Core Concepts

How Experience Shapes Your Brain

Related Topics How Your Brain Processes Information Reasoning Planning and Solving Problems

Life experiences change the nervous system.
1. Differences in genes and environments make the brain of each animal unique.
2. Most neurons are generated early in development and survive for life.
3. Some injuries harm nerve cells, but the brain often recovers from stress, damage, or disease.
4. Continuously challenging the brain with physical and mental activity helps maintain its structure and function - "use it or lose it."
5. Peripheral neurons have greater ability to regrow after injury than neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
6. Neuronal death is a natural part of development and aging.
7. Some neurons continue to be generated throughout life and their production is regulated by hormones and experience.

Life experiences change the nervous system

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