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Research Reveals How Brain Adapts to Lifelong Learning
New research from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research has revealed a previously unknown mechanism that allows our brains to adapt to lifelong learning.
In the brain, nerve cells form circuits that transmit and process information in the form of electrical signals. These circuits are insulated by a fatty substance called myelin that acts as insulation and ensures electrical signals travel reliably along the nerve.
Associate Professor Kaylene Young and Dr Carlie Cullen from the MS Research Flagship based at the Menzies Institute found that very small changes to the structure of this insulation can speed up or slow down the electrical signal and influence learning.