Different learning games in a neuron
- Adéla Ondráčková
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
When we talk about learning, most of it involves making, strengthening, or rewiring connections between neurons in the brain. When we need to remember something?
Boom, a couple neurons hold hands and we suddenly know what to write in our biology exam. But what if the way neurons encode information while learning isn’t the same across their structure?
Scientists have come to find that even within a single neuron, different parts can follow different rules for remembering new information. Specifically, the theory suggests the upper and lower branches of a neuron (apical and basal dendrites) function on different plasticity rules, which has big implications for how we understand learning in the brain.
In this research, apical dendrites strengthened their synapses when groups of nearby connections were active together, which points to a type of “local teamwork”, suggesting these branches are tuned to patterns of clustered activity. In the same window of observation, basal dendrites strengthened synapses when the input arrived at the same time the neuron was activated, which indicates the classic Hebbian learning activity (more activation leads to stronger connection). This essentially means that a synapse may be evaluated by entirely different rules depending on where it lands on a specific neuron.
With said mechanism of information encoding, neurons have more flexibility and complexity than previously assumed. They can treat distinct types of input in different ways, potentially helping them combine diverse information sources more effectively. This research basically proves that neurons have their own internal structure and logic for processing information.
Since neurons are making local decisions based on context, location, and activity patterns, understanding the mechanisms further could help us gain better insight to eventually help improve brain-computer interfaces or better aid learning disorders. So when we think we already know how the brain functions, it continues to surprise us again and again…
Will science ever come to fully understand it?
Resources:
Wright W. J., et al. (2025) Distinct synaptic plasticity rules operate across dendritic compartments in vivo during learning
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