Neuron Pruning

In Girl in the Glass, Declan learns the Clypeate drugged the other Declans, preventing them from forming new memories. As Captain Noonan explains, the drug affected synaptic pruning:

“As added protection, we also drugged the Declans with a powerful amnestic agent, preventing neurons from pruning and forming new memories.”

Synaptic pruning, also known as neuron pruning, is a critical process in brain development where the brain eliminates excess neurons and synaptic connections. It begins in early childhood and continues into early adulthood, playing a vital role in shaping the brain's structure and function. 

Neuron pruning is important because it enhances brain efficiency. The brain initially overproduces synapses, the connections between neurons, which allows for adaptability. Over time, unnecessary or weak synapses are removed, “pruned”, leaving behind the most efficient and frequently used connections, leading to faster and more accurate neural processing. Pruning refines our neural circuitry, optimizing it for information transfer, necessary for cognitive functions like learning, memory, attention, and problem-solving. Synaptic pruning is also an important part of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize based on experience.

In Girl in the Glass, it’s revealed all the Declans (except Professor Riordan) were drugged on the Antarctica trip, making it harder for them to form new memories. This may sound like science fiction, but this is how Marijuana, particularly THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), affects the brain. THC disrupts the process of pruning. By blocking the ability to eliminate excess synaptic connections, THC blunts the brain’s ability to enhance efficiency and optimize neural circuitry. (Couldn’t resist the pun)

Illustrations of synaptic pruning

Now his name makes so much sense