Memories are formed at structures in the brain known as dendritic spines which communicate with other brain cells via synapses. It is known that the number of these brain connections decreases by half after puberty, a finding shown in brain areas for many species, including humans and rodents.  This process, known as adolescent ‘synaptic pruning’, is thought to be important for normal learning in adulthood. … Continue reading Study identifies cause of dendritic pruning defect linked to autism and schizophrenia.