Brain: Multiple contacts are key to synapse formation
Friday, September 21, 2012 - 10:31
in Biology & Nature
Multiple synaptic contacts between nerve cells facilitate the creation of a new contact, as neuroscientists report. An integral mechanism of memory foundation is the formation of additional contacts between neurons in the brain. However, until now it was not known what conditions lead to the development of such synapses and how they are stabilized once created. By studying mathematical models, the scientists found a simple explanation for how and when synapses form -- or disappear -- in the brain.