How experiences develop and change brain plasticity:

 

The brain’s ability to change and adapt according to experiences is called brain plasticity and neuroplasticity.

What does the term neuroplasticity means?  The term ‘Neuro’ refers to neurons, the nerve cell that are the basic structural and functional unit of brain and nervous system and the plasticity refers to brain’s malleability .The ability of a brain to change itself according to experiences is called Neuroplasticity.

The brain make new connection of neuron, and decline useless neuron. The brain change its structure just like a plastic. When we apply pressure or force on plastic, the plastic change its shape. Similarly brain also change its structure when we focus on same thing again and again.

What is Neuroplasticity?

The human brain is made up of at least 86 billion plus neurons. Early researcher believe that the development of brain stopped after birth. But now researcher has found that brain has a remarkable capacity to reorganize pathway, make new connection and even create new neuron. In psychology, this processes is Called Brain plasticity or Neuroplasticity.

Types of Neuroplasticity:

There are two types of brain plasticity and Neuroplasticity. Structural plasticity and functional plasticity.

Structural plasticity:

The brain ability to change its physical structure and shape as a result of experiences and learning is known as structural plasticity.

Functional Plasticity:

The ability of brain to change its functions is called Functional plasticity. It is the special ability of brain that brain can move its functions from damage area of brain to other undamaged area.

Benefits of Neuroplasticity:

There are so many benefits of brain plasticity and Neuroplasticity. It allows your brain to adapt and change which help to promote learning.

• ·         It help us to learn new things and skills.
• ·         It enhance our existing cognitive capabilities.
• ·         It help us to recovers from traumatic brain injuries and stoke.
• ·         It help to improve our brain fitness.
• ·         It strengthened area of brain, where some functions are decline or loss.

How Brain Plasticity Works:

The first few years of child’s life are a time of rapid brain development and growth. At birth, every neuron in the cerebrum has at least 2,500 synapses, by the age of 3 year this numbers has been grown up to 15,000 synapses per neuron. The average adult has half numbers of synapses. Why? Because as we gain new experiences and learn new skills, some of our connection are strengthened while the others are eliminate. This processes is known as synaptic pruning.

Neuron that are mostly use, make strong connections. While the neuron that are rarely or never used eventually die. By developing new connection and decline weak ones, our brain able to adapt to changing environment.

Related Article:  Best Selling Self Help Book

Characteristics of Brain Plasticity:

Our age and environment play an important in brain plasticity and neuroplasticity. Brain plasticity occur throughout the life, but most of changes occur at specific age. In general, most of our brain develop at early years of life. Immature brain develop itself without any experience. But young brain are very sensitive and responsive to experience than much older brain. But this doesn’t means that adult brain are not able to change and adapt.

Our genetic markup and hereditary factors affect our brain and behaviors. The interaction between environment and genetics also play a role in shaping brain plasticity.

Neuroplasticity is an ongoing process:

Brain plasticity is an ongoing process and it occur throughout the life. Some people believe that brain development stopped after birth. Brain develop new cells, neurons including glial and vascular cell. It occur as a result of learning experiences, memory formation or as a result of damage to the brain.

 While some people believe that brain become fixed after certain age. But newer research has revealed brain never stop changing in response to learning and experiences.

When brain area damage due to stroke and traumatic brain injuries, a new and healthy part of brain may take over these functions and abilities can be restored.

Brain plasticity has some limitations:

The brain is not infinitely malleable. Some part of brain, which are responsible for movement, language, language, speech and cognition cannot take over these functions. Damage in these part of brain cannot take functions of these area.

How to Improve Neuroplasticity:

 The brain plasticity and neuroplasticity work on “use it or loss it” principal. If you use specific part of brain, it create new connection in this part while part of brain which we use rarely or never used loss its functions. There are some things that help encourage your brain to adapt and change. You can utilize neuroplasticity in a beneficial ways.

Enriching your Environment:

Learning environment that offers opportunities for focused attention has positive change in the brain plasticity. It is very important during childhood but it is also in adulthood. Here is a thing that you can try includes;

• ·         Learning a new language.
• ·         Learning how to play an instrument.
• ·         Travelling and exploring new places.
• ·         Creating Art.
• ·         Reading.

Getting plenty of Rest:

Research has shown that better sleep plays an important role in dendrites growth. It strengthened our brain connection and develop new neurons. Better sleep also plays an important role in physical and mental health. It improves our memory and attention.

Exercise:

Exercise has number of different benefits. Research suggest that exercise might help prevent neuron loss in key area of hippocampus. Hippocampus is an area responsible for memory storage. A research paper published in the journal of Frontier and Neuroscience shown that exercise could play an important role in neurogenesis of Hippo campus.

History and research:

Early researchers believe that brain was fixed while the modern research indicate that brain is more flexible. Thanks to modern technology that make it easy to study the structure and functions of brain without surgery.

Early research:

Until the 1960, researcher believe that change in brain occur only in infancy and our brain structure is permanent. Way back to 1890, Similar ideas was published in a book “the principal of psychology” that brain develop through experiences but this idea was largely ignored for many years.

Modern theories:

In the 1920, Researcher and psychologist Karl Lashley found evidence of changes in neural pathway of rhesus monkey. By the 1960, Researcher begin to explore and research on this topic. Modern research has also found evidence that brain is able to rewire itself from damage.

Plasticity Can cause Problems:

Brain changes are often seen as improvements. In some cases, the brain might be influenced by psychoactive substances or pathological conditions that lead to detrimental effect on brain and behavior.