How the brain changes
- Chemical changes: rapid shifts in neurotransmitter signaling support short-term improvements and working memory.
- Structural changes: formation and pruning of synaptic connections support long-term learning and memory.
- Functional reorganization: different brain areas can change how they interact, enabling recovery after injury.
Learning principles
- Repetition and deliberate practice drive lasting change; short, easy success often doesn’t produce durable learning.
- Struggle and effortful practice produce bigger structural changes and better retention.
- Learning is task- and individual-specific; what works for one person or skill may not work for another.
Lifelong learning and rehabilitation
- Recovery and rehabilitation: Neuroplasticity underlies recovery after stroke and brain injury; targeted, intensive practice can rewire function.
- Takeaway: Every experience reshapes your brain. Use that knowledge to practice deliberately, build healthy habits, break harmful ones, and design learning or rehab to match individual patterns.
Dr. Lara Byod
Dr. Lara Boyd is a Professor and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of British Columbia. She is both a Neuroscientist and Physical Therapist.
Dr. Boyd directs the Brain Behaviour Lab at the University of British Columbia, which performs research that tests ideas surrounding how behaviour and brain health affect learning.
