Memory and Brain Development
Today’s topic was selected by Juliet after she read an interesting article at Frontiers for Young Minds, which is a science journal for…you guessed it…kids!
The article was about how memory and brain development are related. What do you think?
Does memory affect how the brain develops?
Does brain development affect memory?
How about all of the above?
If you guessed 3, All of the above, you are right!
The authors found that when we use our memory, we are helping our brain to grow, and also that as our brain grows, that helps our memory to improve.
Interestingly, they found that at younger ages, memory ability improved first and seemed to lead to stronger brain connections between the hippocampus (a part of the brain important for memory) and other parts of the brain. In other words, when we’re little, it’s important to use our memory in order to help our brain development.
In older children, the effects went in both directions. Memory still helped brain development, but that brain development also helped with memory ability.
So, when you’re studying for a quiz, or talking with friends about a fun activity you did together, you’re not only using your memory, you’re also helping your brain to develop! Pretty cool, huh? Thanks for reading, hope to see you back at this blog soon!