Dr. Thomas Elbert, professor of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology at the University of Konstanz, Germany said that it was a belief 20 years ago that the brain develops only during childhood and then it stops growing. Dr. George Wittenberg at Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winstons-Salem, N.C. said that it was a belief that neuron formation for adults is only limited to specific areas of the brain.
Both experts say these beliefs have been proven otherwise: Brain plasticity happens 1) at the beginning of life as the immature brain organizes itself; 2) after a stroke or injury to adapt to changed circumstances, e.g. to compensate for lost or remaining functions and 3) through adulthood when you try to learn a new skill like juggling, memorize something, learn a new language, etc.
Let us take juggling, for example.
German researchers, led by Dr. Arne May at the University of Regernsburg in Germany, took 24 non-jugglers and divided them into two groups-one group to learn how to juggle for three months. The study showed that those who did not learn how to juggle did not show any difference in their fMRI over a three month period, while those who learned the new skill showed "an increase in gray matter in two areas of the brain involved in visual and motor activity..."
What makes this study understand us more about brain plasticity is their finding that when those who learned new skills stopped practicing for another three months, they "lost their gained brain power," and the enhanced regions of the brain decreased in volume. Use it, or lose it!
Our brain is like a muscle. We need to constantly exercise it. Just like our muscles, constant brain activity such as learning a new hobby, problem-solving, learning to play a musical instrument, etc., would provide growth benefits to the brain.
A little help from iMusic
There are a lot of instances when despite your desire to flex your "brain muscles," the going is tougher than you thought. Trying to learn new things, or even trying to concentrate becomes an uphill climb. iMusic can enhance neuroplasticity. It is a doctor-approved, and scientifically proven, brain-performance enhancer, through neuron and brainwave stimulation.
If you believe your brain is already giving you your peak performance, wait till you try iMusic. "Using iMusic is akin to plugging yourself into a machine that instantly transforms you into a productive, effective and energized android with amazing capabilities," Duncan Reynolds, a movie executive, says.
Brain plasticity becomes at its peak usefulness when one needs to relearn or compensate for some lost function due to injury, or to learn to maximize whatever is left. iMusic has been proven to help. David Solomonian, a coma and brain injury survivor, has this to say: "After a serious car accident left me in a coma for nearly 3 weeks with a serious brain injury, I awoke with almost no short term memory, terrible focus and diminished mental capability. I began using iMusic and the immediate improvements in my concentration, attentiveness, and mental acuity were powerful. After a week of use I could feel noticeable changes in my intelligence and mental sharpness... I was thinking faster, feeling more energized and even talking with more confidence. I am now an honors economics/mathematics university student and with iMusic, I know I am going to continue achieving and improving."
