I just read “The Brain that Changes Itself” by Norman Doidge. It’s all about brain plasticity and how our brain is constantly changing. Basically all of our brain is maps, like auditory map where different areas respond to different frequencies. Or higher up, different areas respond to different syllables. When we’re young, these maps quickly differentiate, just on inputs, i.e. your syllable map will adjust to the syllables you hear, part of why its difficult to learn a 2nd language when you’re an adult. But they continue to change and adapt as you grow older. If you blindfold someone, their visual cortex starts helping out with other senses almost immediately. When they train a monkey to perform a new task using its index finger, its index finger quickly takes up more of its map. People with brain damage from strokes or other accidents, are able, through training, to regain many skills by re-training other parts of the brain to take over.

One important point that is emphasized in the book is the need to keep your brain plastic. The more often you do some experience, the more learned in the brain it is, the more of the map it will take up, and the harder it will be to learn more stuff. So you should continue changing things up and trying new experiences to keep your brain lively. And the less learning you do, the less plastic your brain may become. So do your brain exercises as you get older!

A significant part of the book focuses on research by Michael Merzenich. He has developed some software programs to help improve people’s brain maps. Due to defects in the brain or body, or the inputs the brain is getting from the environment itself, certain maps may develop abnormally, but can be fixed through training. For example, you can re-train your audio map to properly hear sounds. He has software to do this for thousands of kids who have struggled with language, speaking, listening, and reading, due to this abnormality. He also has software for the elderly. And after the same software proved very helpful with autistic children, he has some interesting theories there as well. Here’s an interesting TED talk by Merzenich.