By K J Foxhall 
Recommended reading: The Tale of the Duelling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain as Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery by Sam Kean
For a long time, the common belief was that the human brain was like a computer with permanent hardware. The idea was that once you reached adulthood, your brain was essentially ‘set in stone,’ and you were stuck with a fixed number of brain cells that slowly declined as you aged.
Luckily, modern neuroscience has completely flipped this script. We now know that the brain is a dynamic, highly adaptable organ that can rewire itself. A feature scientists call neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the nervous system’s incredible ability to respond to internal and external stimuli by reorganising its structure, functions, and connections1. Whether you are learning a new language, recovering from an injury, or simply adapting to a new environment, your brain is actively changing and rewiring itself2.
How the brain rewires itself
When we talk about the brain changing, it happens on multiple physical levels.
Your brain consists of billions of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with each other through tiny gaps called synapses. This communication network is constantly shifting based on your experiences.
There are two primary ways the brain physically adapts to the world around you:
- Synaptic Plasticity: This is the brain’s ability to adjust the strength and efficiency of the communication between neurons. When you practice a skill repeatedly, the connections between the neurons responsible for that skill become stronger and fire more efficiently. As the famous neuroscience saying goes: Neurons that fire together, wire together.
- Structural Plasticity: Beyond just the strength of the signal, the brain can actually change its physical shape. This involves the growth of new dendritic branches (the ‘arms’ of a neuron) or modifications to the number of synapses available to send and receive information3.
The good, the bad, and the plastic
Neuroplasticity is generally a positive, life-saving force. It is the core biological mechanism that allows humans to learn, memorise, and develop from infancy all the way into old age (Marzola et al., 2023).
It is also what gives stroke survivors the ability to relearn how to walk or speak; healthy areas of the brain can sometimes physically take over the functions of damaged areas.
However, neuroplasticity is a double-edged sword. The brain is remarkably efficient, but it doesn’t always judge whether a structural change is helpful or harmful.
Plasticity can be maladaptive, meaning it can reinforce negative consequences (Cramer et al., 2011). For example, chronic stress, trauma, or substance abuse can literally rewire the brain to become more anxious, dependent, or locked into negative behavioral loops. Much like if you focus on negative posts on social media, the algorithms evolve to keep showing you the contentious material, because you showed an interest in it).
How to Boost Healthy Brain Plasticity
Because your daily habits actively shape your brain’s physical structure, you have a say in how your brain wires itself. Here are a few ways to keep your neural networks flexible and healthy:
- Learn something completely new: Stepping out of your comfort zone, like juggling, playing a new instrument, or solving complex puzzles forces the brain to build entirely new neural pathways.
- Stay physically active: Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and encourages the release of crucial growth factors that support the survival of new neurons.
- Prioritize sleep: Sleep is when the brain consolidates memories and clears out metabolic waste, essentially ‘locking in’ the new neural connections you built during the day.
- Stay socially engaged: Interacting with others exposes you to new ideas and perspectives, keeping your cognitive networks active and robust. Even if you feel you are not the most social person on the planet, humans need some level of connection with others.
You are not stuck with the brain you were born with, nor the brain you have today. Your experiences, thoughts, and actions are the architects of your neural pathways. By understanding and intentionally guiding your neuroplasticity, you can build a more resilient, adaptable, and vibrant mind.
Recommended reading: The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
- Cramer, S. C., Sur, M., Dobkin, B. H., et al. (2011). Harnessing neuroplasticity for clinical applications. Brain, 134(6), 1591–1609. ↩︎
- Marzola, P., Melzer, T., Pavesi, E., Gil-Mohapel, J., & Brocardo, P. S. (2023). Exploring the Role of Neuroplasticity in Development, Aging, and Neurodegeneration. Brain Sciences, 13(12), 1610.
↩︎ - Mateos-Aparicio, P., & Rodríguez-Moreno, A. (2019). The Impact of Studying Brain Plasticity. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 13. ↩︎