Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to flexibly change: according to new experience and information, weaken or completely remove some neural connections, strengthen others, and recover from damage and injury. At first, scientists believed that neuroplasticity was the lot of the young. Despite the fact that the very idea of brain plasticity appeared as early as 1780 in the correspondence between naturalist Charles Bonnet and anatomist Michel Vincenz Malacarnet, the opportunity to firmly establish its existence in adults appeared relatively recently. In 1917, Spanish neuroanatomist Santiago Ramon y Cajal formulated the neuroplasticity hypothesis in its current form: “Changes in neuron contacts can serve as the basis of memory.” A series of breakthrough works in this area appeared in the 60-70s: for example, in 1964, an American neuroscientist from the California Institute of Merion Diamond was able to show that if rats were raised in an enriched environment full of toys and rotating wheels, the thickness of their cerebral cortex would be 6% greater than if they were raised in crowded cells. In 1969, Jeffrey Reisman of Oxford University discovered that rat neurons regenerate after dissection of their appendages. The first practical applications were not long in coming. In 1969, Paul Bach-i-Rita invented a sensory replacement device that allows people who have lost their eyesight to “see.” The scientist used a camera, the image from which was converted into electrical signals and fed to a lollipop plate. It turned out that such stimulation caused plastic changes in the brain. The brain’s neurons, which had previously been involved in vision, were rebuilt and switched to processing electrical signals sent to language. As a result, people with visual impairments could recognize loved ones, climb a steep wall on a climbing wall, and even read. Today we know that the brain retains plasticity until old age. Scientists at Columbia University have demonstrated that the formation of new neurons persists in humans until at least 79 years of age. As we age, damage gradually accumulates in the central nervous system, and neurons die, especially in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which are closely related to planning, memory, and self-regulation. However, this process is not inevitable. There are people who keep a clear mind until old age (they are also called “superagers”). The ability of our brain to recover from injury, adapt to new conditions, and resist aging largely depends on us.

Scientists identify three main factors that affect neuroplasticity at any age:

• Physical activity
• Intellectual load
• Food

The latest meta—analysis by the University of Toronto provides evidence that physical activity increases the concentration of neurotrophic factors, substances that cause neurons to form new connections. So, training stimulates neuroplasticity. The changes are noticeable after the first lesson and last more than a day after it. Although the maximum effect was achieved by subjects who trained regularly and intensively, the result was obtained even by those who worked out with relatively small loads: 30 minutes of walking or training on an exercise bike three times a week with a volume of absorbed oxygen of 60% of the maximum. This corresponds to a pulse rate of 85% of the maximum.

It makes no difference to the brain whether we work, relax, or socialize with friends. To activate neuroplasticity, it is only important to have something complex, new, and different. A meta—analysis conducted by scientists from the University of Nottingham demonstrates that activities that require intellectual engagement — work, active social life, and hobbies (playing music, chess, reading, language learning, and meditation) – support cognitive abilities, slow down brain aging, and reduce the risk of dementia. At the same time, the effect is achieved in a short time. Experts from the Universities of South Carolina and the University of Florida have shown that six months of music lessons for half an hour a day is enough to improve working memory in the elderly. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania’s Psychology Department have found that learning languages increases cortical density and gray matter connectivity in all age groups. The effect was noticeable even after three months of courses. A 2014 meta—analysis demonstrated that meditation is associated with an increase in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that is particularly affected by aging and plays an important role in memory, planning, and self-control.

Youth is a chance to accumulate neurons in reserve. Research shows that you don’t have to study all your life to help your brain fight aging. It is enough to get a good education, experience playing a musical instrument or knowledge of a foreign language once, and you can use the brain’s ability to maintain mental clarity and recover faster from injuries for years.

American scientists at the University of Louisiana School of Medicine have found that the brain is the most demanding organ of the human body. With a weight of 1.5-2% of the human body, it consumes 20% of the energy. This is 16 times more than muscle and 50 times more than adipose tissue. Perhaps that’s why his work is so dependent on the quality of food. Like physical activity, a rational and balanced diet helps fight chronic inflammation, protects the brain from oxidative stress, increases the concentration of neurotrophic factors and thereby improves neuroplasticity.

In recent years, a lot of data has been accumulated on how diet affects neuroplasticity. There are various positive effects of polyphenols, omega-3 and resveratrol. Large population-based studies have demonstrated that a diet rich in flavonoids (compounds found in tea, berries, onions, and red wine) It is associated with better preservation of cognitive functions in the elderly. The participants in the experiment who received about 684 mg of flavonoids per day with food aged cognitively 1.5-2.5 years slower than those who took only 145.4 mg. Curcumin is a flavonoid found in turmeric root. Scientists have found antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant effects in both animal and human trials. Resveratrol is a substance found in wine and juice of dark grape varieties. Evidence suggests that the use of this flavonoid can slow down the age-related decline in intellectual abilities. In animal models, supplementation with resveratrol has been shown to increase neuroplasticity. Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid found in large quantities in fatty varieties of marine and river fish. The daily allowance is only 300 grams of fried salmon or 3 grams of fish oil. Research suggests that Omega-3s fight inflammation and stimulate the production of neuronal growth factor. It also appears to have an antidepressant and anti-anxiety effect. This is important because depression and anxiety disorders reduce neuroplasticity. Based on these and other studies, the team of nutritionist Martha Claire Morris from Rush University Medical Center created the MIND diet, aimed at combating Alzheimer’s disease (reduces the risk of the disease by 54%, which, according to scientists, surpasses the Mediterranean diet). The basis of such nutrition is:1) herbs, vegetables and berries, olive oil, rich in flavonoids; 2) beans and kidney beans; 3) whole grains; 4) fish dishes — a source of omega-3; 5) wine/dark grape juice. The MIND diet also recommends limiting intake of red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, sweets and sweets, fried foods and fast food. It is important to note that you should consult your doctor before starting any diet. Many different habits stimulate neuroplasticity. But often the very formation of a new lifestyle becomes a problem. Fortunately, cognitive science has a number of proven solutions.

As Sean Yang, a professor at the University of California School of Medicine, advises, first you need to clarify the habit, because for the brain, the unclear is complex. It is important to have a clear understanding of what exactly, how, how often and when you are going to do it.

1. Understand motivation. Understanding the “why” is a powerful incentive for the psyche. Writing a list of advantages of a new lifestyle can help to form it. Create triggers — select contexts, actions, and events that will trigger a new habit and remind you of it. For example, a well-established habit (brushing teeth or cleaning the bed) or a physiological need (eating, sleeping) may be a good incentive.
2. Start with a mini version of the goal. For example, for meditation, it can be five minutes of practice during meals, for physical activity — five minutes of walking in the park, for a new diet — keeping a food diary at least once a week.
3. To abandon self-criticism (it’s harmful) in favor of analyzing failures (what exactly went wrong).
4. Come up with a plan B (in the literature they are known as “premortems”). It’s important to ask yourself what could go wrong and how will I deal with it?

Literature

• Arden J. “Taming the amygdala and other brain training tools”
• Costandi M. “Neuroplasticity”
• Carter R. “How the brain works”
• Yang S. “Habits for life”