By Matthew Volk
Introduction to Neuroplasticity
The term neuroplasticity is often used to refer to the brain’s plasticity, or how the brain rewires itself or adjusts its connections. The term has two parts, neuro, and plasticity. Neuro refers to the neurons or nerve cells that form the critical components of the human brain and the nervous system. Plasticity does not mean the brain is plastic, but is, instead, malleable. There are roughly 86 billion neurons in the average human brain.
In the past, researchers believed that new neurons stopped developing after birth. Today, there is a contention that that process is ongoing, a concept that has given rise to neuroplasticity. We will be highlighting the types and benefits, as well as the fundamentals of neuroplasticity, its defining characteristics, plasticity regulators, and how it relates to sports performance.
Types of Neuroplasticity
The concept of neuroplasticity has grown rapidly due to the acknowledgment of the continuing process of rewiring. Perhaps the most important thing is that contemporary research strongly suggests that brain plasticity does exist. According to a 2021 study, the two primary types of neuroplasticity are structural and functional plasticity. Structural plasticity is the capability of the brain to modify its physical configuration due to continued learning that occurs as we age.
Conversely, functional plasticity is the brain’s ability to shift roles from a broken section of the brain to other intact areas. In essence, the brain appears to be able to transfer functions to regions where it can be handled optimally to avoid any lapse in thoughts and actions. Regardless of the type, the concept of neuroplasticity helps explain why patients can recover even after a significant brain injury.
Benefits of Neuroplasticity
By its very nature, the process of neuroplasticity grants the brain the ability to adjust to various conditions to help preserve optimal function. As such, brain neuroplasticity has many benefits. By allowing the brain to change and adapt, neuroplasticity helps enhance the ability to learn new things. In addition, it promotes the improvement of existing cognitive capabilities, and boosts recovery from strokes and traumatic brain injuries.
It strengthens brain areas if certain functions decline or are lost, and it also results in improvements that can boost brain fitness according to a 2021 paper. It is important to note that neuroplasticity functions begin a few years into a baby’s life and continue as the child grows. The benefits tend to increase with age as the brain becomes more robust and matures to handle challenging tasks, making it more productive.
How the Brain Processes Information
The brain is a super organ which is why many people often liken it to a computer. However, unlike a computer, the brain analyzes both motor and sensory signals according to a 2016 paper. Since it has numerous neural passageways that can copy patterns, any problems that could have resulted from damage do not occur as the signal gets rerouted. In practice, the brain’s composition distributes unique functions to specific regions of the brain.
For instance, if the area devoted to the movement of a person’s right arm is damaged, the arm may still be felt, but can’t necessarily move, because the brain only processes the sensation but not the signal. As we grow, specific neurons mature by transmitting multiple branches and escalating synaptic contacts with distinctive connections. Notably, this is evident by the increasing number of tasks a child can complete as they grow up and mature.
Defining Characteristics of Neuroplasticity
Although several characteristics define neuroplasticity, age is one of the main defining characteristics. Certain changes seem to occur at specific ages. According to a 2021 study, during the early years of life, the brain tends to change as the immature brain develops and reorganizes itself.
In general, younger brains are more responsive and sensitive to experiences. However, adult brains also still undergo adaptation. In that regard, the environment also plays a pivotal role in the brain’s development, thereby impacting neuroplasticity. Another factor is genetics, which reflects the interaction between our personal attributes and our environment. Therefore, age, genetics, and the environment are defining characteristics in the development of neuroplasticity.
Regulators of Neuroplasticity
Because neuroplasticity is an ongoing process, there are regulators to control that activity. According to a 2018 study, the GABAergic interneurons are essential in driving cortical oscillations, regulating activity-dependent plasticity, and maintaining excitatory-inhibitory balance. Without them, an individual could easily suffer from schizophrenia. Neuromodulators and neuromodulator inputs are essential for various forms of cortical plasticity in a mature human brain.
They mediate plasticity by recruiting neural pathways linked to states of cognition like attention, motivation, and emotion. Glial cells like microglia and astrocytes also contribute to synaptic plasticity by monitoring the extracellular milieu and absorbing and releasing active molecules. These, along with other active regulators, necessitate neuroplasticity and enable the brain to function without any inhibitions. It is apparent that there is a complex interconnectedness of systems that make things happen in the brain.
Neuroplasticity and Sports Performance
By enabling us to adapt, set up, and remodel our mind, neuroplasticity plays a pivotal role in normal life, but in sports as well. For example, sports trainers use the practicality of brain plasticity by teaching new athletic competencies to players. A 2021 study suggested that whenever an athlete gains new motor competencies, they go through the slow-stage and the fast-stage process of knowledge acquisition.
The study further suggested that the human mind tends to research fresh motor skills quickly, followed by a plateau phase, which requires us to engage in major exercises to preserve or improve the learned competency. For athletes, practicing a skill activates a neural pathway that becomes stronger with exercise repetitions. Therefore, the neuroplasticity concept applies to sports performance because it reveals the impact of practice on the neural pathways and the subsequent skill retention by the brain.
Conclusion
Neuroplasticity, while complex, is fundamental to almost every aspect of life. In everything humans do, there is a need to retain the motor skills involved. Retention tends to get stronger with more practice. Neuroplasticity is the idea that the human brain can rewire itself and modify certain functions to suit the environment. The three major defining characteristics of brain plasticity are age, genetics, and the environment.
The two types of neuroplasticity are functional and structural brain plasticity, each of which has a unique role in the brain’s action, reaction, and development. Neuroplasticity is beneficial to humans because it enables us to learn new competencies and promotes brain development and adaptability from childhood to adulthood.
References
Banks, D. (2016, Apr. 4). What is brain plasticity, and why is it so important? The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-and-why-is-it-so-important-55967 on 26 Apr. 2021.
Cherry, K. (2021, Feb. 3). How Experience Changes Brain Plasticity. Very well, mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#:~:text=Neuroplasticity%20Is%20an%20Ongoing%20Process,of%20damage%20to%20the%20brain on 26 Apr. 2021.
Pullela, S. (2021). Neuroplasticity in Sports Person. Journal of Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, 5(2), 1. https://www.alliedacademies.org/articles/neuroplasticity-in-sports-person.pdf.
Voss et al. (2018). Dynamic Brains and the Changing Rules of Neuroplasticity: Implications for Learning and Recovery. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(1657), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01657.
