Neuroplasticity

Summary

This book provides an accessible and comprehensive exploration of neuroplasticity => the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize and adapt by forming, pruning, enhancing, weakening, destroying and sculpting neural connections throughout life. It goes into details of how this process works.

Brains can change and adapt to novel circumstances. This is what we know as learning, and the core concept that enables this is neuroplasticity. It involves the growth of new neurons, the strengthening or weakening of neural connections, and the reorganization of entire brain regions. Neuroplasticity is a life-long phenomenon. However, it slows down once we reach cortical maturity (around age 25) and is fastest in early childhood.

The brain is not a static organ but a dynamic one, constantly reshaping itself based on sensory inputs, learning, and recovery from injury. Hebbian Learning (what fires together wires together also known as LTP - long term potentiation) is central to neural plasticity, but it's not the only mechanism. There are also neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons), and re-organization of cortical areas, such as in stroke patients.

There are two different types of neuroplasticity:

• Structural plasticity: Changes in the physical structure of the brain, such as the growth of new neurons or synapses.
• Functional plasticity: The brain's ability to relocate functions from damaged areas to healthy ones, especially after injury or trauma.

People who suffered strokes can still regain some of the functionality even if the old area of the brain supporting the behavior was permanently damaged. The brain can re-route and re-organize in order to accomodate for the damage and move functionality into different brain areas. This takes time and work, but it's nonetheless remarkable that it is possible at all. Often this change is still imperfect though and patients permanently lose some of the fidelity that they had before.

Neural plasticity can be maintained by engaging in mentally stimulating activities, physical exercise, and social interactions. This is important for protecting against one of the four horsemen => Alzheimers.

Furthermore, psychotherapy, meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness practice have been shown to foster positive neuroplastic changes, helping individuals rewire their brains and improve mental health.

Neuroplasticity is not all good though. It can go wrong, when areas get overly re-inforced by Hebbian learning it can lead to addiction => automated habitual behaviors that are so deeply engrained in our neural pathways that we have no more choice about doing them.

In summary, neuroplasticity–the brain's ability to change and adapt–influences every aspect of our lives, from learning and memory to recovery from injury and mental health. It enables us to be human, to have cultures and learn from one another, but it can also go wrong and play a role in addictions and reinforcing bad behaviors. We can protect our neuroplasticity when we grow older by taking good care of ourselves => sleeping enough, meditating, and engaging in physical exercise, social interactions and cognitively interesting work.