A delicate balancing act occurs in synapses in the brain, where neuronal connections are continually being formed, eliminated, and maintained, allowing the brain to integrate new information without jeopardizing already established memories, NYU School of Medicine researchers have found in mouse experiments.

The study gives a clue as to how it is possible for humans, who have hundreds of thousands of spines on one neuron, to live each day, constantly experiencing and learning new things, without losing existing memories.