Due to a combination of genetics and environmental factors (epigenetics), the structure and function of neural connections are in constant transformation. Until recently, our understanding of the influence of environmental factors, including synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning, has been largely derived from animal models and post-mortem studies.
Novel neuroimaging technologies, methods and studies, aided by advanced image-processing algorithms, have now created a paradigm shift, permitting comprehensive, non-invasive investigation of brain structure and function in humans.