Your brain has the ability to adapt and change through your experiences. This is called Neuroplasticity. This term is an overall term that means your brain can adapt, change, reorganize, or grow new neural networks. This includes functional changes due to brain damage or structural changes due to learning. Your brain is composed of approximately 100 billion neurons. Your brain's neuroplasticity allows it to reorganize many pathways, create new connections, and, in some cases, even create new neurons.
Types of neuroplasticity
There are two main types of neuroplasticity, these are
functional plasticity which is your brain's ability to move functions from a
damaged area of the brain to other undamaged areas. The other is structural
plasticity which is your brain's ability to actually change its physical
structure as a result of learning.
How Neuroplasticity Works
When you are born and in the first few years of your life
your brain is rapidly growing. At birth, every neuron in the cerebral cortex
has an estimated 2,500 synapses, or small gaps between neurons where nerve
impulses are relayed. By the time you are three, this number has grown to
15,000 synapses per neuron.
However, as an adult your brain only has about half that
number of synapses. This is because as you gain new experiences, some
connections are strengthened and others are eliminated. This process is called synaptic
pruning. By developing these new connections and removing the weaker ones, your
brain can adapt to your changing environment.
What does neuroplasticity do for your brain?
There are many things neuroplasticity does for your brain.
It allows your brain to adapt to changes and this change helps promote improvements
that can boost brain fitness, give you the ability to learn new things, to
enhance existing cognitive capabilities and help with the recovery from strokes
and traumatic brain injuries. It also strengthens areas where function is lost
or has declined.
Characteristics of Neuroplasticity
Your age and environment play an important role in what the
neuroplasticity looks like. While plasticity happens throughout your lifetime,
there are certain types of changes that are more predominant at specific ages. Your
brain changes a lot during your early years. It grows, matures and organises
itself during these years. Your young brain would be more sensitive and
responsive to experiences than your much older brain. However, adult brains are
still capable of adaptation. Your genetics can influence neuroplasticity as
well, as the interaction between the environment and your genetics plays a role
in shaping your brain's plasticity.
Limitations of Neuroplasticity
You should be aware that the brain is not infinitely
changeable. There are certain areas of your brain that are largely responsible
for certain actions. These are areas that control movement, language, speech,
and cognition. If you damage any of these areas it can result in deficits in
those areas. Some recovery may be possible but other areas of the brain simply
cannot fully take over these functions when they are affected by the damage.
What to do to improve your brain and life