由 home-healthhaven 
When you first start playing the piano or pick up a baseball, you’re not suddenly playing like Beethoven or hitting home runs like Babe Ruth. Every skill requires time, practice, and, most importantly, neuroplasticity—the brain’s amazing ability to change and adapt with each new experience.
When you learn something new, your brain creates connections between neurons. As you continue practicing, these neuropathways strengthen, making the task easier over time and causing your brain to continuously evolve.
### Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity contrasts sharply with the earlier beliefs of Santiago Ramon y Cajal, a neuroscientist who thought that the brain’s nerve pathways were fixed and unchangeable. For much of the 20th century, his findings were widely accepted. However, we now understand that the brain is capable of development and change, which is the essence of neuroplasticity. This has brought hope for improving cognitive functions, especially when treating stroke victims.
### Impact of Depression
Scientists have found that depression can impair neuroplasticity. In a study, the brains of 23 people with depression were compared to those of 23 people without depression. After brief magnetic stimulation, the brains of individuals without depression showed the expected changes, whereas the brains of those with depression did not.
Depression is a mental illness marked by ongoing sadness, hopelessness, irritability, fatigue, and a significant loss of interest in enjoyable activities. It can also cause difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, and even thoughts of suicide.
### Emerging Issues
People suffering from depression often face challenges at work, such as missing days or losing motivation. This can lead to financial problems, strained relationships, and a sense of isolation. The brain chemistry of someone with depression is different from that of a non-depressed person. Depression can develop over time, continually altering brain chemistry if left untreated.
### Remarkable Recovery
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor’s remarkable recovery from a stroke is a testament to neuroplasticity. In her TED Talk, “My Stroke of Insight,” Dr. Taylor explains that we have the power to influence which side of our brain we use by consciously choosing experiences that reshape our brains.
With awareness and practice, we can harness neuroplasticity to our benefit. Daily choices about our activities and thoughts influence our brain’s development. For those with depression, proper treatment can effectively alter brain function. Therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provide alternative thoughts and behaviors that can positively impact brain neuroplasticity.
Understanding that depression changes brain chemistry has opened the door to developing improved therapies and treatments, grounded in scientific research.