0:00:14.626,0:00:16.293
So how do we learn?

0:00:16.812,0:00:21.005
And why does some of us learn things[br]more easily than others?

0:00:21.445,0:00:24.595
So, as I just mentioned,[br]I'm Dr. Lara Boyd.

0:00:24.617,0:00:27.974
I am a brain researcher here[br]at the University of British Columbia.

0:00:28.254,0:00:31.147
These are the questions that fascinate me.

0:00:31.148,0:00:34.038
(Cheers) (Applause)

0:00:35.458,0:00:38.725
So brain research[br]is one of the great frontiers

0:00:38.726,0:00:41.244
in the understanding of human physiology,

0:00:41.245,0:00:45.278
and also in the consideration[br]of what makes us who we are.

0:00:45.618,0:00:47.904
It's an amazing time[br]to be a brain researcher,

0:00:47.905,0:00:49.173
and I would argue to you

0:00:49.174,0:00:51.944
that I have the most interesting job[br]in the world.

0:00:52.434,0:00:56.328
What we know about the brain[br]is changing at a breathtaking pace.

0:00:56.329,0:00:59.534
And much of what we thought we knew[br]and understood about the brain

0:00:59.535,0:01:02.745
turns out to be not true or incomplete.

0:01:03.433,0:01:06.974
Some of these misconceptions[br]are more obvious than others.

0:01:06.975,0:01:09.577
For example, we used to think

0:01:09.578,0:01:14.068
that after childhood the brain did not,[br]really could not change.

0:01:14.069,0:01:18.017
And it turns out that nothing[br]could be farther from the truth.

0:01:18.018,0:01:19.957
Another misconception about the brain

0:01:19.958,0:01:23.136
is that you only use parts of it[br]at any given time

0:01:23.137,0:01:25.716
and it's silent when you do nothing.

0:01:25.717,0:01:27.534
Well, this is also untrue.

0:01:27.535,0:01:29.761
It turns out[br]that even when you're at a rest

0:01:29.762,0:01:33.473
and thinking of nothing,[br]your brain is highly active.

0:01:33.953,0:01:37.244
So it's been advances[br]in technology, such as MRI,

0:01:37.245,0:01:40.532
that's allowed us to make these[br]and many other important discoveries.

0:01:40.982,0:01:42.601
And perhaps the most exciting,

0:01:42.602,0:01:45.618
the most interesting[br]and transformative of these discoveries

0:01:45.619,0:01:49.351
is that, every time you learn[br]a new fact or skill,

0:01:49.352,0:01:51.231
you change your brain.

0:01:51.584,0:01:54.251
It's something we call neuroplasticity.

0:01:54.649,0:01:58.737
So as little as 25 years ago,[br]we thought that after about puberty,

0:01:58.738,0:02:01.784
the only changes that took place[br]in the brain were negative:

0:02:01.785,0:02:03.994
the loss of brain cells with aging,

0:02:03.995,0:02:06.636
the result of damage, like a stroke.

0:02:06.637,0:02:09.899
And then, studies began[br]to show remarkable amounts

0:02:09.900,0:02:12.978
of reorganization in the adult brain.

0:02:13.668,0:02:15.844
And the ensuing research has shown us

0:02:15.845,0:02:19.366
that all of our behaviors[br]change our brain.

0:02:19.946,0:02:23.015
That these changes are not limited by age,

0:02:23.016,0:02:24.723
it's a good news right?

0:02:24.724,0:02:27.397
And in fact,[br]they are taking place all the time.

0:02:27.398,0:02:29.529
And very importantly,

0:02:29.530,0:02:32.398
brain reorganization helps[br]to support recovery

0:02:32.399,0:02:34.474
after you damage your brain.

0:02:34.959,0:02:38.668
The key to each of these changes[br]is neuroplasticity.

0:02:39.556,0:02:41.204
So what does it look like?

0:02:41.205,0:02:44.201
So your brain can change[br]in three very basic ways

0:02:44.202,0:02:45.961
to support learning.

0:02:45.962,0:02:48.001
And the first is chemical.

0:02:48.002,0:02:51.574
So your brain actually functions[br]by transferring chemicals signals

0:02:51.584,0:02:53.709
between brain cells,[br]what we call neurons,

0:02:53.710,0:02:57.148
and this triggered a series[br]of actions and reactions.

0:02:57.539,0:03:00.267
So to support learning,[br]your brain can increase the amount

0:03:00.268,0:03:03.454
or the concentrations[br]of these chemical signaling

0:03:03.459,0:03:06.459
that's taking place between neurons.

0:03:06.462,0:03:09.021
Because this change can happen rapidly,

0:03:09.022,0:03:10.979
this supports short-term memory

0:03:10.980,0:03:15.020
or the short-term improvement[br]in the performance of a motor skill.

0:03:15.550,0:03:18.799
The second way that the brain[br]can change to support learning

0:03:18.800,0:03:20.934
is by altering its structure.

0:03:21.375,0:03:25.493
So during learning, the brain can change[br]the connections between neurons.

0:03:25.494,0:03:28.742
Here, the physical structure[br]of the brain is actually changing

0:03:28.752,0:03:30.899
so this takes a bit more time.

0:03:30.900,0:03:33.685
These type of changes are related[br]to long-term memory,

0:03:33.686,0:03:37.037
the long-term improvement[br]in a motor skill.

0:03:37.038,0:03:41.004
These processes interact,[br]and let me give you an example of how.

0:03:41.604,0:03:44.742
We've all tried to learn[br]a new motor skill,

0:03:44.743,0:03:46.382
maybe playing the piano,

0:03:46.383,0:03:48.243
maybe learning to juggle.

0:03:48.244,0:03:50.923
You've had the experience[br]of getting better and better

0:03:50.924,0:03:53.201
within a single session of practice,

0:03:53.202,0:03:55.700
and thinking "I have got it."

0:03:55.701,0:03:57.840
And then, maybe you return the next day,

0:03:57.841,0:04:01.292
and all those improvements[br]from the day before are lost.

0:04:01.293,0:04:02.792
What happened?

0:04:02.793,0:04:05.822
Well, in the short-term,[br]your brain was able to increase

0:04:05.834,0:04:08.585
the chemical signaling[br]between your neurons.

0:04:08.586,0:04:13.480
But for some reason, those changes[br]did not induce the structural changes

0:04:13.481,0:04:16.507
that are necessary[br]to support long-term memory.

0:04:17.257,0:04:20.591
Remember that[br]long-term memories take time.

0:04:20.593,0:04:23.725
And what you see in the short term[br]does not reflect learning,

0:04:23.726,0:04:25.473
It's these physical changes

0:04:25.474,0:04:27.853
that are now going to support[br]long-term memories,

0:04:27.854,0:04:31.764
and chemical changes[br]that support short-term memories.

0:04:32.734,0:04:36.876
Structural changes also can lead[br]to integrated networks of brain regions

0:04:36.877,0:04:39.225
that function together[br]to support learning.

0:04:39.226,0:04:41.572
And they can also lead[br]to certain brain regions

0:04:41.573,0:04:44.212
that are important[br]for very specific behaviors

0:04:44.213,0:04:46.808
to change your structure or to enlarge.

0:04:46.809,0:04:49.318
So here's some examples of that.

0:04:49.319,0:04:51.201
People who read Braille

0:04:51.202,0:04:56.616
have larger hand sensory areas[br]in their brain than those of us who don't.

0:04:56.617,0:05:00.934
Your dominant hand motor region,[br]which is on the left side of your brain,

0:05:00.935,0:05:04.797
if you are right-handed,[br]is larger than the other side.

0:05:04.798,0:05:07.781
And research shows[br]the London taxi cab drivers

0:05:07.782,0:05:12.424
who actually have to memorize a map[br]of London to get their taxi cab license,

0:05:12.425,0:05:17.210
they have larger brain regions devoted[br]to spatial, or mapping memories.

0:05:17.810,0:05:20.808
The last way that your brain[br]can change to support learning

0:05:20.809,0:05:22.539
is by altering its function.

0:05:23.679,0:05:25.551
As you use a brain region,

0:05:25.552,0:05:29.311
It becomes more and more excitable[br]and easy to use again.

0:05:29.312,0:05:32.883
And as your brain has these areas[br]that increase their excitability,

0:05:32.884,0:05:35.949
the brain shifts[br]how and when they are activated.

0:05:35.950,0:05:37.600
With learning, we see

0:05:37.601,0:05:41.611
that whole networks of brain activity[br]are shifting and changing.

0:05:42.459,0:05:44.377
So neuroplasticity is supported

0:05:44.378,0:05:48.752
by chemical, by structural,[br]and by functional changes,

0:05:48.753,0:05:51.601
and these are happening[br]across the whole brain.

0:05:51.602,0:05:53.952
They can occur in isolation[br]from one or another,

0:05:53.953,0:05:57.334
but most often,[br]they take place in concert.

0:05:57.335,0:05:59.662
Together, they support learning.

0:05:59.663,0:06:02.354
And they're taking place all the time.

0:06:04.167,0:06:08.914
I just told you really[br]how awesomely neuroplastic your brain is.

0:06:08.915,0:06:13.094
Why can't you learn anything[br]you choose to with ease?

0:06:13.095,0:06:16.311
Why do our kids sometimes fail in school?

0:06:16.941,0:06:20.634
Why as we age[br]do we tend to forget things?

0:06:20.635,0:06:23.948
And why don't people fully recover[br]from brain damage?

0:06:23.959,0:06:29.397
That is: what is it that limits[br]and facilitates neuroplasticity?

0:06:29.398,0:06:31.407
And so this is what I study.

0:06:31.408,0:06:35.691
I study specifically how it relates[br]to recovery from stroke.

0:06:35.692,0:06:36.936
Recently, stroke dropped

0:06:36.937,0:06:40.386
from being the third leading cause[br]of death in the United States

0:06:40.387,0:06:42.496
to be the forth leading cause[br]of death.

0:06:42.497,0:06:44.237
Great news, right?

0:06:44.937,0:06:46.319
But actually, it turns out

0:06:46.320,0:06:49.359
that the number of people[br]having a stroke has not declined.

0:06:49.360,0:06:52.699
We are just better at keeping[br]people alive after a severe stroke.

0:06:53.299,0:06:58.095
It turns out to be very difficult[br]to help the brain recover from stroke.

0:06:58.096,0:06:59.372
And frankly,

0:06:59.373,0:07:03.463
we have failed to develop[br]effective rehabilitation interventions.

0:07:05.433,0:07:09.568
The net result of this[br]is that stroke is the leading cause

0:07:09.569,0:07:13.739
of long-term disability[br]in adults in the world;

0:07:13.740,0:07:15.818
individuals with stroke are younger

0:07:15.819,0:07:18.938
and tending to live longer[br]with that disability,

0:07:18.939,0:07:21.143
and research from my group actually shows

0:07:21.144,0:07:25.952
that the health-related quality of life[br]of Canadians with stroke has declined.

0:07:26.462,0:07:28.219
So clearly we need to be better

0:07:28.220,0:07:30.306
at helping people recover from stroke.

0:07:30.307,0:07:33.708
This is an enormous societal problem,

0:07:33.709,0:07:36.273
and it's one that we are not solving.

0:07:36.653,0:07:38.504
So what can be done?

0:07:38.944,0:07:41.291
One thing is absolutely clear:

0:07:41.292,0:07:45.793
the best driver of neuroplastic change[br]in your brain is your behavior.

0:07:46.625,0:07:50.332
The problem is that the dose[br]of behavior, the dose of practice

0:07:50.333,0:07:53.935
that's required to learn[br]new and relearn old motor skills,

0:07:53.936,0:07:55.551
is very large.

0:07:55.552,0:07:58.827
And how to effectively deliver[br]these large doses of practice

0:07:58.828,0:08:03.209
is a very difficult problem;[br]It's also a very expensive problem.

0:08:03.210,0:08:05.389
So the approach[br]that my research has taken

0:08:05.390,0:08:09.297
is to develop therapies that prime[br]or that prepare the brain to learn.

0:08:09.298,0:08:14.031
And these have included brain simulation,[br]exercise, and robotics.

0:08:14.351,0:08:18.220
But through my research,[br]I've realized that a major limitation

0:08:18.221,0:08:21.764
to the development of therapies[br]that speed recovery from stroke

0:08:21.765,0:08:27.751
is that patterns of neuroplasticity[br]are highly variable from person to person.

0:08:28.555,0:08:32.596
As a researcher,[br]variability used to drive me crazy.

0:08:32.597,0:08:35.866
It makes it very difficult[br]to use the statistics

0:08:35.866,0:08:38.390
to test your data and your ideas.

0:08:38.392,0:08:41.347
And because of this,[br]medical intervention studies are

0:08:41.349,0:08:45.089
specifically designed[br]to minimize variability.

0:08:45.090,0:08:48.334
But in my research,[br]it's becoming really clear

0:08:48.335,0:08:52.688
that the most important,[br]the most informative data we collect

0:08:52.689,0:08:55.061
is showing this variability.

0:08:56.571,0:09:00.972
So by studying the brain[br]after stroke, we've learned a lot,

0:09:00.973,0:09:05.782
and I think these lessons[br]are very valuable in other areas.

0:09:06.572,0:09:07.881
The first lesson is

0:09:07.882,0:09:11.973
that the primary driver of change[br]in your brain is your behavior,

0:09:11.974,0:09:15.334
so there is no neuroplasticity drug[br]you can take.

0:09:15.907,0:09:19.367
Nothing is more effective than practice[br]at helping you learn,

0:09:19.368,0:09:23.164
and the bottom line[br]is you have to do the work.

0:09:23.844,0:09:25.593
And in fact, my research has shown

0:09:25.594,0:09:30.767
increased difficulty, increased struggle[br]if you will, during practice,

0:09:30.768,0:09:32.934
actually leads to both more learning,

0:09:32.935,0:09:36.335
and greater structural change[br]in the brain.

0:09:37.751,0:09:42.524
The problem here is that neuroplastcity[br]can work both ways.

0:09:42.525,0:09:45.338
It can be positive,[br]you learn something new,

0:09:45.339,0:09:47.928
and you refine a motor skill.

0:09:47.929,0:09:51.692
And it also can be negative though,[br]you forgot something you once knew,

0:09:51.693,0:09:53.908
you become addicted to drugs,

0:09:53.909,0:09:55.937
maybe you have chronic pain.

0:09:56.147,0:09:58.614
So your brain is tremendously plastic,

0:09:58.615,0:10:03.314
and it's been shaped both structurally[br]and functionally by everything you do,

0:10:03.315,0:10:06.470
but also by everything that you don't do.

0:10:07.070,0:10:09.801
The second lesson[br]we've learned about the brain

0:10:09.802,0:10:13.722
is that there is[br]no one-size-fits-all approach to learning.

0:10:14.342,0:10:16.587
So there is no recipe for learning.

0:10:16.588,0:10:20.515
Consider the popular belief[br]that it takes 10,000 hours of practice

0:10:20.516,0:10:23.725
to learn and to master a new motor skill.

0:10:23.726,0:10:27.065
I can assure you[br]it's not quite that simple.

0:10:27.066,0:10:28.198
For some of us,

0:10:28.199,0:10:32.818
it's going to take a lot more practice,[br]and for others it may take far less.

0:10:32.819,0:10:36.767
So the shaping of our plastic brains[br]is far too unique

0:10:36.768,0:10:41.237
for there to be any single intervention[br]that's going to work for all of us.

0:10:41.238,0:10:46.258
This realization has forced us to consider[br]something call personalized medicine.

0:10:46.259,0:10:49.227
This is the idea that to optimize outcomes

0:10:49.228,0:10:53.007
each individual requires[br]their own intervention.

0:10:53.008,0:10:55.752
And the idea actually comes[br]from cancer treatments.

0:10:55.753,0:10:59.338
And here it turns out that genetics[br]are very important in matching

0:10:59.339,0:11:03.739
certain types of chemotherapy[br]with specific forms of cancer.

0:11:04.459,0:11:08.223
My research is showing that this[br]also applies to recovery from stroke.

0:11:08.224,0:11:11.317
There're certain characteristics[br]of brain structure and function

0:11:11.334,0:11:12.584
we called biomarkers.

0:11:12.585,0:11:15.168
And these biomarkers[br]are proving to be very helpful

0:11:15.169,0:11:17.092
and helping us to match

0:11:17.093,0:11:20.958
specific therapies[br]with individual patients.

0:11:20.959,0:11:24.793
The data from my lab suggests[br]it's a combination of biomarkers

0:11:24.794,0:11:29.584
that best predicts neuroplastic change[br]and patterns of recovery after stroke.

0:11:29.588,0:11:34.170
And that's not surprising, given[br]how complicated the human brain is.

0:11:34.171,0:11:38.661
But I also think we can consider[br]this concept much more broadly.

0:11:39.831,0:11:43.776
Given the unique structure[br]and function of each of our brains

0:11:43.792,0:11:49.042
what we've learned about neuroplasticity[br]after stroke applies to everyone.

0:11:50.306,0:11:54.804
Behaviors that you employ[br]in your everyday life are important.

0:11:54.805,0:11:57.533
Each of them is changing your brain.

0:11:57.534,0:11:59.275
And I believe we have to consider

0:11:59.276,0:12:03.355
not just personalized medicine[br]but personalized learning.

0:12:03.356,0:12:05.831
The uniqueness[br]of your brain will affect you

0:12:05.832,0:12:08.981
both as a learner and also as a teacher.

0:12:08.982,0:12:11.938
This idea helps us to understand

0:12:11.939,0:12:15.738
why some children can thrive[br]in tradition education settings

0:12:15.739,0:12:17.348
and others don't;

0:12:17.349,0:12:19.719
why some of us can learn languages easily

0:12:19.720,0:12:23.730
and yet, others can pick up[br]any sport and excel.

0:12:25.330,0:12:28.381
So when you leave this room today,

0:12:28.382,0:12:32.891
your brain will not be the same[br]as when you entered this morning.

0:12:32.892,0:12:35.549
And I think that's pretty amazing.

0:12:36.389,0:12:40.002
But each of you is going to have changed[br]your brain differently.

0:12:40.552,0:12:42.706
Understanding these differences,

0:12:42.707,0:12:46.335
these individual patterns,[br]this variability and change

0:12:46.336,0:12:49.835
is going to enable[br]the next great advance in neuroscience;

0:12:49.847,0:12:53.596
it's going to allow us to develop[br]new and more effective interventions,

0:12:53.597,0:12:57.906
and allow for matches[br]between learners and teachers,

0:12:57.907,0:13:00.906
and patients and interventions.

0:13:00.907,0:13:03.986
And this does not just apply[br]the recovery from stroke,

0:13:03.987,0:13:08.488
it applies to each of us, as a parent,[br]as a teacher, as a manager,

0:13:08.489,0:13:12.869
and also because you are[br]at TEDx today, as a lifelong learner.

0:13:13.439,0:13:16.898
Study how and what you learn best.

0:13:16.899,0:13:20.738
Repeat those behaviors[br]that are healthy for your brain,

0:13:20.739,0:13:23.936
and break those behaviors[br]and habits that are not.

0:13:24.446,0:13:25.518
Practice.

0:13:26.078,0:13:30.487
Learning is about doing the work[br]that your brain requires.

0:13:30.488,0:13:34.320
So the best strategies[br]are going to vary between individuals.

0:13:34.321,0:13:37.537
You know what, they're even going[br]to vary within individuals.

0:13:37.538,0:13:40.508
So for you, learning music[br]may come very easily,

0:13:40.509,0:13:43.748
but learning to snowboard, much harder.

0:13:44.478,0:13:46.288
I hope that you leave today

0:13:46.289,0:13:49.908
with a new appreciation[br]of how magnificent your brain is.

0:13:49.909,0:13:54.681
You and your plastic brain are constantly[br]being shaped by the world around you.

0:13:54.682,0:13:57.136
Understand that everything you do,

0:13:57.137,0:14:01.656
everything you encounter, and everything[br]you experience is changing your brain.

0:14:01.657,0:14:05.856
And that can be for better,[br]but it can also be for worse.

0:14:05.857,0:14:10.328
So when you leave today,[br]go out and build the brain you want.

0:14:10.329,0:14:11.547
Thank you very much.

0:14:11.548,0:14:13.251
(Applause)