One of the many amazing things about the brain is its ability to change its structure in response to experience, learning new skills, and memories; something scientists call plasticity. It was once thought that the brain took days or weeks to change its microstructure but new research from Tel Aviv University has shown that the process is much quicker than that. In the study volunteers were scanned using a new technique called Diffusion Imaging MRI. They then played two hours of a race-track video game going over the same virtual race-track 16 times before being scanned again. After two hours the volunteers were scanned again and the researchers observed changes in the hippocampus, motor and visual areas of the brain.

You can find out more about this study at

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812145022.htm