Even the smallest changes in the myelin sheaths produced by these cells can have a significant impact on the conduction of neural impulses. One specific study showed the importance of these cells (Monje, et.al., Neuronal Activity Promotes Oligodendrogenesis and Adaptive Myelination in the Mammalian Brain, 2014). You can think of it this way: The oligodendrocytes are the system that improves the flow of traffic along a roadway that is heavily used. In the same way, these cells ensure that the myelin sheath provides enough support and protection for the transmission of neural impulses to flow smoothly.
Role of Satellite Cells
These cells are also known as satellite glial cells (or SGCs), and surround the neurons in the sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia. They are responsible for informing the body about stress and impending danger to prepare the "fight-or-flight" response. These cells are also involved in the regeneration and repair of muscles.
In terms of neuroplasticity, there was one particular study that clearly showed the role of the satellite cells. In that study, researchers discovered a way to obtain high-purity SGCs from the root ganglia without the process of digestion (Wang, et. al., A novel primary culture method for high-purity satellite glial cells derived from rat dorsal root ganglion, 2019). This shows the ability of the cells to regenerate or restructure, which is an important aspect of neuroplasticity.
Role of Ependymal Cells
These cells facilitate the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). This fluid transports the nutrients to the brain cells and eliminates any toxic metabolites. In the V-SVZ zone of the brain (ventricular subventricular zone), there are stem cells as well as ependymal cells that radiate from the center and have several cilia for movement.
The stem cells in the middle of this zone create neurons that become your new memories. Since the ependymal cells facilitate the flow of the CSF, they provide the new neurons with much-needed nutrients so they can function optimally. As young neurons grow, they become stronger and are able to start communicating with other neurons in the brain. his is essential for creating a map in the brain consisting of sensory inputs.
Role of Microglia
Finally, these cells provide the nervous cells with immunity, engulf any foreign particles that cause harm, repair damage to the neural tissues and are involved in the signaling of extracellular cells. Basically, these cells are the central nervous system's first line of defense.
According to one particular study, any anti- or pro-inflammatory activity that is mediated by the microglia may have a significant contribution towards spontaneous neuroplasticity after the occurrence of ischaemic lesions (Sandvig, et. al., Neuroplasticity in stroke recovery. The role of microglia in engaging and modifying synapses and networks, 2018). This study shows the implications of how the microglia affects both the function and integrity of the grey matter in our brains.
Case Studies That Provide Evidence of Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity isn't a new concept. It has been around for some time now, and there have been a number of studies done that provide concrete evidence about it. Here are some of those significant studies:
Case Study 1
In this first case study, the incredible capacity of the brain for large-scale reorganization was shown in blind people, or in those who had suffered massive injuries (Siuda-Krzywicka, et. al., Massive cortical reorganization in sighted Braille readers, 2016). In this study, the researchers discovered that the visual cortex of blind people becomes active as they learn Braille reading.
Neuroplasticity comes into play as blind individuals learn something new. As they learn tactile Braille reading and keep on practicing this method of reading, the skill becomes stronger and the act of repetition causes changes in their brains. Although this may also apply to "normal" people or those who haven't lost their eyesight, there isn't enough definitive evidence to prove this yet.
In the study, normal adults who still had their eyesight were given the chance to learn Braille while the researchers investigated their brain activity using transcranial magnetic stimulation and fMRI. The subjects of the study displayed enhanced activity in their visual cortexes, along with their visual word form area, or VWFA. The results of this study show that large-scale reorganization is indeed a viable mechanism we can use to learn complex skills.
Case Study 2
In another study, a blind woman lost her ability to read Braille after she suffered from a stroke in the visual cortex of her brain (Hamilton, et. al., Alexia for Braille following bilateral occipital stroke in an early blind woman, 1999).
Studies that focused on neurophysiology and functional imaging have shown that the occipital cortex plays a significant role in Braille reading in early and congenitally blind subjects. In this particular study, a woman who was born blind suffered bilateral occipital damage after she had an ischemic stroke. Before the stroke, the woman was a proficient reader of Braille. But after the stroke, she lost the ability to read Braille. But at the same time, there was no change in her somatosensory perception. This is one case that supports other evidence about the plasticity of the brain and how it constantly changes depending on what we experience throughout our lifetime.
Case study 3
This next case study focused on people who use sign language. Although they aren't able to hear, they're able to access the part of the brain known as the auditory cortex (Nishimura, et. al., Sign language “heard” in the auditory cortex, 1999). The upper regions in the temporal lobe of the brain are essential for hearing, and also for understanding spoken language.
The results of the study have shown that it's possible to activate these regions through sign language in people who are congenitally deaf. This occurs even though the normal function of the temporal lobe is as an auditory area. The findings indicate that for deaf people, the region of the brain that is normally meant for hearing can be activated through other kinds of sensory modalities. This is one study that clearly provides evidence of neuroplasticity.
Case study 4
In another study, the researchers were able to demonstrate the remarkable ability of the brain to rewire or restructure itself in response to a specific experience (Bonaccorsi, et. al., Treatment of amblyopia in the adult: insights from a new rodent model of visual perceptual learning, 2014). In this study, the researchers found that mice that suffer from amblyopia (also known as “lazy eye”) were able to improve faster when they were given visual stimuli as they ran on treadmills.
Amblyopia can occur in people who are born with cataracts, droopy eyelids or some other type of defect that isn't corrected early in their lives. When these people reach adulthood, the recovery they experience is typically slow, and seldom complete. In the experiment, the researchers induced the condition in the mice by suturing one of their eyes shut for a number of months. After removing the sutures, the mice were exposed to a visual pattern as they ran on treadmills for a period of three weeks.
The “noisy” pattern the mice were exposed to was meant to activate almost all of the cells in the primary visual cortex of the animals. After just two weeks, the responses of the animals that were shown these patterns were already comparable to the responses of the normal mice. According to the researchers, this incredible response may have come from the built-in mechanisms of animals to keep track of any environmental stimuli, even from a certain distance. This experiment led the researchers to believe that activity actually stimulates neuroplasticity. And the great thing about this is that it can be applied to the brain and other parts of the body as well.
Case study 5
Back in 1998, a landmark study was conducted about the ability of the human brain to develop new brain cells (Eriksson, et. al., Nature Medicine, 1998). This study challenged the prevailing theory, which stated that our brains were a very rigid system that didn't change. Since then, there have been other studies that have shown evidence of neuroplasticity, including:
A study that showed that taxi drivers in London have a bigger hippocampu
s, the part of the brain that is involved in learning spatial representations and routes, compared to bus drivers in London (Maguire, et. al., London taxi drivers and bus drivers: a structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis, 2006). The study showed that the size of their hippocampus was directly related to how long they had worked as taxi drivers. This suggests that driving taxis may change and develop this part of the brain.
Another study involved asking the participants to learn a juggling trick with three balls over a period of three months (May, et. al., Changes in Gray Matter Induced by Learning, 2008). In the study, the participants who had to learn juggling showed a significant increase in the V5 area of their brains, which is the area responsible for processing visual movements.
These are just some examples of studies that show evidence of neuroplasticity. There are a lot more out there that focus on the changes that occur in the different parts of the brain in relation to the new experiences, thoughts and learning done by the subjects.
As you can see from these studies, neuroplasticity is actually backed by science. The more researchers study this concept, the more they will discover about it, and about the incredible power of our brains to change and develop as we do.
Can We Influence the Process of Neuroplasticity?
Now that you understand neuroplasticity more, you know that the answer to this question is a resounding YES! We can, in fact, influence the process of neuroplasticity by causing mild stress to our brains, which, in turn, forces our brains to create new synapses. There are a few strategies you can employ to influence neuroplasticity. Let's take a look at some general strategies to start you off. These will give you a better idea of what you need to do if you want to apply neuroplasticity to your own life.
Holistic Thinking
We've already established the possibility of changing your brain, as opposed to the belief held in the past that adult brains are rigid and hard-wired. Although it's true that the human brain is much easier to change during the earlier years, this doesn't mean that you cannot change your brain now that you're an adult.
One excellent strategy you can start with is holistic thinking. As you try to change something in your life, think about the big picture. This makes it easier to come up with your own exercises to recover from depression, injury, bad habits or any other kind of condition through neuroplasticity. As an added benefit, holistic thinking also has the potential to revamp your mental health as well as your life!
Doing Tasks That Require Different Motor Skills
Your brain is a dynamic organ that has the ability to change throughout your life. The next strategy you may want to employ is to perform tasks that require various motor skills. Learning and practicing motor skills can facilitate neuroplasticity. The more you perform these actions, the stronger their influence is on your brain. When this happens, the tasks become more automatic to you as they become part of your being. Then you can move on to other tasks that also promote neuroplasticity. Remember that the more you exercise your brain, the stronger it becomes!
Learn a New Language
Another way to change your brain is to try and learn a new language. This is one type of learning that can be highly beneficial no matter what your age. Previous research has proven that the brain mechanisms that are involved in learning new languages are those that significantly aid in the diagnosis and treatment of people who suffer from impaired speech after strokes, accidents and other similar conditions. As you learn a new language, this creates and strengthens neural networks in your brain that, in turn, improve your learning process. So if you want to influence neuroplasticity, try learning a new language!
Practice FLOW
FLOW refers to a state of consciousness wherein you become fully immersed with the task you're doing. You're “in the zone,” which helps you feel and perform at your very best. Practicing FLOW also helps influence neuroplasticity in a big way. In order to enter this state of consciousness, you must have these conditions:
You must involve yourself in an activity that has clear goals.
The task you are about to perform must also provide you with immediate and clear feedback.
There must be the right balance between your own perceived abilities and the perceived challenges of this task. This means that you should feel confident enough that you can handle the task you're about to do.
All About Neuroplasticity Games
Apart from the strategies above (and the others that we will be talking about later), there are also some effective neuroplasticity games you can play. But before going into these, you must know that most of the popular “brain training games” are actually ineffective. If you want to learn some neuroplasticity games that actually work, you may want to try those from BrainHQ.
BrainHQ is a brain-training system that you can access online. It was developed through 30 years of arduous research in the field of neurological science and other similar fields. This system was designed by a team of international neuroscientists who were led by Michael Merzenich. Before you undertake the brain training programs offered by BrainHQ, you may want to prepare yourself. There are some neuroplasticity exercises that you can do in your life to prepare you for the more challenging games. These include:
● Learning a new skill that takes you outside of your comfort zone.
When you do the same things over and over again, your brain doesn't learn how to rewire itself. If you want to apply neuroplasticity to your life, try learning new skills that take you out of your comfort zone. Although doing this might make you feel uncomfortable in the beginning, you may start enjoying these new experiences as time goes by.
● Take a walk and try to notice everything in your environment.
One of the best ways to create new neural pathways to change your brain is through traveling. When you travel, you learn new things, especially when you consciously try to notice everything around you. Traveling doesn't necessarily mean going out of the country. Simply taking the long way home can count as traveling, and this can also provide you with new experiences.
● Eat right and get active.
It would be extremely difficult to apply neuroplasticity to your life if you're not at the peak of health. Your brain won't have the ability to rewire, reorganize or restructure itself if you lead a sedentary lifestyle or don't eat healthy foods. If you want to start training your brain, you must train your body first. Make sure you're healthy, and things will become much easier.
Chapter 3: How Age Is Related to Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the changes in the brain and to the structure of the brain that occur as a result of natural brain development, and in response to injuries or trauma. When neuroplasticity occurs in the brain, it comes with an increase in the number of synapses and neurons. The synaptic connections in the brain dramatically increase in number between birth and two to three years of age. This number is reduced by half during adolescence, then remains fairly static for adults. This shows that neuroplasticity and aging are, in fact, related to each other.
The brains of young children have the greatest plasticity. Their synapses and neurons increase in number dramatically even before they're able to start walking and talking. Between birth and the age of two to three years, the number of synapses in their brains increase from around 2,500 to a whopping 15,000 per neuron! This means that most toddlers have twice as many synapses as adults.
During adolescence, a phenomenon called pruning starts to occur. Here, the number of synapses and neurons in the brain that have been formed during childhood is greatly reduced. The elimination of these synapses and neurons happens based on all the experiences a person has through the years. People are able to retain the connections they use the most, while those which they don't use as much get eliminated. Right before a person becomes an adult, the number of synaptic connections he has between his neurons will have already been reduced by half.
In the past, it was believed that the number of synapses and neurons remain the s
ame throughout adulthood. However, there has been new evidence that shows how neuroplasticity can still occur because of new experiences or learning. For instance, when you learn a new skill, this causes your brain to increase its number of synapses, which, as we've discussed, is an instance of neuroplasticity. Although as adults we don't have as many synapses and neurons as those who are younger than us, this doesn't mean that neuroplasticity cannot occur in our brains anymore!
What Does Science Have to Say?
According to a study, neuroplasticity can also refer to the final common pathway taken by neurobiological processes, as well as functional, molecular and structural mechanisms that result in compensation or stability for disease- or age-related changes (Smith, Aging and neuroplasticity, 2013). This is one study that clearly shows the relationship between age and neuroplasticity. The concepts involved here deal with the aging process, along with dementia, stroke and depression. The study also addresses a number of interventions, including cognitive and physical exercises (behavior manipulation), physiological factors (cholesterol, caloric restriction), pharmacologic treatments and the manipulation of the electrical activity and magnetic fields of the brain.
The translation between studies made in humans and in animals, as well as the cross-talk between neurologic and psychiatric disease is essential to move forward with interventions that promote neuroplasticity into the paradigms of clinical intervention. Although most fundamental research is focused traditionally on the “critical periods” that occur in the early years of development, more recent research is focused on the opportunities to apply or induce neuroplasticity in adults, or during other critical periods in the aging process.
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