Neuroplasticity. What is it?

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Neuroplasticity is a big word, but it has a simple and powerful meaning. The term ‘neuro’ relates to the brain, nerves, and their connections within the body. ‘Plasticity’ refers to the capacity of a structure or organism to be reshaped or altered. Together, ‘neuroplasticity’ describes the brain’s ability to functionally reorganise itself and form new neural connections in response to the environment and new experiences. This ability of the brain to adapt and create new pathways is especially important for children with a disability, as it is essential for learning new skills, developing movements, and recovering after a brain injury.

What is Neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity means that the brain can rewire itself based on experiences and learning. This is especially true for children because their brains are still developing and are more flexible. For a child with a disability, this means that with the right support, their brain can find new ways to work around challenges.

How Does Exercise Promote Neuroplasticity?

When we exercise, our blood flow increases, which triggers the release of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is like food for our brain cells – it helps them stay healthy, grow, and work their best. It even helps the brain create new neurons, which are the building blocks of our nervous system.

If the brain gets injured or doesn’t develop normally, some nerve cells might not work properly. But through movement and exercise, which boost the release of BDNF, there’s a chance to form new brain connections around the injured area or help a healthier part of the brain take over.

How Does Neuroplasticity Help in Therapy?

Therapy focuses on helping the brain create new connections to improve mobility, strength, coordination, speech, thinking etc. By practicing certain activities repeatedly, the brain can get better at these tasks. This process is how neuroplasticity works: the more you do something, the stronger those brain connections become.

What is Intensive Therapy?

Ever tried to learn a new skill while practicing for one hour a week? Compare that to working for multiple hours each day for 2-3 weeks and watch the skill level jump exponentially.

Intensive therapy is a model of therapy that involves packing valuable hours of therapy into a short period of time for fast tracked progress towards therapy goals. Many clients at Strong and Courageous Kids Therapy Service report seeing the same gains in 2 weeks of intensive therapy as in 12 months of weekly therapy. The intensive therapy model applies the principles of neuroplasticity to therapy, which encourages the formation of new neural connections and thus the learning of new functional skills.

Principles Of Neuroplasticity

Use it or Lose it: if you don’t use a skill, you might lose it
Use it and Improve it: practice makes perfect
Specificity: practice what you need to get better at e.g. if you want to improve walking, practice walking
Repetition Matters: repeat to remember
Intensity Matters: more practice in less time can speed up learning
Time Matters: start early for better results
Salience Matters: make it fun, the brain likes fun and engaging activities
Age Matters: younger brain learn faster
Transference: learning one skill helps with similar skills e.g. learning to step through boxes independently helps develop weight shift, lower limb strength, balance and motor planning which are all crucial skills for navigating uneven terrain and walking
Interference: new habits can replace old ones

Summary

In summary, neuroplasticity is the brain’s way of adapting and learning. Intensive therapy is designed to make the most of this natural ability by providing repetitive, specific, and supportive treatment. With the right therapy, children can make significant progress towards the attainment of goals, all by applying the principles of neuroplasticity.

If you’re curious about the intensive therapy model and would like to know more, contact our team at Strong and Courageous. We’d love to chat, provide more details, and explore how intensive therapy might help your child reach their developmental goals.