Expert birders show more compact attention brain areas, study finds

Research shows that as individuals learn and acquire a new skill, their brain structure and activity changes. But how do more complex skills involving multiple learning processes influence the brain? In a study appearing in JNeurosci, researchers led by Erik Wing, from Baycrest Hospital, compared the brains of 29 expert birders with 29 age- and sex-matched beginners. Because birding requires a keen eye, attention, and strong memory, this work may have implications for experts of skills using similar processes.