Research report 2010 - Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

Training changes the brain much faster than previously thought

Authors
Taubert, Marco; Villringer, Arno; Ragert, Patrick
Departments
Neurologie (Villringer)
Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig
Summary
Until recently, the general belief was that the structural organization of the human brain, apart from pathological conditions and aging, remains unchanged throughout adulthood. But recent evidence suggests that the brain is modifiable through learning across the lifespan. But to which degree and at what rate does experience changes brain structure? Recent research has shown that changes in brain structure already occur after a few sessions of training in a new motor task. This huge capacity for learning-induced brain changes might have a potential impact on rehabilitative training schedules.

For the full text, see the German version.

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