Selective attention explained using a simple video call analogy

Two researchers from Johns Hopkins University recently discovered that certain neurons in mice appear to improve focus when activated.

The neurons, called parvalbumin-positive inhibitory neurons, are present in many vertebrates and likely in humans and primates as well.

In this clip, lead researcher Ninad Kothari, Ph.D., an assistant research scientist and postdoctoral fellow within the university’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, gives a real-life analogy to explain how these neurons might function in humans.

Kothari and senior author Shreesh Mysore, Ph.D., recently published their findings in Nature Communications.