Science & Technology

Older brain 'too full' for new memories

By T.K. Randall
January 28, 2013 ·  25 comments

Image Credit: Andrew Mason Neuroscientists at the Medical College of Georgia conducted research which suggested that the brain of an older person is just as capable of creating strong synaptic connections as a younger person. Instead, the problems with memory as we age are more to do with our inability to weaken existing connections to free up the capacity for new ones.

"What our study suggests is that it's not just the strengthening of connections, but the weakening of the other sets of connections that creates a holistic pattern of synaptic connectivity that is important for long-term memory formation," said study author Dr. Joe Z. Tsien.

Source: New York Times | Comments (25)

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