International Journal of Healthcare Sciences ISSN 2348-5728 (Online) Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp: (263-271), Month: April 2022 - September 2022, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Understanding Neuroplasticity and the Brain’s Potential for Change Rachel Yun DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7043253
Published Date: 02-September-2022
Abstract: Neuroplasticity is a relatively new concept about the brain’s ability to rewire itself in certain areas. The general idea was developed in the 20th century, and it has become an intriguing field of study due to the superhumanlike feats of the brain that allows people with missing parts of the brain, impaired neurological functions, and certain mental disorders to live with more function. Neuroplasticity occurs in both animals and humans, as both react similarly to the environment, and results can be compared to reach a deeper understanding about how stress, which is a consequence of internal and external pressures, affects neuroplasticity. Other external stimuli, however, such as music, can improve the rate of neuroplasticity in people or undo damage in the nervous system. On the other hand, neuroplasticity does also have its downsides, which must be carefully avoided to prevent any issues related to mentality. In other words, while neuroplasticity can cure people of disorders, it may also be the exact reason why it developed in the first place. This curious phenomenon explores the true capabilities of the brain. This paper will describe the effect neuroplasticity has on people and the ways people can affect their rates of neuroplasticity. Keywords: neuroplasticity, neuroscience, growth mindset, fixed mindset, nervous system, depression, mental disorder, brain, digital media, gene expression.
I. INTRODUCTION Neuroplasticity allows the brain to operate despite missing an entire sensory organ in the nervous system, a third of the brain, a half of the brain, or nearly the entire brain. Only a madman would not explore such an incredible yet relatively unknown ability of the brain. Neuroplasticity occurs at the cellular level, such as rewiring synapses or strengthening the connections between neurons, or a broader, larger-scale movement of entire, complex functions of the brain. There are factors that hinder neuroplasticity and enhance the negative sides of neuroplasticity, such as stress or mental disorders such as depression. Neuroplasticity can affect the level of addiction one suffers from, whether the source of addiction is drugs, video games, or another addictive substance. However, adding stimuli that will result in an enriched environment, such as music, will cause neuroplasticity to improve the absorbance and organization of new information, memory, and motor skills. In this way, neuroplasticity seems a bit like a double-edged sword: capable of hurting, but when carefully wielded and polished, it becomes extremely beneficial to have on your side.
II. WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY? For a great number of decades, the brain was considered limited; brain cells, researchers believed, could not be created again once they died1. Aging was widely accepted as the reason brain cells died over time, though further research showed that this is not the case1. Neuroplasticity as a term was first used by Jerzy Konorski, a Polish neuroscientist, in 1948 1. Konoski’s “neuroplasticity” described visible, obvious changes in neuron structure1. However, even earlier than Konoski, in the beginning of the 1900s, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, a Spanish neuroscientist commonly known as “the father of neuroscience,” confirmed that a person’s brain was able to change after reaching adulthood1. His term for this process was “neuronal plasticity,” in contrast to “neuroplasticity.” In the 1960s, around the time the word “neuroplasticity” became more common, scientists discovered that, after experiencing a shocking or traumatic event, neurons were capable of reorganizing, changing, and fixing themselves1. Stress from traumatic events was found to change the functions as well as the physical structure of the brain 1. Several decades
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