the process of forming new neurons within the brain is called

You can see how neurogenesis is a more exciting concept. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways and change how its circuits are wired neurogenesis is the even more amazing ability of the brain to grow new neurons (Bergland, 2017). NeurogenesisĪlthough related, neuroplasticity and neurogenesis are two different concepts. This is what’s known as “neurogenesis.” Neuroplasticity vs. This research found that there are other ways for brain cells to die, other ways for them to adapt and reconnect, and perhaps even ways for them to regrow or replenish. Everything may die, nothing may be regenerated” (as cited in Fuchs & Flügge, 2014). As Ramón y Cajal said, “in adult centers, the nerve paths are something fixed, ended, immutable. In the late 1990s, researchers found that stress can actually kill brain cells-although these conclusions are still not completely certain.įor many decades, it was thought that the brain was a “nonrenewable organ,” that brain cells are bestowed in a finite amount and they slowly die as we age, whether we attempt to keep them around or not. Further research found that stress can change not only the functions but also the structure of the brain itself (Fuchs & Flügge, 2014). In the 1960s, it was discovered that neurons could “reorganize” after a traumatic event. He recognized that, in contrast to current belief at that time, brains could indeed change after a person had reached adulthood. However, the idea goes back even farther (Demarin, Morović, & Béne, 2014)-the “father of neuroscience,” Santiago Ramón y Cajal, talked about “neuronal plasticity” in the early 1900s (Fuchs & Flügge, 2014). The term “neuroplasticity” was first used by Polish neuroscientist Jerzy Konorski in 1948 to describe observed changes in neuronal structure (neurons are the cells that make up our brains), although it wasn’t widely used until the 1960s. This happens on a daily basis, but it’s also something that we can encourage and stimulate.

We rewire our brains to adapt to new circumstances. When we learn something new, we create new connections between our neurons. Different pathways form and fall dormant, are created and are discarded, according to our experiences. Our brains are truly extraordinary unlike computers, which are built to certain specifications and receive software updates periodically, our brains can actually receive hardware updates in addition to software updates. This dynamic process allows us to learn from and adapt to different experiences” From the time the brain begins to develop in utero until the day we die, the connections among the cells in our brains reorganize in response to our changing needs. “It refers to the physiological changes in the brain that happen as the result of our interactions with our environment. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt.

The process of forming new neurons within the brain is called