Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Revised: Your Myelination is Slower than My Myelination; I Know You Are But What Am I?
I'm sure we have all noticed that young adults have a knack for picking up on physical activities quicker than say one of their parents, but why is this the case? A research team of neuroscientists at the National Institute of Health have asked this same question and recently released some of their findings. A process called myelination appears to be the key factor that regulates how fast someone can pick up on a coordinated motion. Myelin is a fatty substance that creates a sheath around axons to act as an insulator. Axons are like cables that transmit neuronal signals throughout the body. There are millions of axons present and they lie close in proximity to one another, therefore, without proper insulation two or more axons can cross and cause a discontinuity, which will result in a less coordinated movement. The amount of myelin present on a neuron pathway is directly proportional to the amount the pathway is used. Therefore, the cliche saying "Practice makes perfect" is correct because the more times a pathway is used affects how much myelin is present along the axons. More myelin present on the axons translates into a quicker and more efficient transmission of action potentials. The quicker an action potential can arrive at its destination equates to a more coordinated movement. However, age plays a role in how quickly myelination occurs. Myelination peaks in our early twenties and significantly diminishes there after. Therefore, it is much easier for a teenager or young adult to learn a new activity than one of their parents. However, that is not to say that it is impossible for, "old dogs to learn new tricks", it just takes more effort on their part before they can master it.
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I don't know what has happened with me trying to post this blog, but first I accidentally posted my unfinished draft and now I can't seem to post my revised copy unless I just add it to the comments section. Anyways, here it is in complete sentences and thoughts versus the one a couple days ago.
I'm sure we have all noticed that young adults have a knack for picking up on physical activities quicker than say one of their parents, but why is this the case? A research team of neuroscientists at the National Institute of Health have asked this same question and recently released some of their findings. A process called myelination appears to be the key factor that regulates how fast someone can pick up on a coordinated motion.
Myelin is a fatty substance that creates a sheath around axons to act as an insulator. Axons are like cables that transmit neuronal signals throughout the body. There are millions of axons present and they lie close in proximity to one another, therefore, without proper insulation two or more axons can cross and cause a discontinuity, which will result in a less coordinated movement. The amount of myelin present on a neuron pathway is directly proportional to the amount the pathway is used. Therefore, the cliche saying "Practice makes perfect" is correct because the more times a pathway is used affects how much myelin is present along the axons. More myelin present on the axons translates into a quicker and more efficient transmission of action potentials. The quicker an action potential can arrive at its destination equates to a more coordinated movement. However, age plays a role in how quickly myelination occurs. Myelination peaks in our early twenties and significantly diminishes there after. Therefore, it is much easier for a teenager or young adult to learn a new activity than one of their parents. However, that is not to say that it is impossible for, "old dogs to learn new tricks", it just takes more effort on their part before they can master it.
Myelin is not only essential for learning and memory, but it is also imperative for motor skills. In fact, the most significant myelination of neurons is evident at approximately two years after birth. The corticospinal tract, which is necessary for movement, is completely unmyelinated at birth. Crawling and minor movements tend to coincide with large bouts of myelination and reach a peak at about 2 years, when the infant has begun to walk. Some doctors even believe that early infant movement may enhance myelination, while myelination simultaneously promotes movement. Even more interestingly, the eyes of a baby are myelinated at brith. Thus, the baby is able to have function of the eyes, yet further myelination over the course of a few months allows the baby's vision to be improved tremendously.
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