What is brain neuroplasticity?

Many say that “the most intelligent person is the one who adapts better and faster.” This increasingly valued quality in résumés and job interviews is thanks to the brain, our most sophisticated organ, which has the ability to learn and transform in order to adapt to circumstances.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s extraordinary ability to reconfigure its functional and physical structure in response to environmental stimuli, behavioral experiences, cognitive demands, or trauma.

Neurons are more active than previously thought and can reorganize, migrate, and form new connections, helping us adapt to new situations. Therefore, contrary to what was believed years ago, we never stop learning, regardless of our age.

Imagine a brain that has suffered trauma, such as a stroke, where a blocked artery prevents blood flow to certain areas of the brain, causing damage. A stroke can have severe consequences, such as affecting the ability to walk, move an arm or leg, speak, or remember, significantly altering life and personal relationships.

The brain undergoes a sudden change due to the interruption of blood flow, and the affected areas cease to function as they did before the cerebrovascular event. However, many patients can recover almost completely thanks to the brain’s efforts to adapt to the new situation. Although recovery depends on the damage sustained, the brain can readjust and continue functioning in many cases.

Studies show that people who lose speech due to a stroke or suffer from aphasia can recover thanks to neural plasticity. Language ability is typically located in the left hemisphere of the brain, and when this area is affected by a stroke, neurons must relearn to regain the lost functions. It has been found that the brain can recover damaged regions of the left hemisphere through intensive language therapy and even make changes in structures in the right hemisphere to assist in recovery.

Other studies have demonstrated that after a traumatic brain injury that impairs executive functions such as decision-making, social interactions, or flexibility, a three-month music therapy program can improve these functions. Adaptations are observed in the prefrontal cortex, which is key for performing these skills

In a healthy brain, neuroplasticity also offers advantages. The belief that after a certain age one cannot learn a new language, play a musical instrument, or paint has been debunked. Today, we know that the brain is capable of adapting and acquiring new skills at almost any age.

Musical learning is an interesting field to investigate neuroplasticity in healthy brains. Although some people may learn faster due to certain predispositions, longitudinal studies show that listening to and producing music generates functional changes in the brain’s motor network and its connection to the auditory system.

Significant transformations also occur when we learn a new language, both in young people and in adults and the elderly. Learning a language after age 65 is particularly recommended to keep the brain active and reduce the risk of dementia. It’s not necessary to master the language perfectly or acquire a perfect accent to benefit. As Pablo Picasso said: “When they tell me I’m too old to do something, I try to do it right away.”