Researchers analyzed brain scans from 960 people and found that different cortical regions operate on multiple internal timescales rather than a single uniform clock. The distribution of those timescales across the cortex predicts how smoothly someone can switch between fast and slow modes of thinking. These timing patterns align with specific genetic, molecular and cellular signatures and were also observed in mice. The team plans to study whether altered timescale–connectivity profiles appear in psychiatric disorders.
Why Some Brains Shift Mental Gears More Easily Than Others
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We live inside a constant stream of sights, sounds and memories: the sudden kaboom that suggests the family cat has knocked a book from a shelf, or a street scene through a window that suddenly pulls up a summer-long-ago memory and a wistful sense that time is slipping away. Some impressions register almost instantly; others require reflection and context. Psychologists often describe these as fast and slow modes of thinking, a distinction popularized by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman.
How the brain moves between these modes—and why some people switch more smoothly than others—was the question Linden Parkes, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers Health, and her colleagues set out to answer. The team analyzed brain-imaging data from 960 people, reconstructing networks of connections among cortical regions to model how signals propagate and how information is integrated across the brain.
Contrary to the common assumption that all brain regions run on a single internal clock, their models showed that different cortical areas operate at multiple internal timescales. Some regions process information quickly, others more slowly, and the particular distribution of these timescales across the cortex helps determine how well a person can switch between modes of thinking or juggle competing tasks. The results were published in Nature Communications.
"We found that differences in how the brain processes information at different speeds help explain why people vary in their cognitive abilities," Parkes said. "People whose brain wiring is better matched to the way different regions handle fast and slow information tend to show higher cognitive capacity."
Importantly, the timing patterns the researchers identified lined up with biological markers: they corresponded with specific genetic, molecular and cellular signatures in the regions showing different timescales. Similar organizational patterns were observed in mice, suggesting a conserved biological basis.
Looking ahead, the team plans to explore clinical applications: they will investigate whether changes to these connectivity and timescale distributions are present in psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, which could shed light on cognitive and symptomatic differences in those illnesses.
Bottom line: Our brains operate at many tempos. The most adaptable minds appear to have cortical wiring that harmonizes fast and slow regions, enabling smoother shifts in attention and thought.
This story was originally featured on Nautilus.
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