The eyes are windows into the attention span at least Whether you’re taking a test or walking your dog across a busy street, your ability to tune out irrelevant sights and sounds in the environment — or your openness to detecting potential dangers — is crucial for success and survival.Duke University researchers have looked into monkeys’ eyes for insight into how the brain processes distractions and they’ve found that changes to pupil size in response to distractors might predict how well the brain focuses on a goal.The results, appearing in the journal Neuron, may inform our understanding of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other disorders in which mechanisms for maintaining attention go awry. The results could also inspire new ways to improve performance in school or on the job.In recent years, researchers have gained a greater appreciation of the importance of eye movements and pupil size for focusing the mind, and how the brain might regulate these behaviors.

Read the rest of the article at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/289028.php.