Adaptation is one of the most biologically relevant principles acting as the primary mechanism for evolution, resiliency, and change. Speaking from a human-centred perspective, adaptations allow humans to grow, learn, and increase their functional efficiency. This process of constant refinement results from an ingrained mechanism in the nervous system called neuroplasticity (Mishra et al. 2021). Neuroplasticity is defined as the Central Nervous System’s ability to adapt in response to surrounding environmental stimuli (Mishra et al. 2021). More importantly, examining the impact of environmental factors such as stimuli, lifestyle, and behaviour on human development, specifically neuroplasticity, is a research field of key interest (Mishra et al. 2021).
Neuroplasticity is a broader umbrella term that can be broken down into different classifications, including morphological/structural conformations, synaptic transmission, the electrophysiological properties of neurons, and the neurochemistry or neuropharmacology (Reagan 2012). The scope of these categories varies incredibly, as neuroplasticity can be seen within neurons, but also through the re-mapping of cortical regions in the brain after a traumatic head injury to sustain neural function (Reagan 2012). Essentially, the scale of the number of neurons involved varies from as little as one to thousands.
One of the most studied models of neuroplasticity includes spatial assessment and memory impairment in rodents (Mishra et al. 2021). After gaining the results of these models by subjecting mice to learning-induced activities such as the Barnes Maze Model (Figure 1), two phases of plasticity were defined. The first is the habituation phase, which represents the time a subject is exposed to an environment, followed by the acquisition phase, which involves the subject problem-solving (e.g. solving a maze to escape). This mouse model is very robust, which is highly beneficial in discovering changes in neuroplasticity by altering physical conditions. For example, when differences in maternal care, stress, sleep deprivation, and an enriched environment were employed, considerable changes in function and mechanisms of neuroplasticity were discovered (Mishra et al. 2021).
Altering environmental factors through changing social/surrounding stimuli is just one of the numerous ways to induce plasticity. Pharmacology and chemicals also affect neuroplasticity. Many harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and fungicides, can impair learning and memory, decreasing plasticity (Mishra et al. 2021). The mechanism lies in chemicals and pharmaceuticals dysregulating neuromodulators such as glutamate and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (Alcedo and Prahlad 2020). Neuromodulators regulate the activity of neurons and synapses, which are essential for neural circuits to communicate (Alcedo and Prahlad 2020). Therefore, external chemicals interfere with neuromodulators, altering the nervous system’s functionality and ultimately decreasing synaptic plasticity (Alcedo and Prahlad 2020). However, there are some chemical pharmaceuticals, such as psychedelic products, which are used to increase plasticity (Grieco et al. 2022).
Alterations in synaptic plasticity through environmental factors, social stimuli, chemicals and pharmaceuticals make an impact on the brain’s ability to adapt, a critical behaviour that helps humans grow, develop, and dictates the health of an individual (Mishra et al. 2021). Less synaptic plasticity is highly correlated to a higher prevalence in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases (Mishra et al. 2021). By increasing one’s neuroplasticity and maintaining one’s nervous system strength, the chances of developing neural-compromising illnesses decrease.
Ultimately, in its many forms, neuroplasticity can be altered with countless variations in stimuli, including both environmental and chemical. These changes in synaptic plasticity can affect a person’s ability to adapt, grow, and learn and may have further implications in developing terminal neurological illnesses.
References
Alcedo, Joy, and Veena Prahlad. 2020. “Neuromodulators: An Essential Part of Survival.” Journal of Neurogenetics 34 (3–4): 475–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/01677063.2020.1839066.
Grieco, Steven F., Eero Castrén, Gitte M. Knudsen, Alex C. Kwan, David E. Olson, Yi Zuo, Todd C. Holmes, and Xiangmin Xu. 2022. “Psychedelics and Neural Plasticity: Therapeutic Implications.” The Journal of Neuroscience 42 (45): 8439–49. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1121-22.2022.
Mishra, Ashish, Pooja Patni, Satisha Hegde, Lotfi Aleya, and Devesh Tewari. 2021. “Neuroplasticity and Environment: A Pharmacotherapeutic Approach toward Preclinical and Clinical Understanding.” Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 19 (February):100210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2020.09.004.
Reagan, Lawrence P. 2012. “Diabetes as a Chronic Metabolic Stressor: Causes, Consequences and Clinical Complications.” Experimental Neurology, Special Issue: Stress and neurological disease, 233 (1): 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.02.004.
Sweatt, J. David. 2010. “Chapter 4 – Rodent Behavioral Learning and Memory Models.” In Mechanisms of Memory (Second Edition), edited by J. David Sweatt, 76–103. London: Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374951-2.00004-4.
Comments
9 Responses to “Environmentally Induced Neuroplasticity”
Hi iSci!
The Neuroscience Module of iSci 2A18 inspired this blog post. This blog post discusses environmentally induced neuroplasticity, specifically how environmental stimuli can impact neuroplasticity or neurological adaptation. This blog post incorporates a variety of disciplines, including neuroscience, behaviour, biology and a touch of chemistry. I hope you all enjoy the blog post, and I look forward to hearing any suggestions you may have!
Thanks,
Arham S.
Hi Arham,
Great blogpost — neuroplasticity is a very cool topic and it was very interesting to learn more about it through your blogpost! Here are some suggestions for your edits;
– P1S2; I would say the use of the word anthropogenic isn’t quite fitting to this sentence, and you could consider removing it
– Throughout your blog post you switch between the terms neuroplasticity and neural plasticity; I would consider using one or the other for consistency
– P2S2; I’m a little unclear on what range you are referring to when you say the ranges between the categories vary – you clarify this in the next sentence but it would be useful to rewrite those two sentences so that it’s immediately clear you’re referring to the number of neurons
Happy editing!
Maya
Hi Maya,
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will make sure to switch out anthropogenic for another word, make neuroplasticity consistent, and clarify what I meant by the ranges. I appreciate the feedback!
Thanks,
Arham S.
Hello Arham,
Your blog post was incredibly insightful! I appreciate how you effectively integrated multiple disciplines: neuroscience, behavior, biology, and chemistry to explore the complexities of neuroplasticity.
Here are a few suggestions:
– In the first sentence, “Speaking from an anthropogenic perspective, adaptations allow humans to grow, learn, and increase their functional efficiency,” consider rewording “anthropogenic” to “human-centered” or “from a human perspective” for clarity.
– The phrase “Neuroplasticity is a broader umbrella term that can be broken down into different classifications” could be refined to avoid redundancy. Perhaps “Neuroplasticity encompasses several classifications, including…” would flow more smoothly.
– The explanation of the Barnes Maze Model is engaging, but adding a brief mention of its relevance to human studies could strengthen the connection to broader implications.
– The sentence “Many harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and fungicides, can impair learning and memory, decreasing plasticity” might benefit from a brief example or explanation of how these chemicals interact with neural pathways.
– In the final paragraph, “Ultimately, in its many forms, neural plasticity can be altered with countless stimuli variations” could be slightly more concise. Consider “Neural plasticity is highly dynamic and influenced by a wide range of environmental and chemical factors.”
Overall, your post is well-structured and engaging! A few refinements for clarity and conciseness would make it even stronger.
Happy editing!
Anaya Sood
Hi Anaya,
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I will definitely use your suggestions regarding phrases I can switch out to improve the writing flow. I will also make sure to switch out anthropogenic for another word, make neuroplasticity consistent, and clarify what I meant by the ranges. I appreciate the feedback!
Thanks,
Arham S.
Hi Arham, great job on your blog post, here are a few pieces of feedback:
– In your figure caption I would avoid using contractions such as “they’re” instead use “they are”
– In your fourth paragraph I would state what the abbreviation “GABA” stands for to help with understanding
– In the first paragraph there is no need to abbreviate “central nervous system” as the abbreviation isn’t used anywhere else
– “neural plasticity” and “neuroplasticity” are used multiple times, if there is a difference in terms then I would suggest to define the difference, if there is no difference I would recommend using one term through out the blog for consistency and clarity.
Overall well done, this was a very interesting topic and your blog post was very intriguing!
Hi Maya,
I really appreciate the feedback; I’ll definitely implement these suggestions, especially stuff like defining GABA and sticking to one term like “neuroplasticity.” They’re all quick changes, so I’m sure they can be updated soon. Thank you very much for the suggestions!
Thanks,
Arham S.
Great blog post. You did a really great job at summarizing such a complicated research subject and explaining its importance. I just had a few suggestions to make it even better:
– P1S4: Central Nervous System should be capitalized, as that’s the standard. If the paper you are citing used lowercase, you can leave it that way, but it’s typically written in uppercase.
– P2S1: You mention that neuroplasticity is a broader umbrella term that can be broken down, but you don’t define what exactly neuroplasticity is, which I highly recommend adding as it is the main topic of your blog, even if you have to remove something else.
– P2S2: I’m not quite sure what you mean by “ranges between these categories”, as it makes it seems as though the categories overlap. A better way to say it might be “span/scope of these categories”
– Neuroplasticity and neural plasticity is used interchangeable – I suggest sticking to one or the other, unless they mean different things, in which case make sure to define what each one means.
Happy editing!
Hi Sarah,
I appreciate your feedback; I’ll definitely implement these suggestions, especially stuff like converting “central nervous system” to lowercase and sticking to one term like “neuroplasticity.” They’ll be updated soon, as they’re all quick changes.
Thank you very much for your suggestions!
Thanks,
Arham S.