Dynamic changes in the structural characteristics of the postsynaptic membrane and, in particular, of dendritic spines have been a topic of great interest over the last decade (reviewed in refs.
This progressive, nearly inevitable process has long been hypothesized as a consequence of nature's removal of dendritic spines, a key component of synapses, from brain neurons as they age.
For 20 years, neuroscientists — including myself — have used cutting-edge microscopy technology in living animals to observe microscopic structures called dendritic spines constantly budding ...