LEARNING AND THE BRAIN

Question: What actually happens in your brain

Web link: http://lifehacker.com/the-science-of-practice-what-happens-when-you-learn-a-510255025
Learning Rewires Our Brains
When we learn a new skill, whether its programming in Ruby on Rails, providing customer support over the
phone, playing chess, or doing a cartwheel, we're changing how our brain is wired on a deep level. Science
has shown us that the brain is incredibly plasticmeaning it does not harden at age 25 and stay solid for
the rest of our lives. While certain things, especially language, are more easily learned by children than
adults, we have plenty of evidence that even older adults can see real transformations in their
neurocircuitry.

But how does that really work? Well, in order to perform any kind of task, we have to activate various
portions of our brain. We've talked about this before in the context of language learning,
experiencing happiness, and exercising and food. Our brains coordinate a complex set of actions involving
motor function, visual and audio processing, verbal language skills, and more. At first, the new skill might
feel stiff and awkward. But as we practice, it gets smoother and feels more natural and comfortable. What
practice is actually doing is helping the brain optimize for this set of coordinated activities, through a process
called myelination
How Nerve Signals Work
A little neuroscience 101 here: neurons are the basic cellular building blocks of the brain. An neuron is made
up of dendrites, which receives signals from other neurons; the cell body, which processes those signals; and
the axon, a long cable that reaches out and interacts with other neurons' dendrites. When different parts
of the brain communicate and coordinate with each other, they send nerve impulses, which are electrical
charges that travel down the axon of a neuron, eventually reaching the next neuron in the chain.
Imagine a row of dominos stacked closely together: when a neuron fires, it's like knocking down the first
domino in a long chain. This process repeats from neuron to neuron, until the nerve signals reach their
destination. These firings happen at incredibly fast speeds.
How Myelination Affects Nerve Impulses
We sometimes refer to our brains as grey matter because from the outside, the brain looks mostly grey.
Thats what color our neuron cell bodies appear as. But there is also a lot of white matter that fills nearly
50% of our brains. That white stuff is myelin, a fatty tissue that covers much of the long axons that extend
out of our neurons. Scientists have found that myelination increases the speed and strength of the nerve
impulses by forcing the electrical charge to jump across the myelin sheath to the next open spot on the
axon.
In other words, myelin turns the electrical signal into the brain version of Nightcrawler, the teleporting X-
Man. Instead of traveling in a straight line down the axon, the charge is BAMF-ing down at much faster
speeds.
Increased Neural Activity Causes the Growth of Myelin
Ok, so how do we get myelin onto our nerve axons?
First off, a lot of myelination happens naturallymuch of it during childhood. Kids are like myelin
generating machines, soaking up information about the world and themselves. As we get older, we can
continue to generate more myelin onto our axons, but it happens at a slower rate and requires more effort.
Scientists believe that two non-neuron (or glial) cells that exist in the brain play a role in creating new
myelin. The first is a glial cell called an astrocyte. Astrocytes monitor neuron axons for activity, and lots of
repeat signals from a particular axon triggers the astrocyte to release chemicals that stimulate the second
cell (known as an oligodendrocyte) to produce myelin, which wraps around the axon.
So as we practice, whether by writing every week, hitting jumpshots on the basketball court, or playing Call
of Duty, we trigger a pattern of electrical signals through our neurons. Over time, that triggers the glial cell
duo to myelinate those axons, increasing the speed and strength of the signal. It's like going from dial-up to
broadband.
Myelinated Neurons Perform Better
Theres one final point to make herehow do we know myelin improves performance?
Well, thats tough to prove definitively. We can tell for sure that it increases the speed and strength of the
nerve impulsewhich seems helpful for learning, but not conclusive. However, we cant just cut into
peoples brains and look for myelin directly without running afoul a whole bunch of ethical and legal issues.
One compelling piece of evidence comes from brain scans of expert musicians. Theres been a lot of research
done on how musician brains differ from the brains of ordinary people. One specific study used a particular
brain scan called Diffusion MRI, which gives us information about tissues and fibers inside the scan region in
an non-invasive way. The study suggested that the estimated amount of practice an expert piano player did
in childhood and adolescence was correlated with the white matter density in regions of the brain related to
finger motor skills, visual and auditory processing centers, and others. Most significantly, there was a direct
correlation between how many hours they practiced and how dense their white/myelin matter was.
Another strong point in favor of myelins performance-enhancing abilities is what happens when it's
missing. Demyelination is a known factor in multiple sclerosis and certain other neurodegenerative diseases
which cause symptoms such as loss of dexterity, blurry vision, loss of bowel control, and general weakness
and fatigue. This suggests that myelin is an important factor in allowing us make the most of our brain and
bodily functions.
Practice Makes Myelin, So Practice CarefullyP
Understanding the role of myelin means not only understanding why quantity of practice is important to
improving your skill (as it takes repetition of the same nerve impulses again and again to activate the two
glial cells that myelinate axons), but also the quality of practice. Similar to how the science of
creativity speaks about idle time and not crushing through one task after the other, practicing with a focus
on quality is equally important.
As a young gymnast, my coach put a spin on the old phrase and would always say: Perfect practice makes
perfect." If we practice poorly and don't correct our mistakes, we will myelinate those axons, increasing the
speed and strength of those signalswhich does us no good.
The takeaway: practicing skills over time causes those neural pathways to work better in unison via
myelination. To improve your performance, you need to practice frequently, and get lots of feedback so you
practice correctly.

Question: What is neuroplasticity?
Web link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is also known as brain plasticity. It is an umbrella term that encompasses both synaptic
plasticity and non-synaptic plasticity- it refers to the changes in the neural pathways which and synapses
which are due to changes in behaviour, environment and neural processes, as well as changes resulting in
bodily injury. Neuroplasticity has replaced the formally-held position that the brain is a physiologically static
organ, and explores how the brain has changed throughout time. Neuroplasticity occurs on a variety of
levels, ranging from cellular changes due to learning, to large-scale changes involved in cortical remapping in
response to injury. The role of neuroplasticity is widely recognized in healthy development, learning,
memory, and recovery from brain damage. During most of the 20th century, the consensus among
neuroscientists was that brain structure is relatively immutable after a critical period during early childhood.
This belief has been challenged by findings revealing that many aspects of the brain remain plastic even into
adulthood.
Question: what are growth and fixed mind-sets?
Web link: http://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about/index.html
In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits.
They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe
that talent alone creates successwithout effort. Theyre wrong.
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and
hard workbrains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience
that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.
Question: what can you do to help your brain learn things easier?
Web link: http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
They say that you cant teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have
discovered that this old adage simply isnt true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and
changeeven into old age. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. With the right stimulation, your brain
can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways.
The brains incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You can
harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to
learn new information, and improve your memory.
Improving memory tip 1: Don't skimp on exercise or sleep
Just as an athlete relies on sleep and a nutrition-packed diet to perform his or her best, your ability to
remember increases when you nurture your brain with a good diet and other healthy habits.
When you exercise the body, you exercise the brain
Treating your body well can enhance your ability to process and recall information. Physical exercise
increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes
and cardiovascular disease. Exercise may also enhance the effects of helpful brain chemicals and protect
brain cells.
Improve your memory by sleeping on it
When youre sleep deprived, your brain cant operate at full capacity. Creativity, problem-solving abilities,
and critical thinking skills are compromised. Whether youre studying, working, or trying to juggle lifes
many demands, sleep deprivation is a recipe for disaster.
But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows that sleep is
necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring during the deepest
stages of sleep.









By Jon James 9SBR.