Your Brain Starts Overloaded Then Cuts Itself Down for Better Memory

ISTA researchers found that a key hippocampal network in mice is highly dense shortly after birth.

Over adolescence and adulthood, the circuit becomes sparser and more structured, consistent with synaptic pruning rather than gradual growth.

The study suggests the brain may boost memory capacity by starting with excess connections and refining them over time.

The findings could reshape how scientists think about hippocampal development, learning, and neural plasticity.