
Adult brain neurons can remodel connections - jaydub
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/brain-remodel-1124.html
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tokenadult
Howard Gardner had some fascinating comments in his original version of Frames
of Mind suggesting that different "intelligences," as he termed them, may have
different patterns of plasticity over the lifespan. This newly reported
research suggests a mechanism by which some regions of the brain might be
better able to make new connections late in life than others.

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iamwil
"In the current study, they show that the capacity of interneurons to remodel
is not predetermined by genetic lineage, but imposed by the circuitry within
the layers of the cortex itself."

That was the most interesting sentence in there, imo. I suspect that just as
the "Queen Bee" in a colony doesn't tell the bees what to do, there is no
"Master Neuron" that tells all the neurons how to wire themselves. If that is
the case, then I'm guessing there might be a decentralized system/algorithm
that the neurons relies upon to regulate its own networking and growth.

Whatever that might be would not only be interesting to study, but also
interesting to apply to say...networking home appliances.

But for now, it's speculation.

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russell
Fifteen years ago, a friend of mine was paralyzed in a climbing accident.
Research like this gives me hope that someday he will be able to walk again.

