Just like you can strengthen muscles by frequently hitting the gym, you can strengthen the brain by forming new connections between brain cells. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change over time, involves the strengthening of synapses (the connections between brain cells) through repeated behaviors and experiences.
Whenever we learn or experience something new our brains take in those sensory inputs and form new neural connections. Neuroplasticity is what allows our brains to continue to adapt, grow, and improve—even as we age.
Activities that promote neuroplasticity:
- Learning a language
- Taking a new route to work
- Encountering a new scent
- Physical exercise
- Meditation
- Puzzles or memory games
- Creative endeavors like writing, painting, or crafting
Why Neuroplasticity Is Noteworthy
The concept of neuroplasticity is empowering, especially as we and the people we love age. The idea that we can actively influence our brain's health and function for the better offers hope, especially in a time when cognitive decline is a growing concern in the broader health landscape.
One significant aspect of neuroplasticity is the discovery that even adult brains can generate new brain cells—a process known as neurogenesis. This groundbreaking finding, for which Stanley Cohen and Rita Levi-Montalcini were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986, highlights the importance of keeping our brains engaged to support long-term cognitive health.
"Just like you can strengthen muscles by frequently hitting the gym, you can strengthen the brain by forming new connections between brain cells."
One of the best ways to boost neurogenesis is to stimulate the release of proteins like Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which promotes the growth of new brain cells and supports the cellular health of existing ones.¹ BDNF is particularly vital to our brains because it supports synaptic plasticity—the brain’s ability to strengthen neural connections, a fundamental aspect to learning and memory. By boosting BDNF, we build a more resilient brain that is better equipped to combat the threat of cognitive decline.
Some effective ways to boost BDNF include running, strength training, and meditation. Key BDNF-supporting nutrients include omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, nuts, and seeds); polyphenols (abundant in technicolor produce); and the functional mushroom superstar Lion’s Mane.²⁻³
How Neuroplasticity Impacts Learning and Memory
Whenever we learn something new or engage in brain-stimulating activities—like doing the Sunday crossword—it strengthens the connections between neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, a critical brain region involved in learning and memory. Higher BDNF levels contribute directly to learning and memory by enhancing synaptic plasticity in this area of the brain.
A study found that lower BDNF levels in older adults were associated with reduced hippocampal volume (brain volume) and poorer memory performance, linking BDNF decline to age-related memory loss.⁴ This highlights that BDNF not only supports neuroplasticity, but plays a critical role in protecting against cognitive decline as we age.
By enriching our lives, with mentally and physically engaging activities, we can help preserve our long-term cognitive health.
As Willie Nelson once said, “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results."
Rewiring Our Thoughts for Emotional Resilience
The brain's ability to form new neural connections also allows us to change how we process and respond to our emotions through interventions like meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Research shows that these interventions can change brain regions involved in emotion regulation, like the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, helping us manage stress and emotional responses.⁵
The brain's capacity to rewire itself towards a positive mindset can help us more effectively manage negative emotions and counteract the brain’s natural negativity bias—an evolutionary bias that acts as a survival mechanism to pay greater attention to negative events to respond to potential threats.
The Big Takeaway?
Neuroplasticity is the brain's remarkable way of adapting throughout your lifespan, and it only requires some intentional mental and physical activities that can support learning, memory, and long-term cognitive health for decades to come.
By engaging in activities like meditation, manifestation, gratitude journaling, or volunteering, it’s also possible to foster greater emotional resilience accomplished through positive thinking.
Sources
- Miranda M, Morici JF, Zanoni MB and Bekinschtein P (2019) Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Key Molecule for Memory in the Healthy and the Pathological Brain. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 13:363. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00363
- Gravesteijn, E., Mensink, R. P., & Plat, J. (2022). Effects of nutritional interventions on BDNF concentrations in humans: a systematic review. Nutritional neuroscience, 25(7), 1425–1436. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2020.1865758
- Vigna, L., Morelli, F., Agnelli, G. M., Napolitano, F., Ratto, D., Occhinegro, A., Di Iorio, C., Savino, E., Girometta, C., Brandalise, F., & Rossi, P. (2019). Hericium erinaceus Improves Mood and Sleep Disorders in Patients Affected by Overweight or Obesity: Could Circulating Pro-BDNF and BDNF Be Potential Biomarkers?. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2019, 7861297. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7861297
- Erickson, K. I., Prakash, R. S., Voss, M. W., Chaddock, L., Heo, S., McLaren, M., Pence, B. D., Martin, S. A., Vieira, V. J., Woods, J. A., McAuley, E., & Kramer, A. F. (2010). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is associated with age-related decline in hippocampal volume. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 30(15), 5368–5375. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6251-09.2010
- Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature neuroscience, 15(5), 689–695. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3093
