, breathing, and pupil constriction. These waves may protect the brain, but long-term effects are unclear. A new study has found that brief lapses in attention caused by sleep deprivation coincide with Brain fluid waves flowing out of the brain, revealing a biological process that occurs when people zone out while tired. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston reported that these lapses—common during fatigue—are not simply moments when neurons stop processing external information but also involve large-scale physiological changes inside the brain. “The moment somebody’s attention fails is the moment this wave of fluid starts to pulse,” said Dr. Laura Lewis, senior author of the study. “It’s not just that your neurons aren’t paying attention to the world; there’s this big change in fluid in the brain ...