synaptic pruning

biology

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July 22, 2026

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Synaptic pruning is a biological process where the brain eliminates unused or weak neural connections, or synapses. This occurs most significantly during adolescence, though it begins in early childhood and continues into adulthood.12

During development, the brain forms an abundance of synapses. Synaptic pruning refines these connections, strengthening the ones that are frequently used and eliminating those that are not. This process is crucial for efficient brain function and underlies neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize itself in response to experience, learning, or damage.12

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neuroplasticity
…completely, a process known as synaptic pruning, which leaves behind efficient networks of neural connections. Other forms of neuroplasticity operate by much the same mechanism but under different circumstances and sometimes only to a limited extent. These circumstances include changes in the body, such as the loss of a limb…
Read More
…completely, a process known as synaptic pruning, which leaves behind efficient networks of neural connections. Other forms of neuroplasticity operate by much the same mechanism but under different circumstances and sometimes only to a limited extent. These circumstances include changes in the body, such as the loss of a limb…
Read More