The brain brings us back to the task with the help of rotating waves

A team from the Picauer Institute observed the activity of hundreds of neurons in animals performing a working memory test. It was necessary to keep in mind the object seen and then select it among the options. Sometimes distracting stimuli got in the way, and the brain’s response to them turned out to be very visual.

As soon as attention went to the side, a wave appeared in the prefrontal cortex, gradually rotating and leveling the work of nerve cells. According to Professor Earl Miller, this picture can be imagined as a flock of birds that broke formation, and then reassembled into a single movement. If the circle was completed completely, the animals successfully returned to the task. When the rotation stopped earlier, about thirty degrees before the full circle, an error occurred.

An important detail: such rotations appeared only when the brain was faced with a distraction and tried to overcome it. They did not arise spontaneously, which emphasizes their role in restoring focus. The more time there was between the interference and the moment of the response, the higher the probability of completing this cycle and coping with the task — the brain needs a pause to return to the route.

It is also interesting that the mathematical model of rotation coincided with real electric waves propagating through the crust. This consistency hints that the brain can use analog wave processes as a means of computing and saving energy. Unlike conventional computer logic, such a system does not rely on rigid digital switches, but on smooth transitions and synchronicity of neural ensembles.

The work opens up a new understanding of how the thought process goes through a breakdown and builds back into a holistic path. The opportunity to see how thought literally returns to normal brings us closer to creating methods to support attention, from neurostimulation technologies to approaches to treating cognitive impairments, where restoring control over attention plays a key role.