Yale researchers conducted a study on how visual clutter affects information flow in the brain, specifically in the visual cortex. The research showed that clutter alters how information is processed in the brain, with unique effects based on the location of the clutter in the field of vision. Visual crowding, which makes it hard to read or identify objects on the edge of our vision, is a key factor. The study used macaque monkeys to examine how clutter influences neural activity in the primary visual cortex. Surprisingly, the research also uncovered new information on how information is relayed between different regions of the brain during visual processing.
https://news.yale.edu/2024/10/22/visual-clutter-alters-information-flow-brain