Sep '25 (edited) • 🧠 Brain Talk
Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks - Neuroplasticity post #1
🧠What if your brain isn't "set in stone" after childhood, but continually changing and adapting every day?
Well Neuroscience now shows that our brains can rewire and grow in response to our experiences -- even into old age! This ability is called Neuroplasticity
(1: Neuro - Neurons + 2: Plasticity - capable to be molded = Power to shape your own mind!).
👁️In Today's Skool posting we will simplify Neuroplasticity and see how it enables life-long learning and growth. We'll also highlight exciting scientific findings and practical strategies - from building new habits to practicing mindfulness - that you can use to leverage Neuroplasticity for Personal development.
What is Neuroplasticity?
- ♟️The brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experience.
🧬 Think of your brain as a network of billions of neurons (brain cells). These neurons communicate through connections called synapses, forming circuits for everything you think, feel, or do.
🏋️Neuroplasticity means those neural connections can be strengthened, weakened, or even newly formed through learning a skill, form a memory, or break a habit (basically weightlifting, but for your brain). ➡️Each time you show up to form this new habit, or break one, your brain is altering its wiring pattern!
As phycologist Dr. Grace Tworek explains, "New synaptic connections form between the billions of neurons in your brain as you take in information. It's a constant process".
Lifelong change: Recent Scientific Findings
✨The Brain remains plastic throughout the lifespan.
👶Childhood = highly adaptable, and high density for fresh connections.
👨🦳Older = slowed down processes and declined volume.
But "decline" does not mean stuck forever, in fact, emerging research shows that even in middle age and up, the brain retains an "incredible capacity for change" (mcpress.mayoclinic.org) Dr. Prashanthi Vemuri of Mayo Clinic notes that although the number of neurons may decrease slightly with age, neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt both structurally, and functionally throughout life -- meaning you can always form new neural pathways and even "retrain your brain" to learn skills at any age.
🚕Modern Brain imaging studies have provided dramatic evidence of adult neuroplasticity. In one famous study, researchers found that London Taxi drivers - who experienced intense navigation training - developed a larger hippocampus (the brain's memory and navigation center) compared to other adults.
- The longer someone had been a taxi driver, the more "plump" and development their hippocampus was, as if the brain region grew to meet the demands of memorizing London's labyrinth of streets. ➡️Intense learning caused a physical change in the brain.
🤹♂️Similarly, another study taught *adults* to juggle for 3 months and used MRI to visualize their brain changes. Learning to juggle had a short-lasting growth in grey matter in areas processing visual motion. That tells us that new skills can rewire an adult brain's anatomy. ➡️ Interestingly, when the participants stopped practicing, those new brain changes receded - a reminder that we must "use it or lose it".
Continued on next post ➡️
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Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks - Neuroplasticity post #1
