Neuroscience of learning: How the brain adapts and changes

The human brain is remarkably dynamic, constantly adapting to new experiences and environmental changes. This plasticity underlies our capacity to learn throughout the lifespan, shaping how we acquire knowledge and develop new skills. Recent advances in neuroscience have illuminated the cellular, molecular, and network-level changes that support learning, revealing a complex interplay between genetic, neurochemical, and experiential factors. Understanding these mechanisms provides crucial insights into cognitive development, educational strategies, and interventions for learning disorders, making the neuroscience of learning a vibrant and relevant field of research.

Despite substantial progress, fundamental questions remain about how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves new information, and how these processes vary across different stages of life and in varied contexts. There is a need to further explore the neural mechanisms underlying learning, the role of critical periods, the impact of social and environmental influences, and how maladaptive changes may contribute to cognitive deficits. This Research Topic invites contributions that address these challenges, with the goal of integrating findings from molecular neuroscience, neuroimaging, computational modeling, and behavioral studies. By bringing together diverse disciplines, we seek to advance our understanding of the learning brain and translate these insights into practical applications in education, rehabilitation, and technology-enhanced learning environments.

Authors are encouraged to address both foundational and applied questions, highlight emerging methods, and consider interdisciplinary perspectives that integrate neuroscience with psychology, education, and technology. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and theoretical papers addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Synaptic and structural plasticity underlying learning and memory

• Neurobiological mechanisms of skill acquisition and expertise

• Critical periods and developmental trajectories of learning

• Effects of social, emotional, and environmental factors on brain plasticity

• Neuroimaging and electrophysiological approaches to studying learning

• Cognitive and neural bases of learning disabilities and interventions

• Computational models of learning and adaptation

• Translational approaches: from neuroscience findings to educational practice

Do not miss the chance to make your manuscript contribution and showcase your research alongside the research of other outstanding colleagues. Register your interest in the link below so our Topic Editors can make sure to extend deadlines for your submission if needed: Participate in this topic