Understanding the Human Brain: New Insights from Neuroscience
Tarek Nassar
New imaging tools are revealing how memories form, how the brain rewires itself and why rest matters for learning.
Neuroscience is living through a period of rapid discovery, driven by imaging tools that can follow brain activity in more detail than ever before.
How memories are made
Researchers can now watch networks of neurons strengthen their connections as a new skill is learned, and see the same patterns replayed during sleep, which helps explain why rest is so important for learning.
A brain that keeps changing
Studies of stroke recovery show that the adult brain can reorganise itself far more than once believed. Scientists hope these findings will lead to better rehabilitation and new treatments for degenerative diseases.