Researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub

The human brain constantly processes vast amounts of information, even in simple tasks like driving. A key brain network involved in managing this flow of information is the frontoparietal cortex. This region receives signals from throughout the brain, determines which information is most important, and coordinates appropriate responses. New research from the University of Iowa provides a more detailed look at how this system operates when people face uncertainty while making decisions.

The study combined computational modeling with brain imaging to explore how the frontoparietal cortex adapts its connections with other brain regions based on the type of information required during different stages of a decision. Unlike previously thought, its connections do not communicate in a fixed way. Instead, the frontoparietal cortex dynamically adjusts which brain regions it communicates with depending on the information needed at each moment.

This finding could have implications for understanding neurological and psychiatric conditions where this information exchange may function differently, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. The research suggests that challenges in adjusting behavior when circumstances change may stem from an integration problem, where the brain fails to use the right context to regulate behavior.