User:ChristopherLim/sandbox

Synaptic Pruning refers to the deletion of connections between neurons. Pruning is a neurological regulatory process that is a general feature of mammalian brain maturation. Pruning starts near the time of birth and is completed by the time of sexual maturation in humans.

Synaptic Pruning in Maturation
At birth, the human brain consists of approximately 10 billion neurons. The infant brain will increase in size by a factor of up to 5 by adulthood. Two factors contribute to this growth: the growth of synaptic connections between neurons, and the myelination of nerve fibers. Generally, the number of neurons in the cortex increases until adolescence reflecting a growth of synapses. A decrease in synapses is seen after adolescence reflecting synaptic pruning. Pruning is influenced by environmental factors and is widely thought of to represent learning.