Researchers at the University of California San Diego have uncovered key details about how brain synapses adapt during learning, revealing that individual neurons follow multiple rules to process new information. The study used cutting-edge brain visualization methods to track synapse and neuron cell activity in mice, finding that these adaptations occur across trillions of connections.
According to the researchers, traditional thinking had assumed that neurons followed a single set of rules during episodes of learning, but their findings show that this is not the case. Instead, individual neurons appear to follow multiple rules, with different synapses in various regions following distinct rules.
This discovery has significant implications for understanding brain and behavior disorders, as well as advancements in artificial intelligence. The researchers believe that a deeper understanding of how neurons adapt during learning could lead to new treatments for conditions such as addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and autism.
The study’s findings also shed light on the “credit assignment problem,” where individual synapses only have access to their own local information, yet collectively shape broader learned behaviors. The researchers’ discovery of multiple rules operating in parallel within individual neurons offers new insights for designing advanced AI systems that can mimic brain function.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-brain-imaging-reveals-synaptic-mechanisms.html