Just when you thought your brain couldn’t become any more powerful, neuroplasticity enters the picture and changes everything—literally. While the term sounds a bit daunting, neuroplasticity simply refers to your brain’s power to change. Experts once believed that the adult brain couldn’t change. But research now tells us that our brains can, and do, transform in many ways throughout our lives.
It’s important to take steps throughout life to stave off cognitive decline and protect your brain health as you age. But making use of your brain’s neuroplasticity goes a step further. It can help improve your cognitive function and make your brain more resilient.
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to form new neural pathways when you learn or experience new things. Think of neural pathways like the brain’s highways. They are made up of neurons (brain cells that send information) connected by synapses (connections between those brain cells).
Thanks to neuroplasticity, the strength, number of synapses, and where they occur in your brain can change. This allows new neural pathways to form and existing ones to adapt. The result can benefit the mind and body.
But neuroplasticity can also result in negative changes. Chronic pain is one example. Continued input into the nervous system and brain creates an inaccurate perception of our pain experience. Put simply, we learn pain well—sometimes too well. Pain pathways in the brain can sometimes remain, even when the injury that initially caused the pain has healed. However, on a positive note, neuroplasticity can weaken these old pain pathways. This in turn allows for a more accurate perception of your pain.
Neuroplasticity impacts how the brain functions, meaning it can change your ability to:
Neuroplasticity’s biggest role is structural and mainly has to do with changing the strength of neural connections. Stronger neural connections allow you to learn faster and remember things better. They make it easier to perform tasks, improve skills, and adapt to new situations. Overall, they help your brain work more efficiently and effectively. Your brain also removes or weakens connections that no longer serve you.
These structural alterations in turn result in functional changes. For example, structural changes could improve your ability to play a sport or how you respond to stress. Or, if a person has experienced a brain injury, new structural changes allow an area of the brain to function differently to compensate for the injured area. This is extremely helpful for individuals with traumatic brain injuries or stroke, as it means certain abilities may not be lost.
Benefits of neuroplasticity
Since neuroplasticity literally rewires your brain, that process can help you:
How to promote neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity declines with normal aging. Other factors outside our control may also help or hinder it. These include genetics, trauma, brain injury, and hormones. Other factors, such as your social interactions and experiences, can also play a role.
This doesn’t mean your brain health has to take a hit. While younger brains have more plasticity and learn passively, adult brains still have the power to change and form new connections. It just requires a bit more focus and practice. Here are some tips for supporting neuroplasticity and “rewiring” your brain at any time in your life:
Neuroplasticity and healing brain injury
Your brain’s ability to recover is due in large part to neuroplasticity. It’s the foundation for the brain’s overall health and its recovery process. It helps the brain reorganize and form new neural connections after a stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI) .
This is where functional neuroplasticity comes in. When brain injury occurs, unaffected neurons can adapt and take over for the injured parts of the brain. The healthy brain cells do this by forming new pathways.
Also, the brain becomes more plastic in the first few months after a stroke or other brain injury. This is the time when people can make the most progress towards healing.
Through therapies and rehab, neuroplasticity can be harnessed to support recovery and restore the brain’s abilities. Healing can take time, and restoring the brain’s pathways is hard work. It can take thousands of repetitions of rehab exercises. So be patient with the process, whether it’s yourself or a loved one who is healing from a stroke or traumatic brain injury.
Daily steps to support neuroplasticity
You don’t have to master a musical instrument or travel the world to encourage neuroplasticity. Small steps can create the environment your brain needs to form new brain cells and new connections. Bring new experiences into your daily life with these activities:
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This article was written by Celina Johnson, edited by Gail Olson, and clinically reviewed by Ken Pelletier, PhD, MD(hc), on September 13, 2024, and Jaynie Bjornaraa, PhD, MPH, PT, SCS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CSPS, on October 9, 2024.