The human brain is always working, reacting in a split second to dangerous events while slowly making sense of meaning, memories and decisions.
MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 — The human brain is always working, reacting in a split second to dangerous events while slowly making sense of meaning, memories and decisions. A new study from Rutgers Health explains how the brain pulls these fast and slow signals together to support thinking and behavior.
The research was published recently in the journalScientists say different parts of the brain are programmed to process information over different lengths of time. Some areas react almost instantly, while others take longer to analyze details. These time patterns are known as intrinsic neural timescales, or INTs, researchers explained. “To affect our environment through action, our brains must combine information processed over different timescales,” said senior author Linden Parkes, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers University Brain Health Institute in Piscataway, N.J. To better understand how this works, researchers analyzed detailed brain scans from 960 people. They mapped how different brain regions are connected and then used mathematical models to examine how information moves through these networks over time. “Our work probes the mechanisms underlying this process in humans by directly modeling regions' INTs from their connectivity,” Parkes explained in a news release. The study found that the way processing is arranged across the brain plays a key role in how easily the brain shifts between different activity patterns that are tied to behavior.“We found that differences in how the brain processes information at different speeds help explain why people vary in their cognitive abilities,” Parkes said. The team also discovered that these brain patterns are tied to genetics and cellular features of brain tissue. Similar patterns were found in mice, suggesting this system is also shared across other species. “People whose brain wiring is better matched to the way different regions handle fast and slow information tend to show higher cognitive capacity," Parkes added. The researchers now plan to explore how disruptions in these brain networks may play a role in conditions such asDementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Aging Brains Get the facts on dementia and disorders such as Lewy Body dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and more. Learn the warning signs of dementia.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Study Explores Using Gravitational Waves to Detect Dark MatterResearchers propose a novel method using gravitational waves from black hole mergers to investigate the existence of dark matter. The study introduces an improved model for understanding how dark matter interacts with gravitational waves and provides a relativistic framework for predicting these waves.
Read more »
Groundbreaking study finds new date for the beginning of the Macedonian kingdomThe study has overturned a historical assumptions, revealing that the Macedonian kingdom rose 75 years later than previously believed.
Read more »
Hall of Famer explains why he trusts Josh Allen, Bills most of any AFC playoff teamThe former Chicago Bears' LB has plenty of faith in the reigning MVP and the Bills.
Read more »
Eddie Murphy explains why he left the Oscars after ‘Dreamgirls’ lossFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Figure skater Alysa Liu makes improbable comeback with new rules, new style and a new approachShe surprised the figure skating world at 13 when she won the U.S. Championships, then shocked again when she retired at 16. Now Alysa Liu is making a comeback heading into the Winter Olympics.
Read more »
A new study reveals immuno-inflammatory markers in psychiatric disorders.New research links inflammation to mental health symptoms. Personalized care using brain and immune data could improve symptoms when standard treatments don’t work.
Read more »