THE UNIVERSITY LEARNING CENTRE
Study Skills Resource
Neuroplasticity: the Brain’s Capacity for Change
Historically, the popular belief about the brain was that the human brain was not malleable
(unchangeable). That is, sometime after childhood, once our brains had fully developed, our levels of
intelligence and abilities were fixed. Neuroscientists have since shown that the brain is malleable and
does change well after childhood. As our brain changes, our intellect, skills and abilities change;
conversely, as our skills, intellect and abilities change, so does our brain. By incorporating feedback
into your studies and investing time looking into new ways of studying, you can change your brain
and enhance your performance.
Definition: neuroplasticity = neuron + plastic *
Neuron: refers to the nerve cells in our brain.
Plastic: capable of being shaped or formed.
Neuroplasticity: potential that the brain has to reorganize
by creating new neural pathways to adapt, as it needs.
* http://www.whatisneuroplasticity.com/
How does this work?
Simply put, with increased stimulation, the neural pathways that encode information strengthen
through a process known as potentiation. With decreased or absent stimulation over time, the neural
pathways weaken. Consequently, that which you learn through repetition or by forming complex
and connected models strengthens, that is, becomes more deeply engrained in the neural pathways
of your brain. Knowledge that is left unrehearsed over time, or is acquired through shallow learning,
weakens over time.
Did you know…
Taxi drivers in London are required to memorize a complex and vast system of streets in London.
Intrigued by the abilities of these taxi drivers, neuroscientist Elenor Maquire embarked on a study
of the brains of London taxi drivers. She made an interesting discovery. Her research showed that
the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memorizing large amounts of information
and spatial navigation, is notably larger (more dense) than that of many other non-taxi drivers of
similar age, education and scores on intelligence tests.
Change your Brain, Change your Life
Sources::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA, June 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_yB-AYG6Eg, June 2015
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/london-taxi-memory/, June 2015
Image: https://releaseyv.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/screen-shot-2012-04-02-at-1-21-17-pm.png, June 2015
www.usask.ca/ulc
For more information on study skills, please visit our website.