Pruning

The brain of a young child is laden with 1,000 trillion synapses (Chang et al. 2004). With time the young cells that are not being used are pruned, making the brain more efficient. Pruning takes place again in early adolescence, following overproduction. By the mid-20’s the brain is stable, the pruning process over. This stability involves over 100-500 trillion synapses (Giedd et al, 1999).

We’ve often heard people proclaim we use only a fraction of our brain power; the adult brain has the potential to activate 10 to the millionth power neurons!(Badenoch, 1999) Let’s get busy!!!!