Learning Alters Wiring in the Brain

Newswise — Researchers at Oxford University studied people who were learning to juggle and mastering a three-ball juggle. Brain imaging of white-matter tracts, the wiring connections within the brain, revealed changes with learning, possibly reflecting increases in myelination, the insulating material that preserves fidelity of wiring between brain cells, in specific brain regions that are involved in hand-eye coordination. Most interestingly, it was noted that these changes slowly disappear within a month when the newbie jugglers stop using their new skill. The results suggest that fidelity of brain wiring is dynamically reconfigured during learning even in adults. So, it is never too late to start juggling!

Authors: J Scholz, M Klein, T Behrens, H Johansen-Berg, FMRIB, Oxford, United Kingdom