Brain plasticity — also called neuroplasticity — is an odd term for most people, with the word “plastic” causing images of Tupperware or Saran Wrap to pop into your head.
However, brain plasticity is a common term used by neuroscientists, referring to the brain’s ability to change at any age — for better or worse.
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As you would imagine, this flexibility plays an incredibly important role in our brain development (or decline) and in shaping our distinct personalities. The science of neuroplasticity and the brain is the basis of our clinically proven brain training exercises.
How the brain changes
Brain plasticity science is the study of a physical process. Gray matter can actually shrink or thicken; neural connections can be forged and refined or weakened and severed. Changes in the physical brain manifest as changes in our abilities.
For example, each time we learn a new dance step, it reflects a change in our physical brains: new “wires” (neural pathways) that give instructions to our bodies on how to perform the step. Each time we forget someone’s name, it also reflects brain change — “wires” that once connected to the memory have been degraded, or even severed.
As these examples show, changes in the brain can result in improved skills (a new dance step) or a weakening of skills (a forgotten name).
