What Is Neuroplasticity and Why Does It Matter?

Neuroplasticity. The word has become a buzzword in the field of neuroscience. Neuroplasticity refers to the moldability and changeability of the brain. Decades ago, scientists thought that the adult brain was static and unchangeable. We have now learned that the adult brain can grow and change—mostly by changing the strength and amount of connections between neurons. In fact, every time we learn something, our brain changes a little.

We can think of neuroplasticity at multiple levels, from a brain network perspective down to the synaptic (or structural) level. At a network level, connections within and between major brain networks such as the cognitive control network, the default mode network, and salience network can be changed. At a synaptic level, there can be physical growth of dendritic branches and spines. This growth of dendrites can lead to an increase in synaptic strength—that is, the connection between two neurons at a particular synapse can be strengthened.

This is all very good news for people suffering from brain disorders. The fact that our brains can be physically changed, with brain networks being moldable, offers hope to modulate and improve brain networks that are dysfunctional. Even better, we now have the technology to directly improve dysfunctional brain networks. This technology, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), uses magnetic pulses to cause changes in electrical activity in the brain. As the old adage in neurosciences goes, neurons that fire together wire together: As neurons in a certain network fire together over and over due to the magnetic pulses, they form more physical connections via dendritic growth. The more physical connections, the better the network works.

It is hard to overplay how much of a paradigm shift this really is. In the past, we have focused on chemistry (pharmacology) much more than electricity. The brain works via both electricity and chemistry, though, and TMS now allows us to treat the brain at an electrical level in a safe and precise manner. TMS is currently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and migraines. There is hope that this technology can be used in the future for a number of other brain conditions, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, and even cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s disease.

TMS works as a complement to medications and therapy. Together, using all these tools, we may be in a position to mold and improve the brains of people who have been suffering from chronic brain disorders, providing hope when there may have been none before. And we have neuroplasticity to thank for all of this, leveraging the plastic character of our brain—from plastic to potentially fantastic.