Temporal and spatial dynamics of brain structure changes during extensive learning.
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.
Draganski
Bogdan
B
Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
Gaser
Christian
C
Kempermann
Gerd
G
Kuhn
H Georg
HG
Winkler
Jürgen
J
Büchel
Christian
C
May
Arne
A
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013337:Students, Medical; D013997:Time Factors