by Milkana G. Palavurova -Yoga Bahrain

Created on: September 26, 2010   Last Updated: September 27, 2010

What are the benefits of brain plasticity? How do we adapt?

The human brain achieves full maturity in late adolescence and its volume almost quadruples in adulthood (Pinel, 2007). Pinel (2007) claims that" mature brains are plastic, continually changing and adapting" (Pinel, 2007, 227). Plastic derives from the Greek word meaning "molded" or "formed" and could be described as the tendency of the brain to shape itself according to experience. Plasticity networks the brain, gives it cognition and memory, as well as fluidity and adaptability. The benefits from brain plasticity include rewiring, repairing, recovering, learning, storing and adapting.

Cardiovascular fitness, for instance, declines the offset of cognitive performance by increased cortical capillary supplies, synaptic connections and the development of new neurons. Thus the brain becomes more efficient, plastic and adaptive, which results in better performance, and could be used as just one of the examples praising adaptiveness (Colcombe et al., 2004).
Another work of Colcombe in 2004 also proved the adaptive function of brain plasticity. It showed the increased cognitive performance of older adults regularly practicing cardiovascular fitness, in comparison to their less-fit counterparts (Colcombe et al., 2004).

Dietary restrictions have also proved the adaptive function of brain plasticity by suggesting enhanced learning and memory, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. During the practice of dietary restrictions neuronal plasticity is facilitated; cognitive function is enhanced; inflammatory responses are regulated, and neurogenesis is stimulated (Qiu et al., 2010).

Brain adaptiveness is also proved by the physiological mechanisms underlined during coping with climate change (Fuller et al., 2010). Humans living in different seasons manage to adapt to climate change every 3 months. This is all facilitated by brain plasticity and adaptiveness, therefore could be viewed as another benefit and example as well.

The adaptiveness due to brain plasticity has also been suggested by musical training. The results from such researches provide direct evidence for functional changes of the human hippocampus, showing that training can change the functional and structural organization of the brain (Hardener et al., 2010).

Brain Plasticity underlies the treatment of muscle spasms, biopolar disorders, strokes, some psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, chronic spinal pains, and others. (Deroide et al., 2010;

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