Effects of increased neural activity on brain growth.
We have measured the effects of regionally increased metabolic activity--and by inference electrical activity--on cortical growth in the developing rat brain. Cortical growth is significantly and specifically greater in regions of chronically increased activity. This effect of activity on cortical growth may help explain the permanent storage of early experience in the developing nervous system.
Zheng
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Duke University Medical Center, Department of Neurobiology, Durham, NC 27710.
Purves
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D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D007839:Functional Laterality; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology