New Theory of Synapse Formation in the Brain

[jjhunter]

Forschungszentrum Jülich press release: New Theory of Synapse Formation in the Brain

Jülich, 10 October 2013 – The human brain keeps changing throughout a person’s lifetime. New connections are continually created while synapses that are no longer in use degenerate. To date, little is known about the mechanisms behind these processes. Jülich neuroinformatician Dr. Markus Butz has now been able to ascribe the formation of new neural networks in the visual cortex to a simple homeostatic rule that is also the basis of many other self-regulating processes in nature. With this explanation, he and his colleague Dr. Arjen van Ooyen from Amsterdam also provide a new theory on the plasticity of the brain – and a novel approach to understanding learning processes and treating brain injuries and diseases.

Associated PLOS Computational Biology article is freely available online: Markus Butz + Arjen van Ooyen's A Simple Rule for Dendritic Spine and Axonal Bouton Formation Can Account for Cortical Reorganization after Focal Retinal Lesions.

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Admins, can we have a 'Neuro' tag of some kind? (Neuroscience / Neurobiology / etc.)

The origin of the Moon (self-promotion)

[kaberett]

Hi all -- at the end of September I went to a two-day workshop at the Royal Society on the Origin of the Moon, and took copious notes during each session. I've been posting them in my own DW (not cleaned up at all) and inviting questions; I've just reached the end of the first day. Thought some of you might be interested to know that this is info I am sticking online!