Simrit Saraon DPN, APRN is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She earned her bachelor’s degree in general science, education and nursing. She has been an educator for 11 years and a registered nurse working with patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias for five years. Saraon completed both her Master of Science and doctorate in nursing at Duke University.
Read the Q&A with Dr. Saraon below.
WAM: Summer is winding down, which for kids and parents means back to school. But for many of us, it’s been years since we left education behind. Why is it important to continue to seek out new challenges and areas of knowledge into adulthood and later life?
Saraon: Learning is beneficial at every stage of life. It promotes brain health and reduces risk of cognitive impairment. Recent studies have shown that learning increases neurogenesis—the process by which adult brains produce new nerve cells called neurons. Adults don’t generate as many new neurons as children or teenagers, but some growth is still happening.
WAM: What is neuroplasticity and how can we promote it?
Saraon: Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and change itself in response to environmental stimulus, cognitive demand, or behavioral experience. It is an umbrella term referring to the brain’s ability to rewire itself and function differently from how it functioned previously. This can involve structural changes due to learning or functional changes due to brain damage.
There is a growing body of evidence which shows that neuroplasticity occurs throughout the lifetime. It’s more prevalent in early years than later in life. In order to promote neuroplasticity at any age, one can enrich their environment by learning something new, exploring new places, exercising regularly, improving sleep hygiene for a good night’s sleep, practicing mindfulness, or playing engaging games, like board games, card games, video games and so on.
WAM: Is academic learning the only way to create new pathways in the brain?
Saraon: Academic learning does help in creating new pathways in the brain and increasing cognitive reserves. We can also create new pathways by participating in new activities and developing new behaviors. These can be as complex as learning a new language or as simple as learning to write with your non-dominant hand. Developing new behaviors can be anything from taking a different route to travel to work or home. Daily exercise and regular mindfulness practice also help in creating new pathways. It is important to practice repetition of the new activity to help the pathway become stronger. It takes a minimum of three months of practice to develop a new neural pathway and master a new pattern of behavior. This timeframe can fluctuate, as each brain is unique.
WAM: Do different activities or types of thinking affect different parts of the brain
Saraon: Yes, different activities or types of thinking do affect different parts of the brain.
For example, aerobic exercises (brisk walking, running, swimming, etc..) stimulate and increase the size of the anterior hippocampus, leading to improved spatial memory. Learning a new language results in growth in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Working on puzzles activates both the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
WAM: Can lifelong learning help prevent dementia?
Saraon: Well, taking part in activities that stimulate brain function is one of the factors that help in reducing the risk of dementia. But it’s not as simple as it seems. People with more years of education, work experience, active lifestyle, and good physical and mental health are likely to have less cognitive decline with advancing age.
One can start learning at any age. Current research suggests that the value of cognitively stimulating activities builds up over a lifetime. People who spend more time engaged in learning across their lifetimes tend to develop more robust networks of nerve cells and connections between those nerve cells within their brains. Those networks are better equipped to handle the cell damage that can happen as a result of brain disorders that may lead to dementia.
WAM: There are now a number of websites claiming that they can train your brain through games and activities. Are these types of online programs a good substitute for something a bit more time consuming, like taking a class or reading a book?
Saraon: Good question! it depends on what these websites are offering. Brain training games and crosswords are popular, but consider other types of intellectually challenging activities, such as learning a new skill or activity, which is challenging, with higher complexity. If practiced in a social environment, these activities tend to be more effective in increasing neuroplasticity. But repetition is the key for retaining the benefit, so keep at it and don’t give up.