Helmholtz Gemeinschaft

Search
Browse
Statistics
Feeds

Temporal and spatial dynamics of brain structure changes during extensive learning

[img] PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
368kB

Item Type:Article
Title:Temporal and spatial dynamics of brain structure changes during extensive learning
Creators Name:Draganski, B. and Gaser, C. and Kempermann, G. and Kuhn, H.G. and Winkler, J. and Buechel, C. and May, A.
Abstract:The current view regarding human long-term memory as an active process of encoding and retrieval includes a highly specific learning-induced functional plasticity in a network of multiple memory systems. Voxel-based morphometry was used to detect possible structural brain changes associated with learning. Magnetic resonance images were obtained at three different time points while medical students learned for their medical examination. During the learning period, the gray matter increased significantly in the posterior and lateral parietal cortex bilaterally. These structural changes did not change significantly toward the third scan during the semester break 3 months after the exam. The posterior hippocampus showed a different pattern over time: the initial increase in gray matter during the learning period was even more pronounced toward the third time point. These results indicate that the acquisition of a great amount of highly abstract information may be related to a particular pattern of structural gray matter changes in particular brain areas.
Keywords:Brain, Plasticity, Posterior Parietal Cortex, Hippocampus, Memory, Learning, Voxel-Based Morphometry
Source:Journal of Neuroscience
ISSN:0270-6474
Publisher:Society for Neuroscience
Volume:26
Number:23
Page Range:6314-6317
Date:7 June 2006
Additional Information:Copyright (c) 2006 by The Society for Neuroscience
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4628-05.2006
PubMed:View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Open Access
MDC Library