[The Scientist (OP)]

Ng Jing Kiat asked the Naked Scientists:
   
How can I increase my concentration span? Is there something that is related to the brain?

Thanks!

What do you think?

[smart]

Sleep deprivation (SD) may affect negatively our attention span and working memory. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

[jeffreyH]

Sleep deprivation (SD) may affect negatively our attention span and working memory. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

That is answering the opposite of the question asked.

[evan_au]

Sleep deprivation (SD) may affect negatively our attention span and working memory. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/

That is answering the opposite of the question asked.

To paraphrase: You can improve attention span by ensuring that you get plenty of sleep.

[puppypower]

Ng Jing Kiat asked the Naked Scientists:
   
How can I increase my concentration span? Is there something that is related to the brain?

Thanks!

What do you think?

Concentration and attention span are both connected to arousal, which is processed within the brain stem.

Wikipedia; The arousal system involves many different neural systems. Five major systems originating in the brainstem, with connections extending throughout the cortex, are based on the brain's neurotransmitters: acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, histamine, and serotonin. When these systems are in action, the receiving neural areas become sensitive and responsive to incoming signals, producing alertness and cortical activity.

Lack of concentration and attention span can be due to our unconscious based arousal shifting the focus to others areas of the brain, so other things become the center of attention. For example, an animal hears a sound and gets aroused. Then a different stimulus appears, causing his focus of arousal to shift. One can be studying and then a friend comes over.

Maintain concentration is also dependent on whether you like something or not. It is easy to concentrate on things you like to do. In this case, there is a constant renewal of arousal. Each new nuance is stimulating. We lose our concentration easier when we do boring tasks or things we don't like to do, because we choose not to renew our arousal for very long, allowing the arousal to decay or shift to other things.

One trick I found make it easier to concentrate on boring things, was to turn these into a game. For example, I once did labor type jobs during summer breaks in college. Instead of looking at this as hard work,which can be boring, I looked at it as a day at the spa doing exercise, which I liked to do. This POV kept my enthusiasm,  so I could renew my arousal over long periods of time. Or studying can be boring at times. So I would make the up coming test a life-death scenario so I would renew my attention. It is often about tricking the arousal system so the arousal system senses renewed joy in task at hand; stays on focus.