Scientists Discover Brain Fluid Waves Linked to Attention Lapses

Scientists Discover Brain Fluid Waves Linked to Attention Lapses
……………..

New research has revealed that brief lapses in attention, often triggered by sleep deprivation, coincide with waves of fluid moving out of the brain, as reported by The Guardian. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that when focus drops, cerebrospinal fluid pulses out of the brain and returns once attention resumes—suggesting a deeper biological process behind “zoning out.”

The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, involved 26 volunteers who underwent brain scans using EEG and fMRI after both normal sleep and a night without rest. Participants reacted significantly slower to visual and auditory cues when sleep deprived. The researchers observed that just after a lapse in focus, cerebrospinal fluid was expelled from the brain—a pattern similar to deep sleep, where such waves help clear metabolic waste.

Physiological signs accompanied the process, with pupils shrinking about 12 seconds before the fluid movement and heart rate and breathing also slowing. Experts say the findings show that the brain may temporarily “switch off” to perform necessary maintenance, even when awake. Scientists described these short lapses as structured biological events that might protect the brain by giving it brief moments of rest.