Of Barn Owls, Brains, Bairns, Babbling, Babel and Toys.

Just a little collection of bits of research reported by the BBC.

The first one ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4115915.stm ) reports an elegant experiment done with Barn Owlets - and concludes from it that:

Toys have lasting impact on brain

Toys may play a crucial part in development.

Toys that stimulate a young child's mind could permanently boost their brain function, according to research.

Scientists found skills learned very early in life may trigger permanent changes in the structure of the brain.

The findings, based on a study in owls, underline the importance of choosing the right toys for children, even at the earliest stages of life.

The study, by Stanford University, California, is published in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

This work shows the importance of investing in childhood experience.

Professor Eric Knudsen
So-called educational toys have been popular for many years, and most parents buy them to give their children a head start at school.

But the latest study shows they may also bolster the parts of the brain used to make decisions later in life.

Lead researcher Professor Eric Knudsen, an expert in neurobiology, said: "This work shows the importance of investing in childhood experience.

"Early learning can have long-lasting effects on the architecture of the brain."

Massive spending

Parents are expected to spend a staggering £1.8bn on presents for their children this Christmas, the equivalent of £150 per child.

Books, computer games, games consoles and mobile phones are among the top sellers.

But the latest research suggests buying stimulating gifts for young babies could be money well spent.........

This fits well with infant mental health research into the effects of parent/infant attachment, early trauma, richness of environment etc on the developing brain.

But, how did Barn Owls come to have anything to say about educational toys? Well:

.......The Stanford team have carried out earlier studies showing young owls quickly acquire new skills that leave older owls baffled.

In their new experiments, they wanted to see if they could still remember those skills when they become an adult.

The study focused on one part of an owl's brain that uses sounds to help it hunt.

It does this by creating a kind of map from the sounds that an owl hears, like the squeaking of a mouse, or the rustling of leaves.

The owl then uses that map to know precisely where to hunt for dinner.

Skewed view

Researchers fitted owls with special glasses that shifted the world to one side, disrupting the map structure that is imprinted on their brain.

When the owl peered through the glasses, a squeaking mouse located off to one side appeared to be straight ahead. The owls got confused and the prey escaped.

To get round the problem, the owl's brain gradually generated a new auditory map that matched the skewed image the glasses provided. This allowed it to hunt successfully once again.

When the glasses were removed, the owl's brains reverted back to the original map.

But the crucial finding was that, when the glasses were put back on when the owls had grown up, they were able to remember what they had learned as young babies.........

.......learning new skills very early in life prompts neurons in the brain to build new connections that still work into adulthood.

He said toys that beep, crinkle or need prodding and poking are all likely to shape a child's brain for future tasks.

Professor Janet Eyre, a specialist in paediatric neuroscience at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said stimulating toys are vital to help the brain wire itself properly during childhood, when it has the capacity to change its structure.

"There is very good evidence that, in the early stages of development, the brain is much more plastic........

So - this study provides support for the theory that environment affects brain physiology - and has permanent effects.