Researchers Reveal Understanding of Synaptic Plasticity in Human Brain April 1, 2021 Using electron microscopy images, the researchers visualize the dendritic spines (yellow) with their spine apparatus (red) and the synapse terminal buttons (blue).[Andreas Vlachos] Brain plasticity, also known as neuroplasticity, is a term that refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience. A person’s brain is constantly changing and adapting to environmental stimuli. One of the most important mechanisms behind brain plasticity is the change in both the structure and function of synapses, the points of contact between neurons where communication happens. At birth, each neuron in the cerebral cortex has approximately 2,500 synapses. By the time an infant is two or three years old, the number of synapses is approximately 15,000 synapses per neuron.