How Does Neuroplasticity Relate To Motor Learning?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience. This provides the neurological basis for motor learning, which is the process of acquiring new motor skills. When we learn a new motor skill, our brain forms new connections between nerve cells (neurons). These connections allow us to carry out the desired movement more effectively.
Neuroplasticity is thought to underlie all forms of motor learning, from simple movements like riding a bike to more complex tasks like learning to play a musical instrument. Motor learning is believed to occur in two phases: a relatively rapid phase of compensatory learning, in which the brain makes adjustments to existing neural circuitry; and a slower phase of Consolidation, in which these changes are consolidated and become permanent.
Recent research has shown that the brain continues to undergo neuroplastic changes even into adulthood, and that motor learning can occur at any age. This means that it’s never too late to learn a new skill your brain will continue to adapt and change throughout your life!