Reticular Formation

Definition

The reticular formation is a network of neurons located in the brainstem that plays key roles in arousal and attention as well as other basic bodily processes such as sleep-wake cycles and filtering incoming stimuli to discriminate irrelevant background stimuli.

Analogy

Think of the reticular formation like your home's security system. It's always on alert, monitoring different sensors (your senses), deciding which alerts are important enough to wake you up or grab your attention (like an intruder), and which ones can be ignored (like a passing car).

Related terms

Brainstem: The part of the brain continuous with the spinal cord and comprising the medulla oblongata, pons, and midbrain.

Arousal: A state of being awake and alert to one's environment.

Selective Attention: The process by which individuals focus on specific features in the environment while ignoring others.