What is Neuroplasticity?

You’ve probably heard the saying ‘The brain is plastic’, which of course does not mean that the brain is made of plastic!

Brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity, refers to the brain’s flexibility and ability to change throughout its lifetime. Put simply, the brain is adaptable and malleable.

Human brain cells, called neurons, are capable of reorganizing themselves by forming connections between them – within certain limitations, these nerve cells change or adjust according to necessity (Voss et al., 2017).

Both the environment and genetics play significant roles in brain plasticity. Certain types of changes, however, are more prevalent at particular ages. You may already know that the brain tends to change dramatically during the early years of life. Brains of young people generally have a greater sensitivity to learning and are more open to new experiences (Blakemore & Choudhury, 2006). However, this does not mean adult brains are incapable of adapting!

Plasticity and Learning

Plasticity is an ongoing process that happens throughout life and occurs as a result of experience, learning, and memory formation, or as a result of damage to the brain. Early on, early scientists used to believe that the brain or the process of creating new neurons (neurogenesis) is fixed after a certain age; however, recent research (Chen et al., 2020) has indicated that the brain never stops changing.

The internal structure of synapses changes as a result of learning: new connections are formed between neurons and existing synapses are restructured. You might be surprised to learn that as you become proficient and adept in a particular domain, the brain areas responsible for that skill will grow. When neurons are frequently used, stronger connections are formed, whereas those which are seldom or never used grow weaker and degenerate over time (a process called synaptic pruning – the elimination of extra synapses in the brain), which makes the brain able to adapt to the changing environment (Kolb et al., 2003).

For instance, plasticity can be observed in bilinguals – through functional changes in the brain, learning a second language is possible.

As the saying goes: Use It or Lose It!

However, brain plasticity also has its limitations – damage to critical areas of the brain that are responsible for specific actions, such as cognition, movement, speech, and language, can result in loss and deficiency. Despite the possibility of recovery, some regions of the brain may not be able to regain the functions lost as a result of the damage. The brain’s plasticity could also lead to detrimental changes, such as those caused by stress, trauma, or substance abuse.

Nonetheless, the potential disadvantages of brain neuroplasticity are far outweighed by its benefits, which include:

• Fostering the capability to learn new things;
• Enhancing existing cognitive abilities;
• Supporting the recovery from any brain injuries; and
• Strengthening areas where some brain functions are lost or in decline

     (Kaczmarek, 2020).

Why teach neuroplasticity to students?

Neuroplasticity is the science behind rewiring the brain. It is the main reason we can develop skills and knowledge through effort, practice, and persistence, which in turn leads to a greater motivation to learn in students. In a recent meta-analysis (Sarrasin et al., 2018), it was found that students’ awareness of neuroplasticity brought about positive effects in terms of their academic achievement; namely in reading and particularly in maths. The effect was most pronounced among students who struggled academically. Students who struggle with maths erroneously believe that success comes from a “natural” talent they have or do not have, resulting in them not putting any effort into the subject. Kids’ perception of their own abilities also changes when they become aware of neuroplasticity. Then they are much more likely to be open to learning from their mistakes, challenges, and obstacles.

For many students, the vast amount of information they have to remember for exams is a demotivating factor, as they believe they will never be able to memorise everything, no matter how hard they study.

It is important, therefore, to teach students about the neuroplasticity of the brain in order to convince them that revision can be effective. Once they put in this effort and practice, their brain will make new connections, enabling them to learn and recall a greater number of new pieces of information than they previously thought they could. This is done by using strategies like retrieval practice.

Researchers have also discovered that people who believe that their brain is malleable (as they often do if they know how neuroplasticity works in the brain) are more likely to view mistakes as problems that need to be resolved rather than as threats, and therefore see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve. In contrast, if an individual believes that their abilities are fixed (and therefore does not understand neuroplasticity), then they tend to block or ignore it. This leads to students repeating the same mistakes over and over again without learning from them, and they attribute their failures to an inability to learn.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A variety of positive effects can be achieved by teaching students about neuroplasticity. Knowing that their brain is improving and developing and that they can aid this process can be highly motivating. It should result in fewer students avoiding certain subjects because they think they ‘do not have the brain for it’. This can not only spark their interest in learning but also improve their perception of themselves and their potential.

References

Blakemore, S. J. & Choudhury, S. (2006). Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol. 47(3 – 4), pp. 296-312.

Chen, Q., Yang, H., & Rooks, B. (2020). Autonomic flexibility reflects learning and associated neuroplasticity in old age. Human Brain Mapping, Vol. 41(13), pp. 3608-3819.

Kaczmarek, B. (2020). Current views on neuroplasticity: What is new and what is old? Acta Neuropsychological, Vol. 18(1), pp. 1-14.

Kolb, B., Gibb, R. & Robinson, T. E. (2003). Brain Plasticity and Behaviour. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 1(5), pp. 1 – 5.

Sarrasin, J.B., Nenciovici, L., Foisy Brault, L.M., Allaire-Duquette, G., Riopel, M. & Masson, S. (2018). Effects of Teaching the Concept of Neuroplasticity to Induce a Growth Mindset on Motivation, Achievement, and Brain Activity: A Meta-Analysis. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, Vol. 38(1), p. 4.

Voss, P., Thomas, M. E., Cisneros-Franco, J. M. & De Villers-Sidani, E. (2017). Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 8, pp. 1 – 11.