Here’s another fun fact: every time you learn something, your brain is never the same again. It physically changes whenever you gain new information, skills, or experiences. It’s kind of overwhelming to think about, but it’s true.
The brain does this by forming new connections between neurons and strengthening or weakening existing pathways—a process otherwise known as neuroplasticity.
Your brain’s neurons communicate through dendrites, which receive signals from other neurons. These signals then travel along the axon, connecting one neuron to another. The process happens incredibly fast—often in fractions of a second—and most of the time, your brain manages it without you even being aware.
As you grow older, your brain continues to adapt. The more you challenge yourself and learn, the more your brain evolves and stays “plastic,” or flexible.
The neuron theory of the brain was proposed in the late 19th century by biologist Ramón y Cajal, who argued that the brain is made up of distinct, interconnected cells, much like those in the rest of the body. His groundbreaking research later earned him a Nobel Prize.
However, he made one major mistake in his claim: “In adult centers the nerve paths are something fixed, ended, immutable. Everything may die, nothing may be regenerated.”
While Cajal was partly right in stating that neurons don’t regenerate once damaged (as seen in brain injuries or spinal cord damage), his assumption that the brain becomes unchangeable in adulthood was wrong.
“This has led to the myth that the brain reaches some point in early adulthood after which it never changes, except to go downhill as we age!” writes Ross Cunnington, Professor at the School of Psychology and Queensland Brain Institute at the University of Queensland, Australia. “The brain is never ‘fixed, ended, and immutable,’ but continues to change with learning throughout all of life.”
It’s worth noting that in most parts of the brain, the neurons you’re born with are the ones you’ll have for life. Neuroplasticity is mostly concerned with forming pathways and connections between existing neurons.
However, your brain does produce new neurons through a process called neurogenesis, but only in a very small—yet important—area known as the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory and learning. While this research is relatively recent, much remains to be discovered about the function of these new neurons, according to Cunnington.
A great way to see neuroplasticity in action is through the brain’s ability to heal after damage.
Certain parts of the brain control movement and our sense of touch, so if someone damages the motor area of their brain—such as from a stroke—they will struggle with movements related to the affected area, explains Cunnington.
“Damaged neurons do not heal or regenerate and new neurons never grow in this part of the brain, but nonetheless people can regain control of their movements,” he says. “With rehabilitation and repeated training of the weak movements, undamaged areas of the brain can remap their connections to take over function from the damaged areas.”
