Human brain gets the zing at night

The human brain's cerebral cortex makes learning more effective at night than in the morning.

The human brain learns more effectively at night than in the morning, a young scientist in Australia has found out.

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Martin Sale, an Adelaide University Ph D student, used magnetic brain stimulation to investigate how the brain learns.

He found that the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that controls movement, learns best at night. The findings could have implications for people who are recovering from brain injuries.

"In rehabilitation therapy for people who have had a stroke, for example, we can perhaps identify a time of the day when their brain is most receptive to therapy and they can potentially get better quickly," he said.

However, before the research has practical application, more study is needed to understand why this part of the brain is more receptive at night, he said, reported the online edition of Radio Australia.

The brain is an important part of the central nervous system located within the skull. It functions as a primary receiver, organiser and distributor of information for the body.