Sleep is crucial for consolidating our memories, and sleep deprivation has long been known to interfere with learning and memory. Now a new study shows that getting only half a night’s sleep — as many medical workers and military personnel often do — hijacks the brain’s ability to unlearn fear-related memories. That might put people at greater risk of conditions such as anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorder. Continue reading “Sleep loss hijacks brain’s activity during learning”
Early life experiences biologically and functionally mature the brain
Experiences early in life have an impact on the brain’s biological and functional development, shows a new study by a team of neuroscientists. Its findings, which centered on changes in mice and rats, reveal how learning and memory abilities may vary, depending on the nature of individual experiences in early life. Continue reading “Early life experiences biologically and functionally mature the brain”
The powerful impact of real-world learning experiences for kids
Real-world learning experiences, like summer camps, can significantly improve children’s knowledge in a matter of just days, a new study suggests. Continue reading “The powerful impact of real-world learning experiences for kids”
Brain circuit helps us learn by watching others
It’s often said that experience is the best teacher, but the experiences of other people may be even better. If you saw a friend get chased by a neighborhood dog, for instance, you would learn to stay away from the dog without having to undergo that experience yourself. Continue reading “Brain circuit helps us learn by watching others”
How the brain decides what to learn
In order to learn about the world, an animal needs to do more than just pay attention to its surroundings. It also needs to learn which sights, sounds and sensations in its environment are the most important and monitor how the importance of those details change over time. Yet how humans and other animals track those details has remained a mystery. Continue reading “How the brain decides what to learn”
Heartbeat paces learning, study finds
The electrophysiological activity of the brain is dominated by rhythmically coupled oscillations with different frequencies. The synchrony between oscillations enables effective communication locally and between brain regions. Continue reading “Heartbeat paces learning, study finds”