It’s a well-known fact that abilities we don’t use tend to deteriorate after a while since they operate on the “use it or lose it” principle.
But why is it that we need to use these hard-acquired skills to keep them?
Meet the synaptic pruning effect that gets rid of unused excess synapses.
Let me explain what it is, why it occurs, and how we can prevent this natural process from taking place.
What is the use it or lose it principle?
What does, “use it or lose it” mean?
What is synaptic pruning?
When synaptic brain pruning occurs, the brain eliminates redundant synapses.
Synapses are brain structures that enable the neurons to transmit a chemical or electrical signal to other nerve cells.
Our pruning brain functions on this use it or lose it principle. Thus, the skills we don’t use tend to get lost, or at the very least decrease in performance.
Why does synaptic pruning occur?
The pruning effect is seemingly disadvantageous for our individual and species’ survival chances.
Yet, our body is an efficient, well-oiled machine, and it rarely does something for no reason. Almost everything we do during our lifespan is aimed at increasing our own and our species’ chance of survival.
The leading theory why researchers think brain pruning occurs is because the maintenance of synapses consumes a lot of nutrients, which may be needed at other places when we mature sexually and when we are still growing.
To summarize, it is generally assumed that this effect happens to prevent using up unreasonable amounts of vital resources that might be more useful at other places in the body to increase our odds of survival.
When does synaptic pruning occur?
What happens if synaptic pruning fails?
If synaptic pruning fails, it can lead to a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia.
It will also cause the brain activity to become less efficient. The brain activity might get blocked by the excess synapses if the pruning process doesn’t happen or fails.
How can we prevent synaptic pruning from happening?
Neural pruning is a naturally occurring process. But there is one simple thing we can do to stave off synaptic pruning. Using our skills we don’t want to lose.
The best way to prevent it from happening and consequently deteriorating our abilities is using these skills since our brain operates on the “use it or lose it” principle.
When certain abilities aren’t used for a prolonged period, the brain starts deeming those skills and the neurological pathways of these skills as “unnecessary and not needed for survival.” Thus, brain pruning starts happening at those unused regions in the brain to prevent spending any unnecessary energy and resources.
This isn’t just the case with practical abilities like walking, riding a bicycle, or driving a car, … either, but it’s also the case with mental skills like memory, concentration, and problem-solving behavior, …
So in short, the skills you don’t want to lose, you better use frequently to keep them in tip-top shape.
Synaptic pruning example
An example of synaptic pruning happening in the real world is learning a new language in school, but not speaking that same language again for 10–20 years.
Those brain connections have likely been pruned by now, which means you don’t know how to speak that language anymore since you forgot most of the words.
Conclusion
The synaptic pruning effect is a natural process that can only be halted by the use it or lose it principle.
From a biological standpoint, it makes sense because we needed to use our scarce resources efficiently to survive in more ancient times.
To conclude, you need to use the skills that you want to keep. This means that slacking off is not an option!