Brain Plasticity: The Reinvention of The Brain

For those who might think that everything is lost once you are old or that there is no hope after an accident in which our brain could be damaged…You had better sit down and read my entry, because I have good news for you! Believe it or not, our brain has a special property which enables it to adapt to new experiences and create new neurons through its whole life—Yes, it can reinvent itself!

Fundamentally, Brain Plasticity, which is also known as Cortical Remapping, Neuroplasticity or Brain Malleability, is a term that refers to the capacity of the brain to change and adapt as a result of experience. Even though it was believed in the past that these kinds of changes only occurred during childhood, it’s been demonstrated that the brain continues creating new neural pathways, being able to adapt to new experiences, learn new information and create new memories during its whole life.

How does Brain Plasticity work? According to some findings I made, the human brain is composed of approximately 100 billion neurons and because of neurogenesis—the process in which the brain produces more neurons—it possesses the remarkable capacity to recognize pathways, create new connections and even create new neurons. Additionally, neurons that are used—frequently--develop stronger connections and those that are rarely or never used, eventually, die. By developing new connections and pruning away weak ones, the brain is able to adapt to the changing environment.

In short, there are two types of Brain Plasticity: Functional Plasticity (the brain’s ability to move functions from a damaged area to other undamaged areas) and the Structural Plasticity (the brain's ability to change its physical structure as a result of learning).

There are four relevant characteristics you should know about Neuroplasticity!

• It occurs throughout the lifetime; nevertheless, certain types of changes are more predominant during specific life ages.
• It can happen for two different reasons: As a result of learning, experience and memory formation, or as a result of damage to the brain.
• Environment plays an essential role in the process, but genetics can also have an influence.
• It also involves a variety of processes, where glial and vascular cells are protagonists.

This is an amazing video which portrays the story of a nine-year-old girl, whose brain had been threatened by a strange electrical disease when she was a toddler. Out of the blue, when everything seemed to be lost for her, after a  medical surgery she was capable of recovering almost all of her mental capacities because of her brain’s plasticity.

After having watched the video, what do you think about it? Do you believe in her experience?

Ok, it’s about time I ate dinner, otherwise, I’ll die of hunger. See you next week!