Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s incredible capacity to transform and adjust to different experiences. It is an umbrella term that refers to the brain’s potential to reorganize, recreate or grow neural networks.
In this article, we’ll discuss what neuroplasticity is and how you can take advantage of your brain’s amazing ability to fire and rewire.
Why is Neuroplasticity Important?
Our brain development can be influenced in either positive or negative ways. The longer we challenge our minds and bodies, the better our brain functions. Encouraging neuroplastic change offers numerous benefits. We cannot grow, learn, and adapt to our environments without neuroplasticity. The stories of our lives and experiences can change the structures and networks of our brains.
There are two primary types of neuroplasticity:
- Functional plasticity: This type involves the brain’s capacity to transfer functions from a damaged region to other undamaged areas within the brain. This illustrates how the brain can adapt and reassign tasks to compensate for deficiencies.
- Structural plasticity: This refers to the brain’s ability to undergo physical changes in its structure as a consequence of learning. When we acquire new knowledge or skills, the connections between neurons can be modified, and the brain’s physical framework can be altered to accommodate these changes.
Through functional and structural plasticity, the brain continuously adapts and optimizes its functioning in response to experiences, enabling us to learn, grow, and adapt throughout our lives.
How Does Neuroplasticity Work?
The human brain comprises around 100 billion neurons. In the past, researchers believed that neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons, ceased shortly after birth. It is now known that the brain’s neuroplasticity enables it to reorganize pathways, form new connections, and even generate new neurons.
The first few years of a child’s life are crucial for rapid brain growth. At birth, each neuron in the cerebral cortex has approximately 2,500 synapses. By age three, this number increases to approximately 15,000 synapses per neuron.
Neurogenesis is crucial in maintaining cognitive abilities throughout life and adapting to some neurological conditions. However, the brain’s neurogenesis capacity declines with age, and adult neurogenesis occurs only in specific brain areas. (The average adult has about half the number of synapses compared to earlier in life due to synaptic pruning, where some connections are strengthened and others are eliminated as we gain new experiences!)
The rate of neurogenesis is high during fetal development and early childhood but experiences a sharp drop in the late teen years and adulthood. The hippocampus’s dentate gyrus (DG) is the main area of the adult brain with established neurogenesis and is critical for learning and memory.
Research in animal and human models suggests that the process of generating new brain cells in the hippocampus involves various cognitive and mood-related functions. These newly generated neurons may play roles in fear, anxiety, stress, pattern recognition, spatial memory, attention, etc.
While less established than the hippocampus, other studies suggest that low levels of adult neurogenesis can also occur in several other brain areas. Specifically, adult neurogenesis may occur in the neocortex of the cerebral cortex (higher-order functions), the striatum (movement and reward pathways), and the olfactory bulb (smell processing).
How Can I Harness Neuroplasticity?
Stress plays a major role in neuroplasticity. Mental and physical exercises that reduce stress can help harness the power of neuroplasticity. For example, numerous studies have found that yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing exercises reduce stress and neuroinflammation markers. These exercises can buffer the effects of acute and chronic stress, reduce pain, and improve sleep quality.
Mindfulness training and meditation can increase gray and white matter density. Additionally, general learning and enrichment can increase neurogenesis in the DG region of the hippocampus. Mindfulness can rewire the brain on a structural level to produce holistic benefits. In addition, mindful training improves concentration and focus, which promotes activity-dependent brain plasticity. In other words, physical and guided mental exercises reduce stress-induced neuroinflammation and improve concentration, synergistically enhancing neuroplasticity.
Many natural compounds and medicinal herbs appear to have neurological benefits. A commonly available supplement, ginkgo biloba, promotes neurogenesis and synapse formation in the hippocampus and increases the production of BDNF.
Antioxidants protect the nervous system from oxidative stress, damage caused by natural by-products of oxygen metabolism. The body typically produces sufficient antioxidant levels, but we can supplement this with resveratrol-containing foods, such as blueberries, cranberries, dark chocolate, and pistachios.
Exercise also supports neuroplasticity. High-intensity physical activity can induce hippocampal neurogenesis, while moderate and low-intensity activity can improve neuron survival and memory. Research suggests that physical activity also promotes hippocampal neurogenesis by increasing blood flow to the brain.
Other ways of promoting neurogenesis include:
- Surrounding yourself with stimulating environments
- Practicing and repeating positive activities, including mental rehearsal
- Cultivating a sense of purpose in life.
- Fostering positive social interactions
- Engaging in new activities
- Taking time to play and relax
Transformation is ALWAYS possible
The concept of neuroplasticity provides a fundamental basis for the application of cognitive training in mental health treatment. It highlights the potential for talk therapy and cognitive interventions to induce significant biological changes, helping to manage conditions like anxiety and depression. Research using brain imaging techniques has consistently shown that therapy can bring about enduring modifications in brain structure and connectivity, supporting its effectiveness in promoting positive mental health outcomes.
As a licensed psychologist with a special interest in neuropsychology, I firmly believe in the brain’s ability to positively transform in response to adversity—to be resilient. All psychotherapy is intended to foster resilience.
My goal is to help patients examine distressing feelings and experiences, redirecting them into more functional patterns and restoring cognitive and behavioral flexibility.
If you’d like to get in touch with me, feel free to schedule a consultation today!.