Concerning Relationships between Cerebral Blood Flow, Synaptic Pruning, and Early Mental Development in Animals and Humans

Introduction Neurophysiological and behavioral observations of rats, primates, and humans demonstrate that the amounts of blood which flow to the sensory and cognitive domains of the brain increase with the degree of environmental stimulation and interaction. These studies provide information on the early rate and extent of development of synaptic architecture and activity in the brain and accompanying increases in metabolic demands together with some evidence for cognitive correlates.