Brain plasticity: why understanding it can change the way we learn (at any age)

Once it was thought that the brain was rigid and unchangeable, doomed to age without the possibility of renewal. Today, neuroscience tells a completely different story. Discover what “brain plasticity” means and why it can revolutionize the way we live, teach, and learn with the free video lesson by the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation.

Until a few decades ago, science believed that the human brain was a rigid system, with predetermined and unchangeable neural structures. The prevailing belief was that brain circuits formed during childhood and could not change, condemning the individual to a fixed trajectory.

But neuroscientific research has disproved this view, opening completely new scenarios for learning and human change.

The brain is not a block of concrete (but we believed it for years)

The concept of “brain plasticity“, now central in neuroscience, was first definitively confirmed in the work of Eric Kandel, awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2000. Kandel demonstrated that learning modifies synaptic connections in the brain and can even activate genes capable of restructuring neurons themselves. His work marked the beginning of a revolution.

This discovery paved the way for understanding neuroplasticity: the brain’s ability to change in response to experience. But what does it really mean, and why is it so important?

Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself structurally and functionally in response to external stimuli, learning, traumas, or new experiences. Simply put, the brain can “reshape” itself to adapt to what we experience.

Thanks to this feature, the brain can:

• form new synaptic connections;
• strengthen or weaken existing connections;
• compensate for neurological injuries;
• learn and store information throughout life.

This process is not limited to early childhood – as long believed – but continues throughout life. Neuroplasticity is indeed the basis of lifelong learning, the ability to continuously learn and improve at any age.

One of the key questions addressed in the free video lesson “Brain Plasticity” by the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation is: how much does our genetic heritage matter, and how much does the environment we grow up in matter? Sandro Anella, teacher and trainer in the Third Millennium Pedagogy program, guides us through the birth and development of the concept of brain plasticity, focusing on the relationship between genetics and experience.

Recent studies show that genes and experiences jointly influence the formation of neural connections. Our brain is born with a predisposition, but the environment – meaning stimuli, emotions, relationships, learning – determines which connections will be strengthened and which will be eliminated through the process of “synaptic pruning”.

A clear example is language learning: children’s brains adapt quickly to exposure to new languages, but adults, thanks to brain plasticity, can also learn if supported by targeted and motivating experiences.

The implications of neuroplasticity are immense, especially in the pedagogical field. If the brain is plastic, every experience matters. The quality of educational interactions, the conscious use of attention, the emotional and relational environment in which learning occurs… all can influence cognitive and personal development. According to a study published in Nature Neuroscience, even musical or sports training measurably modifies brain structures involved in attention, memory, and motor control.

Even Quadrato Motor Training, a movement meditation protocol created by Patrizio Paoletti, has been shown to affect neural plasticity, with changes in the motor cortex, visual cortex, and other regions involved in movement and body awareness.

The Patrizio Paoletti Foundation has included neuroplasticity among the founding pillars of Third Millennium Pedagogy, an educational approach that considers the whole human being – physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual – and provides concrete tools to promote transformative learning.

Sandro Anella does not just define brain plasticity: he makes it accessible, concrete, and useful in daily life, showing which factors promote it and which weaken it.

By watching the video:

• you will understand how your brain really works;
• you will discover why learning has no age limit;
• you will see what favors (or hinders) your cognitive growth;
• you will receive practical tips to improve the quality of your experiences.

A scientific and inspiring journey to discover what the brain can still become.

You can watch the video lesson “Brain Plasticity” by the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation here.