How important is deliberate practice? Brain: If you repeat something 10,000 times, you will become an expert in that field!

□ Wang Mingyu

In daily life, we often hear the phrase "practice makes perfect". However, what changes have actually taken place in the brain behind practice? Today, let us explore the profound connection between deliberate practice and the brain's memory pathways.

Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles and Rockefeller University recently conducted a remarkable study. Their findings not only confirmed the ancient wisdom that "practice makes perfect", but also revealed the magical changes that occur in the brain during deliberate practice. The research results were published in the latest issue of the international scientific journal Nature, attracting the attention of the brain science community.

Scientists designed an experiment to let mice repeatedly recognize and recall a series of odors over a two-week period. During this process, they used a special microscope to image the cellular activity of up to 73,000 neurons in the mouse cerebral cortex. In this way, scientists can observe the dynamic changes in the mouse brain during the memory task.

The results of the experiment showed that as mice continued to practice and mastered the skill of identifying odors, their brain memory pathways underwent profound changes. These changes were mainly reflected in the stability and automaticity of the working memory circuit. Specifically, as the practice deepened, the mouse brain was able to store and process information more stably, allowing them to perform tasks more accurately and quickly.

So, how does this change happen? Research on brain plasticity by Professor Michael Merzenich of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that the brain can change its structure and function through experience and learning. This phenomenon is called neuroplasticity. David Eagleman, a neuroscientist and popular science writer at Stanford University, believes that the brain is a highly plastic organ that can constantly adjust its structure and function according to changes in the environment and experience. This plasticity is not only reflected in the structure of the brain, such as the connection between neurons and the formation of synapses, but also in the function of the brain, such as the collaborative work between different brain regions and changes in information processing methods.

The deliberate practice theory is a learning method proposed by Anders Ericsson, a psychologist at Florida State University, which emphasizes improving skill levels through focused, targeted and structured practice. The core idea of ​​the deliberate practice theory is that expert-level skills are not determined solely by talent, but rely more on long-term, purposeful and repeated practice.

During deliberate practice, the plasticity of the brain is fully utilized. With in-depth practice, the connections between brain neurons will become tighter and more stable. This change in connection enables the brain to transmit and process information more efficiently, thereby improving the accuracy and speed of task execution, and different brain regions in the brain will also form a closer collaborative working relationship. This change in collaborative work enables the brain to better integrate various information and form a more complete and accurate memory representation.

In addition to the above structural and functional changes, deliberate practice also affects the chemicals in the brain. Some studies have shown that during repeated practice, the brain releases some neurotransmitters and hormones, such as dopamine and endorphins. These chemicals can not only improve the brain's learning and memory abilities, but also enhance the individual's sense of pleasure and satisfaction. Therefore, deliberate practice can not only improve skill levels, but also bring psychological pleasure and satisfaction.

Changes in brain plasticity tell us that learning and training are effective ways to improve brain function. When you repeat something 10,000 times, you will be an expert in this field. Through deliberate practice, we not only remember knowledge, but also change the structure of the brain. Brain plasticity also reminds us to make full use of the plasticity of the brain to cope with challenges and changes in life. When encountering difficulties, we can stimulate the brain through active learning and thinking to find solutions to the problems.

(The author is the attending physician of the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University and a member of the Health Communication Working Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association)