BRAIN CHANGES THROUGH CHILDHOOD, STUDY FINDS.(MAIN)

Byline: CURT SUPLEE Washington Post

Scientists have discovered that the brain undergoes surprisingly dramatic anatomical changes between the ages of 3 and 15, a finding that shatters some traditional assumptions about neural development.

During key periods, a research team reports in today's issue of the journal Nature, the amount of gray matter in some areas can nearly double within as little as a year, followed by a correspondingly drastic loss of tissue as unneeded cells are purged and the brain continues to organize itself.

``It's remarkable,'' said neurologist Arthur Toga of the University of California at Los Angeles' School of Medicine. …