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New discoveries in brain plasticity: How does an enriched environment improve thinking abilities?
Over the past few decades, scientists have conducted extensive research on brain plasticity and found that the richness of the environment has a significant impact on brain development and function. Environmental enrichment is not just about changes in physical space, but also includes the enhancement of social interaction and sensory stimulation. The latest research shows that living in a stimulating environment can significantly increase the number of synapses in brain neurons, thereby improving the brain's thinking and learning abilities.
According to research, an enriched environment can promote synapse formation, thereby strengthening the connection between neurons and improving thinking ability.
Early research dates back to 1947, when psychologist Donald Hebb conducted a comparative experiment and found that rats that were kept as pets performed significantly better at problem solving than rats that lived in cages. However, the research at the time did not delve into the specific changes in the brain.
Landmark research began in 1960, when Mark Rosenzweig of the University of California, Berkeley, found that the brains of individual rats kept in environments designed to be challenging developed significantly better than those kept in standard cages. Their brain cortex thickness increased and the number of synapses and glial cells was significantly increased.
Environmental enrichment not only influences brain development but also maintains these changes into adulthood.
The ability to learn is particularly affected by the environment; for example, studies have shown that rats raised in a high-stimulation environment have a 3.3% to 7% increase in the thickness of their cerebral cortex. This means that living in a stimulating environment can help the brain form more synapses and strengthen many important neurotransmission processes.
In addition, environmental enrichment promotes the increase of intrinsic nerve growth factors (such as NGF and BDNF), which are essential for neuronal survival and development. These changes were observed in both young and adult mice. Even under environmental constraints, this increased number of synapses may persist for a period of time and will not disappear immediately due to environmental deterioration.
Environmental enrichment improves memory and learning in mice with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
The current research, based not only on animal models, also shows that in humans, increased educational attainment is associated with enhanced cognitive reserve. This means that people who participate in highly challenging and cognitively stimulating activities, or who grow up in better social environments, have greater cognitive abilities and resilience to age-related cognitive decline.
More importantly, the study found that children with autism who receive rich environmental stimulation will have new breakthroughs in cognitive abilities. For example, through sensory stimulation and related motor training, these children's planning and learning abilities can be greatly improved. The success of these therapies lies in the fact that brain development is best supported when the environment is creative and inclusive.
Similarly, among humans, poverty and a parenting environment lacking social interaction can seriously affect an individual's cognitive development. Numerous studies have shown that children who grow up in poverty face difficulties with language, social skills, and overall cognitive development. On the contrary, if we can provide environmentally enriched experiences in the early stages, we can to some extent compensate for the cognitive damage caused by an inadequate growth environment.
Environmental influences have been demonstrated in many studies of neurodegenerative diseases, further supporting that future intervention strategies should focus on environmental enrichment to enhance brain plasticity and function.
In summary, the richness of the environment has a significant impact on the development of the brain. It is beneficial not only in the early stages of development but also in adulthood. Future research should further explore how environmental enrichment strategies can be used to enhance human cognitive abilities and brain health. We should think about whether we can further create a desirable environment in our lives to promote the growth of thinking ability and brain plasticity?
