How to prove brain plasticity. What determines the plasticity of the human brain. Neuroplasticity: How to train your brain and make it obedient. Structural neuroplasticity: a developmental constant. Why running is as important as reading

Doctor of Biological Sciences E. P. Kharchenko, M. N. Klimenko

Plasticity levels

At the beginning of this century, brain researchers abandoned traditional ideas about the structural stability of the adult brain and the impossibility of the formation of new neurons in it. It has become clear that the plasticity of the adult brain also utilizes the processes of neuronogenesis to a limited extent.

When we talk about brain plasticity, we most often mean its ability to change under the influence of learning or damage. The mechanisms responsible for plasticity are different, and its most perfect manifestation in brain damage is regeneration. The brain is an extremely complex network of neurons that communicate with each other through special education- synapses. Therefore, we can distinguish two levels of plasticity: macro- and micro-level. The macro level involves changes in the network structure of the brain that allows communication between hemispheres and between different regions within each hemisphere. At the micro level there are molecular changes in the neurons themselves and in the synapses. At either level, brain plasticity can manifest itself either quickly or slowly. This article will focus mainly on plasticity at the macro level and the prospects for research in brain regeneration.

There are three simple scenarios for brain plasticity. In the first, damage to the brain itself occurs: for example, a stroke of the motor cortex, as a result of which the muscles of the trunk and limbs lose control from the cortex and become paralyzed. The second scenario is the opposite of the first: the brain is intact, but an organ or part is damaged nervous system on the periphery: sensory organ - ear or eye, spinal cord, limb amputated. And since information ceases to flow into the corresponding parts of the brain, these parts become “unemployed,” they are not functionally involved. In both scenarios, the brain reorganizes, trying to fill the function of damaged areas with the help of undamaged areas or to involve “idle” areas in servicing other functions. As for the third scenario, it is different from the first two and is associated with mental disorders caused by various factors.

A little anatomy

In Fig. Figure 1 shows a simplified diagram of the location of the fields on the outer cortex of the left hemisphere, described and numbered in the order of their study by the German anatomist Korbinian Brodmann.

Each Brodmann field is characterized by a special composition of neurons, their location (cortical neurons form layers) and connections between them. For example, the fields of the sensory cortex, in which the primary processing of information from sensory organs occurs, differ sharply in their architecture from the primary motor cortex, which is responsible for generating commands for voluntary muscle movements. In the primary motor cortex, pyramid-shaped neurons predominate, and the sensory cortex is represented mainly by neurons whose body shape resembles grains or granules, which is why they are called granular.

The brain is usually divided into the forebrain and the hindbrain (Fig. 1). The areas of the cortex adjacent to the primary sensory fields in the hindbrain are called association zones. They process information coming from primary sensory fields. The further away the associative zone is from them, the more it is able to integrate information from different areas of the brain. The highest integrative ability in the hindbrain is characteristic of the associative zone in the parietal lobe (not colored in Fig. 1).

In the forebrain, adjacent to the motor cortex is the premotor cortex, where the additional centers regulation of movement. At the frontal pole there is another large association zone - the prefrontal cortex. In primates, this is the most developed part of the brain, responsible for the most complex mental processes. It is in the associative zones of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes in adult monkeys that the inclusion of new granular neurons with a short life span of up to two weeks was revealed. This phenomenon is explained by the participation of these zones in the processes of learning and memory.

Within each hemisphere, nearby and distant areas interact with each other, but sensory areas within a hemisphere do not communicate with each other directly. Homotopic, that is, symmetrical, regions of different hemispheres are connected with each other. The hemispheres are also connected with the underlying, evolutionarily more ancient subcortical areas of the brain.

Brain reserves

Neuroscience provides us with impressive evidence of brain plasticity, especially in last years, with the advent of visual methods for studying the brain: computer, magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography, magnetoencephalography. The images of the brain obtained with their help made it possible to verify that in some cases a person is able to work and study, to be socially and biologically complete, even after losing a very significant part of the brain.

Perhaps the most paradoxical example of brain plasticity is the case of hydrocephalus in a mathematician, which led to the loss of almost 95% of the cortex and did not affect his high intellectual abilities. Science magazine published an article on this subject with the ironic title “Do We Really Need a Brain?”

Rice. 2. The course of the motor (pyramidal) tract from the cerebral cortex through the brain stem and the intersection of its paths in the medulla oblongata: 1 - the area of the internal capsule, 2 - the intersection of thick bundles of pyramidal tracts.

However, more often significant damage to the brain leads to profound lifelong disability - its ability to restore lost functions is not unlimited. Common causes of brain damage in adults are disorders cerebral circulation(in the most severe manifestation - stroke), less often - brain injuries and tumors, infections and intoxication. In children, there are frequent cases of brain development disorders associated with both genetic factors and pathology of intrauterine development.

Among the factors that determine the recovery abilities of the brain, the age of the patient should be highlighted first. Unlike adults, in children, after removal of one of the hemispheres, the other hemisphere compensates for the functions of the remote hemisphere, including language. (It is well known that in adults, the loss of the functions of one of the hemispheres is accompanied by speech disorders.) Not all children compensate equally quickly and completely, but a third of children aged 1 year with paresis of the arms and legs get rid of the disorders by the age of 7 motor activity. Up to 90% of children with neurological disorders in the neonatal period subsequently develop normally. Therefore, the immature brain copes better with damage.

The second factor is the duration of exposure to the damaging agent. A slowly growing tumor deforms the parts of the brain closest to it, but can reach impressive sizes without disrupting the functions of the brain: compensatory mechanisms have time to turn on. However, an acute disorder of the same magnitude is most often incompatible with life.

The third factor is the location of the brain damage. Small in size, damage can affect an area of dense accumulation of nerve fibers going to various parts of the body and cause a serious illness. For example, through small areas of the brain called internal capsules (there are two of them, one in each hemisphere), fibers of the so-called pyramidal tract pass from the motor neurons of the cerebral cortex (Fig. 2), going to the spinal cord and transmitting commands for all the muscles of the body and limbs. So, hemorrhage in the area of the internal capsule can lead to paralysis of the muscles of the entire half of the body.

The fourth factor is the extent of the lesion. In general, the larger the lesion, the greater the loss of brain function. And since the basis of the structural organization of the brain is a network of neurons, the loss of one section of the network can affect the work of other, remote sections. This is why speech disorders are often observed in areas of the brain located far from specialized speech areas, such as Broca's area (areas 44–45 in Fig. 1).

Finally, in addition to these four factors, individual variations in the anatomical and functional connections of the brain are important.

How the cortex reorganizes

We have already said that the functional specialization of different areas of the cerebral cortex is determined by their architecture. This specialization that has developed in evolution serves as one of the barriers to the manifestation of brain plasticity. For example, if the primary motor cortex is damaged in an adult, its functions cannot be taken over by the sensory areas located adjacent to it, but the adjacent premotor zone of the same hemisphere can.

In right-handed people, when the Broca's center associated with speech is disrupted in the left hemisphere, not only the areas adjacent to it are activated, but also the area homotopic to the Broca's center in the right hemisphere. However, such a shift in functions from one hemisphere to another does not pass without leaving a trace: overload of the area of the cortex that helps the damaged area leads to a deterioration in the performance of its own tasks. In the described case, the transfer of speech functions to the right hemisphere is accompanied by a weakening of the patient’s spatial-visual attention - for example, such a person may partially ignore (not perceive) the left part of space.

Many scientists believed that our brain does not change since childhood. From the moment he grows up, he no longer transforms. New discoveries made in recent decades suggest that previous statements are not true.

The theory of neuroplasticity of the brain confirms that this organ can and does change, because it is flexible, like plasticine.

What is neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change itself throughout life.

Metamorphoses can be both physical and functional; occur under the influence of both external and internal environmental factors.

The concept of neuroplasticity of the brain is a very new vision, because previously scientists believed that this organ has the ability to change only in early age and loses this ability in adulthood. They were partly right, because in childhood it is much more plastic, but this does not mean at all that the adult brain is a static organ.

Brain plasticity determines our ability to learn. If a person can acquire new knowledge, skills, and get rid of old bad habits, his brain is plastic. Helps in acquiring new ways of thinking namely attention and the ability to concentrate it.

How does neuroplasticity work?

Our brain is an integral energy system in which a large number of various labyrinths and passages. Some paths are well known to us, we move along them with a certain regularity - these are our habits.

It is not worth the effort for us to repeat this action again, because it has been brought to automatism and has moved to an even higher supraconscious level, when we do not need to connect consciousness.

These automatic actions that we do correctly, easily and effortlessly no way don't develop our brains.

For example, if a musician confidently plays an instrument, he does not look at the keys, but a beginner has to watch his fingers all the time.

Also familiar paths of our thinking include the methods we resort to to solve certain problems, our emotions and feelings that we experience every day. This road has already been trampled and is well known; it is now easier for our brain to overcome this path.

How does the brain react to new tasks?

If we have to solve previously unfamiliar problems, experience new emotions or feelings, our thinking takes us in a different direction.

The first step on unfamiliar roads is always difficult, you can even physically feel how your convolutions have begun to work, your head may hurt or pulsate in certain areas - these are the neurons that until recently were sleeping soundly are turning on.

This is neuroplasticity.

By rebuilding the brain, we can achieve a qualitatively new level of its functioning. While we are mastering new routes and not using the old ones, the latter are beginning to be “overgrown with moss.”

The brain is plastic: if you don’t make an effort and don’t develop it, it is prone to degradation; if you train, “drill” new “wells” in it, then there will be more neural connections, in addition, their strength will increase.

The uniqueness of man is that the brain controls him, but you can learn to control the insidious organ yourself. It's harder than you think, but absolutely doable for everyone.

If we get rid of a bad habit and learned to think more positively - this is the use of brain plasticity in practice.

If you can focus your attention With the ability you wish to acquire, you can change the functioning of your brain.

Remodeling principles:

Motivation and interest- the best helpers of neuroplasticity.

The more effort you put in, the more noticeable the changes.

The first result is temporary. For changes to become permanent, you need to convince the brain of their significance.

Neuroplasticity is not only positive changes that occur thanks to our efforts, but also negative ones.

If you made an effort on yourself- this is a step forward, if you didn’t take it, then you didn’t remain standing still, but took two steps back.

Why does it become harder to acquire knowledge over the years?

This depends not only on the development of brain neuroplasticity, but also on the experience gained. IN school years we acquire a lot of knowledge. Some people learn them easily, while others need more time.

The consciousness of most diligent students is convinced that these skills will become useful, so memory “begs” the brain to remember a certain amount of information, which it does with pleasure.

If in the future this information is not found practical application, then the brain says: “Well, why do I need this knowledge that I kept in my archives for so long?”

It turns out that this data occupied a serious niche in our head, it’s good if at least once we managed to show off it in front of friends or superiors.

Next time, the brain will no longer be able to accept into its “library” information that cannot be practically applied.

Now he selects only vital knowledge.

If skills or facts lie idle in our head, at some point they will begin to “decay” and cause harm to our mental health.

All knowledge must be used.

Neuroplasticity cannot be called unambiguous strong quality brain After all, this is our weakness, especially if we are not aware of its effect.

The effectiveness of repeated repetition of advertising and the work of propaganda prove: with the help of training, the human brain can be “tuned” to needs and emotions that are initially alien to it, making a certain product vital for us, and the people of a neighboring state - deadly dangerous (This is how Ukraine was led into an eternal struggle with the “aggressor” - note by V.L.).

The same relationship models in romantic films, the same sexual stimuli in pornography, political slogans on YouTube channels and emotional statements of flash mobs on social networks that we consume day after day change the structure of our brain.

And along with her - our psychophysiology, emotionality and beliefs.

Knowing how sensitive our brains are to experience, the person of the future may have to become much more attentive and selective in order to control its functioning himself.

NEUROPLASTICITY

The settings in the “Neuroplasticity” session are aimed at:

- strengthening of neuroplasticity processes in relation to the development of any skills

- significant slowdown in age-related decline in the plasticity of neural networks of the brain

- stimulation of neurogenesis processes (creation of new neurons)

- accelerated development of any trainable abilities (from mental to physical)

Who will benefit most from a Neuroplasticity session?

- people mastering complex motor skills (sports, drawing, dancing, martial arts, playing musical instruments, etc.)

- for those who want to give up bad habits and/or form useful ones (thanks to this session, such processes occur much faster)

- people who remember and process large amounts of information (learning foreign languages, scientific work, medicine, programming, etc.)

- those who constantly have to manage their reactions and quickly change behavior patterns (actors, sellers, intelligence officers)

- older people who feel age-related decline cognitive functions (deterioration of memory, attention, clarity of thinking)

- those whose activities are related to creativity and require great flexibility of mind (engineers, writers, screenwriters, directors, architects)

The mechanism of plasticity of neural networks of the brain underlies any learning and development in reality. basic level. Now, clearly understanding the incredible potential inherent in the very essence of your brain, you can focus on the direction in which you would like to change for the better, and the session "Neuroplasticity" It will help you with this.

It is assumed that new software products can “build” a baby’s brain to order. How can parents benefit from modern science? What happens to a child's brain when we raise him?

The discovery of the nature and extent of brain plasticity has led to huge breakthroughs in our understanding of what happens to the brain during educational process, as well as the emergence of a variety of software products that, as manufacturers claim, increase the plasticity of the brains of developing children. Many products tout the use of the brain's vast plasticity capabilities as a key benefit; Along with this, the assertion that parents, using these computer programs, can make their child’s brain much “smarter” than others is, of course, extremely attractive. But what is "plasticity" and what should parents actually do to harness this aspect of their children's brain development?

Plasticity is the brain's inherent ability to form new synapses, connections between nerve cells, and even create new neural pathways, creating and strengthening connections so that learning is accelerated as a result, and the ability to access information and apply what has been learned becomes greater. and more efficient.

Scientific studies of plasticity have traced changes in brain architecture and brain wiring when it is exposed to unusual, non-standard situations. In this case, the term “brain wiring” refers to the axonal connections between brain regions and the types of activities that these regions carry out (i.e., for which they specialize). Just as an architect draws a diagram of your home's electrical wiring, indicating the route the wires will take to the stove, refrigerator, air conditioner, and so on, the researchers drew electrical diagram for the brain. As a result, they established that the cerebral cortex is not a fixed substance, but a substance that is continuously modified due to learning. It turns out that the "wires" of the cerebral cortex are constantly forming new connections and continue to do so based on incoming data from the outside world.

Let's take a look at what happens to brain plasticity when a child first learns to read. Initially, no part of the brain is specifically tuned to reading. As a child learns to read, more and more brain cells and neural circuits are recruited to the task at hand. The brain uses plasticity as a child begins to recognize words and understand what they read. The word "ball", which the child already understands, is now associated with letters M-Y-CH. Thus, learning to read is a form of neural plasticity.

The discovery that the developing brain can “wire” the process of letter recognition and other surprising discoveries about neural plasticity are often embodied in commercial products touting the benefits of enhanced “brain fitness.” But the fact that a scientific experiment shows that a particular activity activates brain plasticity does not mean that that particular activity, such as being able to recognize letters on a computer monitor, is necessary to achieve the effect, nor does it mean that such activity is the only means achieve plasticity.

Letter recognition exercises on a computer actually activate and train the symbol recognition centers in the visual cortex, using brain plasticity. But you will achieve the same effect if you sit down and read a book with your child. This interactive parent-child approach is called dialogic reading (a way of reading that allows children to take a more active role in the story). But the computer screen and apps train the brain to recognize only letters, not to understand the meaning of words made up of those letters. In contrast, dialogical reading—intuitive and interactive—naturally engages neural plasticity to build axonal connections between letter recognition centers and language and thinking centers of the brain.

Researchers have demonstrated that typically developing children learn to discriminate speech sounds quite effectively with or without the help of specific speech-sound discrimination exercises or computer games. These speech-speech games are marketed as special products for promoting neural plasticity and were developed by leading neuroscientists. In fact, children who have never been introduced to such exercises and games successfully develop a beautifully organized and flexible part of the cerebral cortex responsible for

Ecology of cognition: Just 30 years ago, the human brain was considered an organ that ends its development in adulthood. However, our nerve tissue evolves throughout life, responding to movements of the intellect and changes in the external environment. The plasticity of the brain allows a person to learn, explore, or even live with one hemisphere if the other has been damaged.

© Adam Voorhes

Just 30 years ago, the human brain was considered an organ that ended its development in adulthood. However, our nervous tissue evolves throughout our lives, responding to the movements of the intellect and changes in the external environment. The plasticity of the brain allows a person to learn, explore, or even live with one hemisphere if the other has been damaged.

All this became possible thanks to the ability of neurons to create new connections between themselves and erase old ones if they are not needed. Underlying this brain property are complex and poorly understood molecular events that rely on gene expression. An unexpected thought leads to the emergence of a new syn dog - zones of contact between the processes of nerve cells. Mastering a new fact leads to the birth of a new brain cell in Hypot Alamuse . Sleep gives you the opportunity to grow what you need and remove what you don’t need. axons - long processes of neurons along which nerve impulses travel from the cell body to its neighbors.

Structural neuroplasticity: a developmental constant

This happens in the cerebellum, amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex of every person every second. "Receivers" of information on the surface of neurons - the so-called dendritic spines - grow to absorb more information. Moreover, if the growth process starts in one spine, the neighboring ones immediately willingly follow its example. The postsynaptic condensation, a dense zone found at some synapses, produces more than 1,000 proteins that help regulate the exchange of information at chemical level. Many different molecules circulate across synapses, the action of which allows them not to disintegrate. All these processes go on constantly, so from a chemical point of view, our head looks like a metropolis permeated with transport networks, which is always on the move.

Neuroplasticity of learning: flashes in the cerebellum

Neuroplasticity of learning, unlike structural learning, occurs in bursts. It is associated with procedural memory, which is responsible for balance and motor skills. When we get on a bicycle after a long break or learn to swim crawl, the so-called climbing and mossy fibers are restored or appear for the first time in our cerebellum: the first are between the large https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purkinje cells in one layer of tissue, the second - between granular cells in the other. Many cells change together, “in unison,” at the same moment, so that we, without specifically remembering anything, are able to move a scooter or stay afloat.

Norman Doidge, “The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph” from the Frontiers of Brain Science"

It is obvious, however, that the two types of neuroplasticity do not describe all the changes that occur in nerve cells and between them throughout life. The picture of the brain appears to be as complex as the picture genetic code: The more we learn about him, the more we realize how little we really know. Plasticity allows the brain to adapt and develop, change its structure, improve its functions at any age, and cope with the effects of illness and injury. This is the result of the simultaneous joint work of a variety of mechanisms, the laws of which we have yet to study. published

Danil Dekhkanov, editor-in-chief of the TrendClub resource, wrote an article about why our brain begins to degrade over time, and how to prevent degradation. Here we present excerpts from his article.

When we stop moving forward, we begin to move backward. Unfortunately, it is impossible to stay put.

Brain plasticity

With age, the question of treatment intracranial pressure becomes more relevant for us. Many people notice that as we age, we become significantly less willing to take on work that is unusual, or that requires greater concentration and learning new skills.

Here's a little secret for you. Reading your favorite newspapers or favorite authors, Full time job in one specialty, using only our native language in communication, visiting our favorite cafe, watching our favorite TV series - everything that we are so accustomed to leads to brain degradation.

The human brain is very lazy; it always strives to reduce energy costs for any activity, creating unique template programs. When a person stands at a machine and performs monotonous, repetitive operations, the brain “switches off” and these patterns begin to work.

Doctor of Biological Sciences E. P. Kharchenko, M. N. Klimenko

Plasticity levels

When we talk about brain plasticity, we most often mean its ability to change under the influence of learning or damage. The mechanisms responsible for plasticity are different, and its most perfect manifestation in brain damage is regeneration. The brain is an extremely complex network of neurons that contact each other through special formations - synapses. Therefore, we can distinguish two levels of plasticity: macro- and micro-level. The macro level involves changes in the network structure of the brain that allows communication between hemispheres and between different regions within each hemisphere. At the micro level, molecular changes occur in the neurons themselves and in the synapses. At either level, brain plasticity can manifest itself either quickly or slowly. This article will focus mainly on plasticity at the macro level and the prospects for research in brain regeneration.

There are three simple scenarios for brain plasticity. In the first, damage to the brain itself occurs: for example, a stroke of the motor cortex, as a result of which the muscles of the trunk and limbs lose control from the cortex and become paralyzed. The second scenario is the opposite of the first: the brain is intact, but an organ or part of the nervous system on the periphery is damaged: a sensory organ - ear or eye, spinal cord, a limb is amputated. And since information ceases to flow into the corresponding parts of the brain, these parts become “unemployed,” they are not functionally involved. In both scenarios, the brain reorganizes, trying to fill the function of damaged areas with the help of undamaged areas or to involve “idle” areas in servicing other functions. As for the third scenario, it is different from the first two and is associated with mental disorders caused by various factors.

A little anatomy

In the forebrain, the premotor cortex is adjacent to the motor cortex, where additional centers for the regulation of movement are located. At the frontal pole there is another large association zone - the prefrontal cortex. In primates, this is the most developed part of the brain, responsible for the most complex mental processes. It is in the associative zones of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes in adult monkeys that the inclusion of new granular neurons with a short life span of up to two weeks was revealed. This phenomenon is explained by the participation of these zones in the processes of learning and memory.

Brain reserves

Impressive evidence of brain plasticity is provided to us by neurology, especially in recent years, with the advent of visual methods for studying the brain: computer, magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography, magnetoencephalography. The images of the brain obtained with their help made it possible to verify that in some cases a person is able to work and study, to be socially and biologically complete, even after losing a very significant part of the brain.

However, more often significant damage to the brain leads to profound lifelong disability - its ability to restore lost functions is not unlimited. Common causes of brain damage in adults are cerebrovascular accidents (in the most severe form, stroke), less commonly, brain injuries and tumors, infections and intoxications. In children, there are frequent cases of brain development disorders associated with both genetic factors and pathology of intrauterine development.

Among the factors that determine the recovery abilities of the brain, the age of the patient should be highlighted first. Unlike adults, in children, after removal of one of the hemispheres, the other hemisphere compensates for the functions of the remote hemisphere, including language. (It is well known that in adults, the loss of the functions of one of the hemispheres is accompanied by speech impairments.) Not all children undergo compensation equally quickly and completely, but a third of children aged 1 year with paresis of the arms and legs get rid of motor activity disorders by the age of 7. Up to 90% of children with neurological disorders in the neonatal period subsequently develop normally. Therefore, the immature brain copes better with damage.

Finally, in addition to these four factors, individual variations in the anatomical and functional connections of the brain are important.

How the cortex reorganizes

Brain development does not stop when its formation is completed. Today we know that neural connections arise, fade and are restored constantly, so the process of evolution and optimization in our head never stops. This phenomenon is called “neuronal plasticity” or “neuroplasticity”. It is what allows our mind, consciousness and cognitive skills to adapt to change. environment, and it is precisely this that is the key to the intellectual evolution of the species. Between the cells of our brain, trillions of connections are constantly created and maintained, permeated electrical impulses and flashing like little lightning. Every cell is in its place. Each intercellular bridge is carefully checked from the point of view of the necessity of its existence. Nothing random. And nothing predictable: after all, the plasticity of the brain is its ability to adapt, improve itself and develop according to circumstances.

Plasticity allows the brain to experience amazing changes. For example, one hemisphere can additionally take over the functions of the other if it does not work. This happened in the case of Jodie Miller, a girl who at the age of three, due to untreatable epilepsy, had almost the entire cortex of her right hemisphere removed, filling the vacant space with cerebrospinal fluid. Left hemisphere Almost instantly it began to adapt to the created conditions and took control of the left half of Jody’s body. Just ten days after the operation, the girl left the hospital: she could already walk and use her left arm. Despite the fact that Jodie only has half of her cortex left, her intellectual, emotional and physical development is proceeding without any deviations. The only reminder of the operation is slight paralysis of the left side of the body, which, however, did not prevent Miller from attending choreography classes. At the age of 19, she graduated from high school with excellent grades.

All this became possible thanks to the ability of neurons to create new connections between themselves and erase old ones if they are not needed. Underlying this brain property are complex and poorly understood molecular events that rely on gene expression. An unexpected thought leads to the appearance of a new synapse - a contact zone between the processes of nerve cells. Mastering a new fact leads to the birth of a new brain cell in the hypothalamus. Sleep makes it possible to grow necessary and remove unnecessary axons - long processes of neurons along which nerve impulses travel from the cell body to its neighbors.

If tissue is damaged, the brain knows about it. Some cells that previously analyzed light may begin, for example, to process sound. According to research, when it comes to information, our neurons have a voracious appetite, so they are ready to analyze everything that is offered to them. Any cell is capable of working with information of any type. Mental events provoke an avalanche of molecular events that occur in cell bodies. Thousands of impulses regulate the production of molecules necessary for the neuron's immediate response. The genetic landscape against which this action unfolds is physical changes nerve cell - looks incredibly multifaceted and complex.

“The process of brain development creates millions of neurons in the right places and then instructs each cell to form unique connections with other cells,” says Susan McConnell, a neuroscientist at Stanford University. “You can compare it to a theatrical production: it unfolds according to a script written by genetic code, but it has neither a director nor a producer, and the actors have never spoken to each other in their lives before going on stage. And despite all this, the performance goes on. This is a real miracle for me."

Brain plasticity does not only appear in extreme cases - after injury or illness. The development of cognitive abilities and memory itself is also a consequence of it. Research has proven that mastering any new skill, be it learning foreign language or getting used to a new diet, strengthens synapses. Moreover, declarative memory (for example, remembering facts) and procedural memory (for example, maintaining the motor skills of riding a bicycle) are associated with two types of neuroplasticity that we know.

Structural neuroplasticity: a developmental constant

Structural neuroplasticity is associated with declarative memory. Every time we access familiar information, the synapses between our nerve cells change: they become stabilized, strengthened, or erased. This happens in the cerebellum, amygdala, hippocampus and cerebral cortex of every person every second. "Receivers" of information on the surface of neurons - the so-called dendritic spines - grow to absorb more information. Moreover, if the growth process starts in one spine, the neighboring ones immediately willingly follow its example. The postsynaptic condensation, a dense zone found at some synapses, produces more than 1,000 proteins that help regulate the exchange of information at the chemical level. Many different molecules circulate through synapses, the action of which allows them not to disintegrate. All these processes go on constantly, so from a chemical point of view, our head looks like a metropolis permeated with transport networks, which is always on the move.

Neuroplasticity of learning: flashes in the cerebellum

Neuroplasticity of learning, unlike structural learning, occurs in bursts. It is associated with procedural memory, which is responsible for balance and motor skills. When we get on a bicycle after a long break or learn to swim crawl, the so-called climbing and mossy fibers are restored or appear for the first time in our cerebellum: the first - between large Purkinje cells in one layer of tissue, the second - between granular cells in another. Many cells change together, “in unison,” at the same moment, so that we, without specifically remembering anything, are able to move a scooter or stay afloat.

Motor neuroplasticity is closely related to the phenomenon of long-term potentiation - an increase in synaptic transmission between neurons, which allows the pathway to be preserved for a long time. Scientists now believe that long-term potentiation underlies the cellular mechanisms of learning and memory. This is her throughout the entire process of evolution various types ensured their ability to adapt to changes in the environment: not fall from a branch in a dream, dig frozen soil, notice the shadows of birds of prey on a sunny day.

It is obvious, however, that the two types of neuroplasticity do not describe all the changes that occur in nerve cells and between them throughout life. The picture of the brain appears to be as complex as the picture of the genetic code: the more we learn about it, the more we realize how little we actually know. Plasticity allows the brain to adapt and develop, change its structure, improve its functions at any age, and cope with the effects of illness and injury. This is the result of the simultaneous joint work of a variety of mechanisms, the laws of which we have yet to study.

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How often do we hear that thoughts shape our future. “The Secret”, “Transurfing of Reality”, Louise Hay, Sytin and many, many others claim this: “We are today - these are our thoughts of yesterday. Our thoughts today shape our tomorrow.” There are also skeptics. If you say that visualizations also help, there will definitely be those who will claim that it did not help them and in general all this is nonsense, “no matter how much you say the word halva, it will not become sweeter in your mouth.”

In Hangzhou, China

And today, in the book section, I came across a book that intrigued me: Norman Doidge " Brain plasticity". Having barely flipped through a few pages, I realized that this was what I had been looking for for a long time - not just statements like “think positively and you will get everything,” but scientific facts proving that thoughts rearrange the structure of our brain and, thereby, change our body .

... Mainstream classical medicine and science believed that the laws of brain functioning are unchangeable. There was a generally accepted opinion that after graduation childhood the brain then begins to change only in the direction of worsening its functioning: supposedly brain cells lose the ability to develop correctly, get damaged or die, their restoration is impossible...

... Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, several important discoveries were made. Research has shown that the brain changes with every action we take, transforming its circuits so that they better suit the task at hand (emphasis added - M.A.). If some brain structures fail, others come into play. The idea of the brain as a mechanism consisting of highly specialized parts could not fully explain the stunning changes that scientists observed. They called this the most important property of the brain neuroplasticity.

… At first, many researchers were hesitant to use the word “neuroplasticity” in their work, and colleagues criticized them for introducing a concept they had invented. Nevertheless, scientists continued to insist on their point, gradually refuting the theory of an unchanging brain. They argued that the inclinations inherent in us from birth do not always remain unchanged; that a damaged brain can carry out its own reorganization (if the functioning of one of its parts is disrupted, another is able to replace it); that sometimes dead brain cells are replaced (!); that many “patterns” of brain function and even basic reflexes that were considered constant are not so. One researcher even found that thinking, learning and active actions capable of “turning on” or “turning off” certain of our genes…

During my travels, I met a scientist who made people blind from birth begin to see, and a scientist who gave the ability to hear to deaf people. I've talked to people who had strokes decades ago that were thought to be incurable and were helped to recover by treatments that targeted the neuroplastic properties of the brain. There were also those whose learning difficulties were overcome and their intelligence quotient (IQ) increased significantly. I saw evidence that 80-year-olds could improve their memory: their memory was restored to the level they had at the age of fifty-five. I have seen people who, thanks to their thoughts, “reprogrammed” their own brains, getting rid of pathological conditions and the consequences of injuries previously considered incurable...

In my opinion, the idea that the brain is capable of changing its own structure and functioning thanks to a person’s thoughts and actions, is the most important innovation in our understanding of the human brain...

... the presence in it (i.e. the brain - M.A.) of such a property as neuroplasticity has not only positive sides; it not only gives our brain greater capabilities, but also makes it more vulnerable to external influences. Neuroplasticity can shape both more flexible and rigid behavior... Oddly enough, some of our most persistent habits and disorders are a product of our plasticity. One day what happened in brain structures a plastic change, as a result of its consolidation, can interfere with other changes.

Indeed, how many cases do we know when people were cured of the most serious illnesses and full life. Everyone is familiar with the placebo effect. It is also known that for consciousness it makes no difference whether something happens to it in reality or is visualized. A huge amount of facts have accumulated to confirm all this. And each of us, perhaps, can give examples from own life When dreams came true, severe illnesses receded. This process is long, requiring internal self-organization and discipline. But it's worth it.

Overall, I highly recommend reading this book. I, in turn, think that I will write about it again - after all, these are the things that turn our understanding of reality upside down and give us a very powerful tool for improving the quality and content of life.

It seems to me that both , and , which I have already written about, receive a new explanation in the light of the theory of neuroplasticity. By throwing away unnecessary fears and empty experiences, we thereby change the structure of our brain, restoring its proper functioning, aimed at creating, and not destroying, the body.