Brain plasticity has to do with the ability of the brain to alter its structure and functions in response to external changes and stimuli and affects your cognition. Some of these can involve molecular changes such as new neural pathways or disconnected neural pathways. And others can entail other parts of the brain taking over functions which it might otherwise not perform. There are three main forms of brain plasticity which will be described below.
1.Synaptic Plasticity – When new information is learned or experienced, the brain may create new neural pathways. As the new information or stimuli is repeated, these neural pathways can be further enhanced. This helps to cement to new knowledge or information.
It is said that practice makes perfect and synaptic plasticity is a great example of that. As the neural connections become better defined, the information is transmitted faster and more effectively.
This is a crucial way in which people learn new things and then are able to retain it over a long period of time. Children grow, develop and learn many things largely through synaptic plasticity.
2.Neurogenesis – For many years it was widely believed that brain cells do not multiply. It was believed that we start out with a fixed number of brain cells and that as brain cells die, they are not replaced. This was the primary reason given for brain decline as we age.
However in recent years it has been shown that brain cells can in fact be duplicated which could improve cognition. It occurs when stem cells divide. One cell is another stem cell and the other can become a fully functioning neural brain cell.
So for catastrophic situations like a stroke which can kill many brain cells, neurogenesis has the ability to regrow new brain cells to replace some of those lost and help your cognition.
More research is required to better understand this mechanism and perhaps find ways to enhance the process.
3.Functional Compensatory Plasticity – It has been found that synaptic plasticity can be less of a factor in older adults than it is in younger people, especially children. So for many older adults, they may have a more difficult time learning and retaining new information.
However there are many older adults who are equally adept at retaining new information and learning effectively. In some cases it is more effective than some younger adults. What was found that when older adults process new information, they not only use the same brain regions as younger adults but may also involve other areas of the brain which the younger people may not use.
Since some areas of the brain are not as effective in synaptic plasticity with older adults, they compensate by using other areas of the brain. This is also a key element in training people to overcome disabilities caused through disease or damage to certain areas of the brain.
Some functions which are normally associated with one area of the brain can be learned to be done with other areas of the brain. In this way the brain can be very flexible and forgiving when it comes to learning and retaining new information.
1.Synaptic Plasticity – When new information is learned or experienced, the brain may create new neural pathways. As the new information or stimuli is repeated, these neural pathways can be further enhanced. This helps to cement to new knowledge or information.
It is said that practice makes perfect and synaptic plasticity is a great example of that. As the neural connections become better defined, the information is transmitted faster and more effectively.
This is a crucial way in which people learn new things and then are able to retain it over a long period of time. Children grow, develop and learn many things largely through synaptic plasticity.
2.Neurogenesis – For many years it was widely believed that brain cells do not multiply. It was believed that we start out with a fixed number of brain cells and that as brain cells die, they are not replaced. This was the primary reason given for brain decline as we age.
However in recent years it has been shown that brain cells can in fact be duplicated which could improve cognition. It occurs when stem cells divide. One cell is another stem cell and the other can become a fully functioning neural brain cell.
So for catastrophic situations like a stroke which can kill many brain cells, neurogenesis has the ability to regrow new brain cells to replace some of those lost and help your cognition.
More research is required to better understand this mechanism and perhaps find ways to enhance the process.
3.Functional Compensatory Plasticity – It has been found that synaptic plasticity can be less of a factor in older adults than it is in younger people, especially children. So for many older adults, they may have a more difficult time learning and retaining new information.
However there are many older adults who are equally adept at retaining new information and learning effectively. In some cases it is more effective than some younger adults. What was found that when older adults process new information, they not only use the same brain regions as younger adults but may also involve other areas of the brain which the younger people may not use.
Since some areas of the brain are not as effective in synaptic plasticity with older adults, they compensate by using other areas of the brain. This is also a key element in training people to overcome disabilities caused through disease or damage to certain areas of the brain.
Some functions which are normally associated with one area of the brain can be learned to be done with other areas of the brain. In this way the brain can be very flexible and forgiving when it comes to learning and retaining new information.
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