Role of Neuroplasticity in Weight and Perception
Our human body is made of complex organs. The brain and how it functions is one amazing study that is made to the human body. The study of the nerve cells and neural connections is an essential area in studying the brain. Neuroplasticity is a significant study area while exploring the neural connections of the brain. It refers to the ability that the brain has in reorganizing itself through the formation of new neural connections through an individual’s life. The study focuses on the synapses and the neural pathway changes that occur due to factors like environment, neural processes or behaviour. The essay is exploring the role that neuroplasticity has in perception and weight using The New York Times’ article, How Being Heavy or Lean Shapes Our View of Exercise by Gretchen Reynolds.
The article begins by explaining the differences in how the brain of overweight women responds to exercise image as compared with their leaner counterparts. The report further states that, as per the neurological study findings, the attitude that we possess towards any physical activity are more influenced by the size of our bodies. As per the study that involved thirteen average weight and thirteen overweight or obese women, the focus was on the attitudes of the women towards exercise. As per the findings, they wanted to find out on the brain’s responses, most preferably the approaches that people develop towards exercises. The brain scanning studies, therefore, elaborated on this issue. The volunteers while viewing pictures of physical activities were under M.R.I monitoring of the activities of the brain. The readouts of this study revealed that women who are obese or overweight had their minds put off by exercise. In the brain’s Putamen region, the images showed that it was less activated meaning that they did not get to enjoy what they were viewing. The section of the brain that dealt with negative emotions was more activated. The brain response of the leaner women was all way opposite these of their counterparts. Lastly, the study gives practical takeaway that people should be encouraged to exercise and pursue physical activities that they find pleasure in and with time they will enjoy. The findings recommend on making manageable exercise routines. People should not fight the brain’s unresponsive attitude to exercising instead should embrace it, and it will change over time (Reynolds n.p).
From the article, therefore, neuroplasticity has a role in weight and also perception. The two also do have a role in influencing neuroplasticity impact. In the physiological view, when an individual learns a new thing, we do create a new connection between our brain neurons. The brain is set to rewire itself in order to adapt to more modern circumstances. The rewiring that the brain goes through is an activity that can be stimulated and encouraged by what we commit to carry on on a daily basis. Neuroplasticity, therefore, remains to be a way that behavioural response can change. Long before, it was thought that an adult brain was incapable of producing new neural pathways. In recent times, with the invention of neurogenesis, the story shifted. The hippocampus and also the cerebral ventricles do produce newer neural pathways. As seen from the article, exercise signals the neural cells to work more similar to the stem cells and therefore develop new routes. Trough exercise, the brains’ baseline activity is also stimulated for a cellular growth a process that makes the new behaviour to be absorbed. The brain circumvents the existing pathway to establish the new one. It can also be achieved by increasing the myelin sheath of the existing nerves and these speeds up the general rate of transmission, therefore, resulting to improved function (van Polanen et al., 700).
In performing and also have a better perception of physical activities, the brain needs to have coordination with the other muscle groups in producing the action to perform the exercises. The muscular coordination starts from the motor cortex of the brain. It is in this effect that there is a need for repetitive practice in promoting an effective motor skill. The role neuroplasticity performs on enhancing muscle memory and enable these activities to be carried out without much effort. Due to the action of neuroplasticity, each time that the skill is performed the brain does refine its motor pathway. The technique of exercise even in overweight people as suggested in the article need to have experts at reach to enhance better ways of carrying out that activity. It is achievable and therefore, the process has a role in weight by influencing exercise that will lead to loss of weight. It is the right way through executive functions that an individual can offset the resistance that happens towards these exercises.
In summary, there is a role that neuroplasticity has towards perception and weight. A comparison of the brain test of overweight and lean people does tell us that the whole matter inclines towards attitudes. The positive aspect is that with repetitive actions, the brain can be conditioned to make a shift towards a generation of new neural pathways as illustrated herein.
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Works Cited
Reynolds, Gretchen. “How Being Heavy Or Lean Shapes Our View Of Exercise”. Well, 2014, https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/how-body-size-shapes-our-view-of-exercise/?emc=edit_tnt_20140108&tntemail0=y.
van Polanen, Vonne, and Marco Davare. “Sensorimotor memory biases weight perception during object lifting.” Frontiers in human neuroscience 9 (2015): 700.