1. Radio
 / Modified may 17, 2018 9:56 a.m.

Episode 131: How Life Experiences Shape Brain Circuity

REPEAT. Why is it easier for children to learn new information than it is for adults?

AZSCI Brain circuitry Dr. Shaowen Bao, Ph.D. discusses his research into brain circuitry on this week's Arizona Science.

Dr. Shaowen Bao, Ph.D. discusses how life experiences affect brain circuitry in this web excerpt from this week's episode. (VIDEO: Paulina Bueno)

REPEAT. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change at any age, specifically during early life. Brain circuits are shaped by early experiences. Neural pathways allow us to learn new things and memorize new information. This flexibility has an important role in our brain development and after a certain age, this "critical period" ends. Dr. Bao uses the mouse auditory system to explore how plasticity occurs. The main goal of this research is to find different methods to artificially re-create high levels of plasticity that may help correct developmental brain disorders in adults.

In this episode:

Shaowen Bao, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology
Leslie P. Tolbert, Ph.D., Regents’ Professor in Neuroscience

Arizona Science
Catch Arizona Science each Friday during Science Friday on NPR 89.1. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Science.
MORE: Arizona Science
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona