Experience-dependent structural rearrangements of synaptic connectivity in the adult central nervous system

The functioning of the brain critically relies on its capacity to adapt and respond to its
environment. The brain’s ability to change in response to experience is called plasticity
and underlies principal brain functions, such as learning and memory.
My thesis work investigated the ability of the brain to structurally remodel upon altered
experiences, and changes that occur during normal aging. Furthermore, I addressed what
might be the molecular mechanisms regulating such remodeling.
I will therefore start by introducing the term of experience-dependent plasticity and
exemplify the brain’s capacity to adapt to changes in experience and usage.
I will then attempt to describe mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity on the
functional, molecular and structural level. Furthermore, I will discuss the impact of age
and life-style on the brain’s capacity for plasticity.
Finally, I will close the introduction by outlining the function and anatomy of the brain
region that was the main subject of our investigations, namely the hippocampus, and
specifically the mossy fiber pathway