Researchers who study the brain know that itâ??s far from an immutable object. â??Itâ??s much more plastic than most people think,â? said Giulio Tononi, a psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin. â??Itâ??s changing all the time.â?
One area of change is the synapses, the connections between neurons, which are altered as the brain receives stimuli. â??What happens when youâ??re awake is you produce an overall strengthening of synapses,â? Dr. Tononi said. â??Thatâ??s good, because thatâ??s how you learn.â?