A key to restoring youthful brain plasticity could be in a single gene

As we age, our brains slowly lose the ability to learn, remember, adapt and heal from injury. This flexibility is known as brain plasticity, and it explains why youngsters can soak up information like sponges and adapt to their surroundings, while the more mature of us tend to forget things and struggle to learn new skills. Scientists have long sought an uncover the mechanisms behind this reduction in brain plasticity, and a team at the University of Utah has uncovered a possible key piece in the plasticity puzzle with the discovery of a single gene that can rejuvenate plasticity in the brains of adult mice.

Rich Haridy

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