Brain complexity: stimulating synapses (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, March 20, 2016, 14:52 (3170 days ago) @ David Turell

The mechanism is now being worked out:-http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-03-gene-discovery-reveals-mechanism.html-
"Our brains are marvels of connectivity, packed with cells that continually communicate with one another. This communication occurs across synapses, the transit points where chemicals called neurotransmitters leap from one neuron to another, allowing us to think, to learn and to remember. -"Researchers have known that these synapses often need a boost to send information across neuronal divides. -"Now Harvard Medical School researchers have discovered a gene that provides that boost by increasing neurotransmitter release in a phenomenon known as synaptic facilitation.-"The gene is synaptotagmin 7 (syt7 for short), a calcium sensor that dynamically increases neurotransmitter release; each release serves to strengthen communication between neurons for about a second. These swift releases are thought to be critical for the brain's ability to perform computations involved in short-term memory, spatial navigation and sensory perception.-***-"'We really think one of the most important things the brain can do is change the strength of connections between neurons," Jackman said. "Now that we have a tool to selectively turn off facilitation, we can test some long-held beliefs about its importance for thinking and working memory.'"-Comment: No computer can change its electrical power in different areas of its transistors and chips. No computer will match the brain.