ABSTRACT
The idea that brain structure changes with experience took a long time to gain acceptance in neuroscience. It is now well established, however, thanks in part to the studies of Helen Neville of deaf persons and the primate studies of Michael Merzenich on how experience shapes sensory systems. The combination of human and animal work convinced cellular neuroscientists of structural change and provided evidence that sensory alterations could shape important aspects of perceived experience in humans. In this essay, reviewing recent work, we explore the possibility of improving the function of brain networks underlying attention and their connections to memory. This chapter reviews studies showing that stimulation of the adult brain can change connectivity, perhaps using similar mechanisms to those found during early human development. In this work, we complement efforts made by Neville and her associates to integrate adult studies of attention with the development of attention in infants and children.
