Neuroplasticity: Building Brain Power with Grace Tworek, PsyD

Podcast Transcript

John Horton:

Hey there, and welcome to another Health Essentials Podcast. I'm John Horton, your host.

We all understand that keeping the muscles in your bodies fit and strong requires work. But the same concept also holds true for your brain. The brain is an amazing organ with the ability to change and adapt throughout your life. The fancy medical term to describe this process is "neuroplasticity." To put it more simply, though, it's a constant rewiring of your brain to meet new demands. This evolution is healthy and it's something you can achieve through regular mental exercise.

We asked psychologist Grace Tworek to join us today to serve as our brain workout coach. Dr. Tworek is one of the many experts at Cleveland Clinic who pops into our weekly podcast to help us become better versions of ourselves. So, with that, let's get ready to flex some mental muscle. Dr. Tworek, welcome back to the podcast. I always know that we're in for an interesting conversation when you stop by.

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Well, I appreciate you having me back. It's so great to be here. I love being a part of these.

John Horton:

Well, we love that, and we love that you make the time to come and join us. So, we've chatted about the brain before on the podcast, and it amazes me how much is going on in this three-pound mass that's sitting inside our skulls. It's a pretty complex system that we've got going on up there, right?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Absolutely. I think that's to put it lightly, right? There are so many complex things going on inside this organ that we don't even actually ever get a glimpse at, right?

John Horton:

We don't. We just know it's up there doing its thing all the time. And I guess that's what we're talking about today, this whole concept of, I guess, neuroplasticity. Tell us, what's happening inside of our noggins with this? It makes it sound like our brains are like a supercomputer that's constantly being updated.

Dr. Grace Tworek:

I think that's a great way to put it. And when we actually are speaking about neuroplasticity, we're kind of referring to the capacity that our brain has to adapt and to respond to new or novel experiences. So, this can actually occur across many different levels within our brain - morphological alterations or changes in structure, or even the generation of new neurons because of these experiences. So really, neuroplasticity just speaks to the flexibility and adaptability of our brain throughout our life.

John Horton:

Well, that's a perfect way to explain it. So, is the brain's ability to continually re-adjust like this the reason why we're able to learn, to love, to analyze, to mentally recover - basically, do all the things that make us human?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

It certainly plays a large role. So, these kinds of adjustments that our brains make are really functional or structural, and they allow us to adapt to new environments, to learn new things, and to even maybe recover if we've sustained some sort of injury.

John Horton:

So, is it just changing the way you're thinking of things, or is it just kind of reprogramming over and over and over again?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

So, kind of reprogramming, and something that our brain does on its own in response to us giving it new experiences or new stimuli per se. So, when we are showing our brain new things or teaching it new things, over time, it begins to adapt on its own, which is really cool when we think about it. It's doing its own thing to help us out.

John Horton:

So, what are the real-world applications of neuroplasticity?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

To circle back in terms of what I just referred to, like sustaining an injury, I think that would be one of the most applicable or helpful real-world applications of neuroplasticity. So, what I mean by that is, for example, if someone sustains a traumatic brain injury, there might be structural injury or physiological changes as a result of maybe an external force to the head. And this can result in tons of different symptoms. But our central nervous system, which houses the brain, has that ability to recover and adapt, which really stems from neuroplasticity. So, recovery in itself often occurs in the context of working with a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a neurologist, and they're able to assess the symptoms that you might be experiencing and give you a set of exercises that assist with that neuroplasticity.

So, for example, if you're experiencing dizziness, a vestibular therapist can actually give you a set of exercises designed for your brain to strengthen these abilities, form those neural pathways to reduce that experience that you're having of dizziness following an accident, which is really, really cool. And in a sense, when we think of taking a medication when it comes to physical or occupational therapy, doing these exercises over and over to allow your brain to practice is kind of like taking your medication. It's your prescription for how we allow neuroplasticity, to take advantage of it, I should say.

John Horton:

So, if there's an injury, does your brain almost create its own workarounds to, I guess, overcome whatever happened?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Sometimes, it will create its own workarounds. Sometimes, it will play to strengths that you already have. And sometimes, if there are areas of weakness, that's exactly where physical therapy and occupational therapy can come in, to give you exercises that can help strengthen those areas that may have been impacted.

John Horton:

What about learning new skills? Does neuroplasticity fit in with that, too?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Certainly. I think a lot of times, when it comes to learning new skills, we kind of think, "Oh, kids. They're like sponges. They can learn anything. They soak it all up. But when we get to this certain age, we just can't do that anymore." But I don't think we're giving our brains enough credit there. It might take a little bit more practice and a little bit more time, but if we actually challenge our brain, then we're really playing into that neuroplasticity. So, for example, do you want to learn a new language? Well, luckily, it's 2023 and there's millions of apps for that sort of thing. So, the more that we engage with our brain and give it those new and novel experiences, that's how we can help to learn and to grow in that sense and gain a new skill.

John Horton:

Now, what about memory? Because I think, the older we get, I always tell my kids, there is a lot stored in the filing cabinets up here, and sometimes, you feel like you can't fit more in. Do we have an endless, I guess, area that we can keep putting in these new skills and new thoughts and new ideas and just continually build on it?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

I would say rather than an endless store, it's more kind of like a commitment to practicing these sorts of things. So, for example, if we want to promote our cardiovascular health, we maybe exercise more. We go for a walk. We go for a spin on the Peloton™. If we want to flex our brain in that way, it's about regular practice of these skills. So, if you are finding certain things challenging, for example, in the memory arena, or we're having some difficulties, finding ways where we can practice. So maybe that means, "Well, now I write a list to make sure before I leave my house, I have all of the things I need. And I practice that list, and I incorporate that list into my routine." That can help aid us so we're not forgetting things and getting frustrated. But then, we're practicing a new skill and we're doing it often. And then, probably memorizing that list will come along with that if we do it enough, too.

John Horton:

So, it sounds like what you're saying is we can constantly update our brain, and that's a lifelong thing if you stay at it and focus on it.

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Yes. And kind of like what I said way at the beginning when I was defining neuroplasticity, is that it comes from new experiences, new or novel experiences. So, if we give our brain new experiences, that in itself can actually help when it comes to flexing our brain muscle, per se. So, this might feel like, "Oh, does that mean I need to travel across the world or develop an entirely new hobby?" But it doesn't need to be that complicated. It can actually be quite simple. For example, trying a new route to work or the grocery store and not relying on the GPS. Trying an exercise class with a friend that's totally out of your comfort zone. And maybe you aren't used to Zumba™ or kickboxing, but we're flexing new muscles, having new experiences, which really promotes neuroplasticity and promotes our brain creating these new pathways.

John Horton:

You mentioned a little bit earlier how everyone refers to kids as being like sponges, and they're constantly learning and doing new things. And I think, as I've gone on in life and raised three children, you realize that they're forced to do that because they're constantly being involved with new things. New classes, new teams, new everything, and their whole world changes every year. Whereas, you hit adulthood, and I hate to say, a lot of us fall into ruts. Do those ruts affect neuroplasticity?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

In a sense, because neuroplasticity comes from those new experiences. So, I love what you said about kids. So many things for children are novel, are new. We've never experienced first grade. We've never experienced these things before. So, if you do feel like you're in a rut, a great way is to try something a little bit new, and that can have benefits across the board. So, certainly, if we stick to our ways, stick to our routine, we might not be taking as full advantage of neuroplasticity as we could be if we threw something a little new into the mix every once in a while.

John Horton:

All right. Well, that leads us right into our next part here, which is, let's have a little bit of fun and talk about how we can work out our brain and stay a little more mentally fit. What tips do you have for us?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Sure. So, like I said, trying a new route somewhere without relying on that GPS, which I think all of us, myself included, are very guilty, especially with Waze™ when it's telling us where traffic is. But challenging ourselves that way. Or if we have a route that we stick to at work, for example. If we typically walk from A to B, let's throw a loop in. Let's go down a floor and back up the stairs. Let's try listening to some new music. Try cooking a new meal that requires you to follow steps when maybe you have a typical set of spices that you might throw into the mix. So, anything where we can explore. Adding a new step. Doing something a little bit different. Taking a new direction. Any way we can find a new or novel experience that doesn't have to feel like something different. But hey, if we can go on a trip across the world, I can also recommend that, too, I'll say.

John Horton:

If only it was that easy — I wish I had that in my budget. We talked about working out and physical activity. Does that also go hand in hand with some neuroplasticity?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Certainly. There's a lot of benefits that come with exercise, neuroplasticity being one of those things. Especially if we're trying a new exercise routine, our body's engaging in new movements. So once again, new types of experience. We're gaining experience physically, which helps our brain, too. There's lots of studies that point to exercise as having tons of benefits for our brain, even beyond neuroplasticity. So, certainly, exercise, always a good idea for any area that we're trying to improve.

John Horton:

I even saw some things where they said sleeping, which you don't think of, is going to somehow recharge your brain or help with that, but that can also help?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Certainly. If we think about sleep, sleep is a time where a lot of the information from the day is being consolidated. And I have to bet if any of us reflect on a day where we had maybe not so great a night's sleep the day before, we're feeling it the next day. We don't feel as focused. We feel a little bit foggy. So, certainly, trying to attain good sleep — and when I say good sleep, I mean good quality sleep. So, getting to bed when we're feeling tired. Minimizing awakenings if we can. And if we are awake, trying to engage in relaxing activities until we feel sleepy enough to get back into bed. Absolutely. That helps our brain, that helps our body, and I think you can see how all of these components come together to really have an impact on our overall well-being.

John Horton:

Definitely. Now, here's a question. How often should you try to add something new into your routine? Is it something you should look to do once a month? Is it just when you feel like you're in a rut, or should you try to work it into your daily routine?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

I don't think there's a perfect answer here, but I think trying to incorporate something new whenever you can. Whenever we can find a way to jazz something that we already do up a little bit, that can add some fun to our lives, too. I think the biggest thing is to not make it a chore in that sense, where we're trying to do this in a way where it's fun, where we're taking away from our usual routine. So as often as we can in ways that contribute to our quality of life and make it enjoyable to do these sorts of things.

John Horton:

What do you tell people who maybe have a little bit of a fear of getting outside of their normal comfort zone? Because I have a feeling that's a lot of what keeps us from trying these new experiences.

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Absolutely. What I would say is that all progress, no matter what it is, comes with some sort of setback. We're normal human beings, and it's perfectly normal for progress to not be linear. A lot of times, we expect that if we're going to try something new, if we don't master it right away, that means we failed. But not at all. If the goal here is to be improving our brain's functioning or working toward neuroplasticity, the real important piece is the new experience, not how great we are at it. So, being kind to ourselves. Laughing at ourselves. If we're not perfect the first time, that's OK because having the new experience is what really counts here — and our brain will benefit from that no matter how great we are at this new thing that we try.

John Horton:

I laugh at myself a lot because I try a lot of new things and fail miserably at first. So, I guess it's all part of a journey, right?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Absolutely. I love that.

John Horton:

You've given us a lot to think about, Dr. Tworek. So, before we let our brains go into a bit of a cool-down mode, is there anything else you'd like to share with us regarding neuroplasticity?

Dr. Grace Tworek:

I really think my final thought for the day is just to be kind to yourself. Have new experiences. Have fun and allow yourself to have that fun. And know that it's benefiting your brain and your body.

John Horton:

Best advice you could give. So, thanks again for joining us, and I look forward to having you back on the podcast.

Dr. Grace Tworek:

Thank you so much for having me.

John Horton:

Change is good, and that theory extends to how your brain functions. Working your mental muscles by learning new skills or taking in new experiences can keep your brain in tip-top shape throughout your life. Till next time, be well.

Speaker 4:

Thank you for listening to Health Essentials, brought to you by Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children's. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or visit clevelandclinic.org/hepodcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own physician.