Use It or Lose It
By Alison Hunstad
Brains are the most complex structures that exist in the known universe. The rapid growth that baby brains undergo is just as complex. It is not until the age of about 13 that human brains reach their full size; at the age of 1, the human brain is only 72% of the final volume that it will reach at 13. What I find fascinating about all of this, however, is that although the size and volume are increasing, the number of neurons is actually decreasing. This is to make room for the most important and lasting information… HOW COOL! Furthermore, by the time an individual reaches late childhood, the human brain knows which connections we must keep, and which connections can be removed. The process that takes place when our brain decides which information is necessary and which is not is called synaptic pruning.
This video explains the process of synaptic pruning. Synapses become stronger or weaker as time goes on, and this depends on how much they are used. They get stronger the more we access them and weaker the less that we access them. The video references the phrase, “use it or lose it” to help understand this process a bit more. The video also states that there is a peak level that synapses will reach, and this is when the pruning starts to take place. This all ties back to the idea that the brain knows which connections we must keep, and which connections to remove because they are not necessary. If we are accessing some information more than others, the information we are accessing more often is probably more important, thus we will need to access it again. This article states that memory is a skill that must be practiced in order to be maintained; the process of synaptic pruning emphasizes this belief. The same phrase, “use it or lose it” can be used to understand our memory and how it is possible to improve it. However, improvement will not take place unless there is practice done to work on it. Paolicelli et al., 2011 explains the role that microglia, immune cells in the central nervous system, play in synaptic pruning. Furthermore, it describes the abnormalities that can take place if microglia do not function efficiently. These microglia are necessary for brains to develop correctly. Scientists have studied microglia to understand the process that the developing brain undergoes. Furthermore, microglia have allowed for more research to be done on neurodevelopment disorders.
As you finish reading this blog, take a few minutes to attempt to think of a few memories you have not accessed in a while. For instance, try to think of the first homework assignment you ever completed all the way back in kindergarten… it is more-than-likely that this information will be hard to recall successfully. This piece of information, as well as so many others that we are all unaware of, explains synaptic pruning. If we do not access pieces of information often enough, “use it or lose it” will occur in our memories.
References
Memory Skills. Skills You Need: Hoping You Develop Life Skills. Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/memory-skills.html
Paolicelli, R. C., Bolasco, G., Pagani, F., Maggi, L., Scianni, M., Panzanelli, P., Giustetto, M., Ferreira, T. A., Guiducci, E., Dumas, L., Ragozzino, D., & Gross, C. T. (2011). Synaptic Pruning by Microglia Is Necessary for Normal Brain Development. Science, 333(6048), 1456–1458. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23060240
Productivity Guy. (2020). What is Synaptic Pruning. [Film]. Retrieved June 10, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDOkCN_f6Zw