Scientists from UPF's Center for Brain and Cognition and the University of Oxford have found that turbulence speeds up the brain, making the transmission of information throughout the brain via neurons faster. The results of the work were published in the journal Communications Physics.

Most often, turbulence is associated with shaking during an airplane flight. However, first of all, turbulence is a fundamental principle of nature that ensures the efficient transfer of energy and information in space and time due to mixing. For example: the most optimal method of cooking, so that it cooks faster, is stirring.

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Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), the authors studied the effects of turbulence and thermodynamics on brain function in 89 volunteers. This method directly measures the electrical signals of neurons in milliseconds compared to seconds in fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging). Then a whole brain model was created. The results showed that brain turbulence is critical for the efficient transfer of information and energy within the brain both in space and time.

Now this indicator is planned to be used as a biomarker for diseases such as Parkinson's or Huntington's disease.