The Science Behind Learning: How Your Brain Makes New Connections
- Jade McNulty
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
Your body communicates through electrical signals. When you touch something hot, an impulse is generated from the tip of your finger all the way to your brain. When the signal reaches your brain (the destination), it processes the information and creates a response. This response then travels all the way to your hand in order to move it out of harm's way. This simple action is just an example of the million things we do every day without thinking. This is also the same way our brain makes connections while we are learning. Our body is constantly communicating through signals transmitted through cells known as neurons.
Neurons are connected through synapses. There is a gap between the end of one neuron and the start of another. This is called the synaptic cleft. The signal transmits through this gap to reach its receptor on the other neuron. These connections are important as without them the communication would be lost, and you would be able to do things like remove your hand from a hot surface!
Though there are many synaptic connections in your brain, they do not all function at the same rate. Certain synapses that are used more often are strengthened by a process known as synaptic plasticity. It's a direct relationship: the more activity at the synapse, the stronger the connection. Changes between synapses happen every minute as the body is constantly regulating itself, but the long term effects are where true transformations occur.
This is where learning comes in! Long term synaptic plasticity is a major process involved in learning and memory. When the synapses are strengthened, it allows information to be stored. Learning new concepts and studying them repeatedly generates those impulses (Queensland, 2020). That’s why it’s important to study information many times over days, weeks and months in order to truly commit it to memory. The time and repetition allows those synapses to strengthen the communication between brain cells. Tutoring also serves as a great tool in learning since it can provide structure for your studying and make complex topics easier to grasp. If you want to strengthen your synapses, sign up to be paired with a tutor at RISE Philadelphia here!
Jade McNulty
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
References:
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), 2020, What is Synaptic Plasticity?, Brain Anatomy Journal,
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