What is synaptic pruning?

What is synaptic pruning?

• A. The process of rapid brain growth during adolescence.
• B. The process where the brain removes weak and unused connections between neurons to improve efficiency.
• C. The formation of new neurons.
• D. The development of myelin around axons.

Answer: (B)

Synaptic pruning is the brain’s process of trimming back unused or weak connections between neurons to make neural networks more efficient. During adolescence the brain overproduces synapses, and activity helps decide which connections are kept. Those that aren’t regularly used are weakened and removed, often with support from microglia, while frequently used pathways are strengthened. This refinement speeds up processing, reduces energy use, and supports more efficient thinking and control as the prefrontal circuits mature. It’s different from rapid brain growth or the creation of new neurons (neurogenesis), and it’s not the development of myelin around axons (myelination), which are separate processes.

Synaptic pruning is the brain’s process of trimming back unused or weak connections between neurons to make neural networks more efficient. During adolescence the brain overproduces synapses, and activity helps decide which connections are kept. Those that aren’t regularly used are weakened and removed, often with support from microglia, while frequently used pathways are strengthened. This refinement speeds up processing, reduces energy use, and supports more efficient thinking and control as the prefrontal circuits mature. It’s different from rapid brain growth or the creation of new neurons (neurogenesis), and it’s not the development of myelin around axons (myelination), which are separate processes.