Brain Blends Fast and Slow Signals to Shape Human Thought

Brain Blends Fast and Slow Signals to Shape Human ThoughtResearchers mapped the brain connectivity of 960 individuals to uncover how fast and slow neural processes unite to support complex behavior. They found that intrinsic neural timescales—each region’s characteristic window for processing information—are directly shaped by white-matter pathways that distribute signals across the brain. Individuals with a closer match between their wiring and regional timescale demands showed more efficient transitions between behavior-linked brain states.