2024-09-28 08:24:00
OfDANILO ZAGARIA
«The flowering of neurons» by the scholar, professor at Humanitas in Milan, will be released on 1 October by Sonzogno in the series edited by Eliana Liotta: nervous tissue, if supported, can flower throughout life
Starting from thirty yearsI neurons humans start dying. It sounds like a condemnation, the biological confirmation that our time is limited and that we could reach the end of our days without clarity. It is an idea that, in one way or another, we all have, starting from school. To the extraordinary complexity of its architecture and functions, human nervous tissue possesses a a wound: THE neurogenesisthat is, the population of the brain by a dense network of neurons is a process typical of young brains, which decreases drastically as the years pass until it disappears completely in the adult individual. This is a belief that comes from afar, from the beginning of the last century, and which, however, science has been calling into question since the 1960s.
To present, in an informative book and easy to access, a subject such as neurogenesis in adults and the research that has been trying to prove it for decades is the new volume of the series Sciences for lifeedited by Eliana Liotta for the Sonzogno publisher: The flowering of neurons. How to make our intelligence blossom throughout our lives. The author is Michela Matteoli, who has already arrived in the bookshop with The talent of the brain two years ago, director of the neuroscience program at the Humanitas university hospital in Milan and professor of pharmacology.
From the pages of this new book – concise, direct and clear – emerge analyzes of recent studies, brief but illuminating leaps into the past of neurobiology, considerations that are not only technical but far-reaching, ethical, linked to social themes of great importance, including the impacts of war on the human brain, racism and the evolution of our relationship with artificial intelligence.
The flowering of neurons it is a positive, optimistic and full of ideas text. While research still needs time to investigate neurogenesis in adults, all adults (and not only) can do a lot to stave off or at least limit cognitive decline. The recipe does not seem complicated: «From birth onwards we begin to amass our cognitive reserve, a wealth of knowledge that is built gradually and which becomes more consistent if we study, read, practice a foreign language or if we enrich ourselves with experiences and our days of relationships.”
In other words, a rich, active and full life allows the brain to thicken and generate new synapses, i.e. the connections between neurons. What we have in the skull is in fact a plastic organ, which changes its structure when it learns and takes on new experiences.
Matteoli insists on some beneficial actionsuseful for ensuring a good old age for our brain. First he focuses on the importance of reading. In fact, books leave a physical trace inside us, influencing the creation of new synapses in the brain. An influence that persists even into old age, as Luis Sepúlveda recalls in his novel The old man who read romance novels: «He knew how to read. It was the most important discovery of his entire life. He knew how to read. He possessed the antidote against the terrible poison of old age.”
But books are not the only arrow at our disposal, The flowering of neurons it also proposes and analyzes others six strategies: mental stimulation, movement, correct nutrition, social life, relaxation and sleep. Judging from the studies reported in the last chapters of the book, the richness of social relationships seems to be a theme of great importance which today, in an era of conflicts, intolerances of various kinds and often unbridled individuality, is put to the test.
At the end of reading, it is not difficult to realize that the journey proposed by the author into neural architecture is also a useful exercise, which stimulates the intellect and tests the imagination. Neurobiology is in fact a field of anatomy in which the use of metaphors, morphological or functional, is not lacking. Small stars, intricate extensions that resemble the branches or roots of a plant, nodes, processes that resemble the wiring of a computer network and others that seem not too different from the diligent pruning of a tree.
The same vocabulary chosen by Matteoli takes readers into a great metaphor. Our brain is an «arboreal» organwhich must be watered and supported with great consistency, just like a houseplant or a garden hedge. In the absence of care and attention, it withers and is less able to resist the pathologies that can affect it. It’s up to us to prevent age, the environment in which we move, the type of relationships we cultivate and the lifestyle we choose from getting the better of its branches, branches and roots.
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Ers and struggles to survive. This analogy vividly captures the essence of maintaining cognitive health throughout one’s life. Just as plants thrive with proper nurturing and care, our brains flourish when we engage in activities that promote learning and social interaction.
Matteoli’s exploration emphasizes the significance of continual growth and adaptation, underscoring the fact that our intelligence isn’t fixed but can evolve with our experiences and efforts. The proactive approach she advocates not only fights cognitive decline but also enhances our overall well-being.
The flowering of neurons serves as both a call to action and a source of hope. It encourages readers to be mindful of their mental habits, to cherish learning opportunities, and to cultivate relationships. In doing so, we can harness the plasticity of our brains to not only survive but thrive well into old age. The essence of the book is clear: a vibrant mind is within reach for us all, if we are willing to nurture it.