But paying attention appears to be even more complex than that, says Niebur. The team's recent study shows that when monkeys were paying close attention to a tactile stimulus, certain neurons in the tactile region not only increased their firing rate, they also fired in synchrony. When the monkeys switched to a visual task, the degree of synchrony decreased. While the model appears to apply to the tactile system, says Niebur, there is no reason to believe that it would not also hold for other sensations and even for cognition. So telling yourself to pay close attention to your left foot probably entails an increased degree of synchrony in a subset of your neurons.
Many questions remain.
The model describes what goes on in the brain when you are paying attention. He and his colleagues plan to conduct follow-up studies that may provide more clues. Hendricks Unlocking an ancient atmospheric riddle Scientists have long pondered how to determine what was in the air millions of years ago. Unfortunately, atmosphere is not preserved in the fossil record. But ancient plants are preserved as fossils, and they may unlock part of the riddle.