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Science & ResearchAug 16, 2026

Rapid associative spine enlargement is required for cognitive function and stable wakefulness

Awake cognition is usually attributed to arousal systems and ongoing electrical activity1, yet these do not explain how cortical processing is coupled to prior context and memory formation.

Awake cognition is usually attributed to arousal systems and ongoing electrical activity1, yet these do not explain how cortical processing is coupled to prior context and memory formation. Associative synaptic plasticity provides a cellular mechanism for such coupling, but is…

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