By the time people pass twenty, the brain is still maturing, but its focus shifts. Resources go toward refining established neural networks and finding efficient routes to common tasks. Learning something new becomes less effortless than in childhood, yet a motivated learner can tap into existing networks to acquire fresh skills. This perspective comes from a professor of neurology at First St. Petersburg State Medical University, speaking to socialbites.ca. IP Pavlov Igor Voznyuk.
According to the expert, new energy demands must be meaningful and strongly driven. When someone loses a job or discovers that a skill set is no longer sought after, the risk is a drop in social status and potential strain on the family. The path forward often involves gaining a new professional competence or expanding within the current knowledge base. This could mean polishing language abilities, enhancing teaching or public speaking skills, or absorbing knowledge that has social value and relevance. In neural terms, these shifts require the brain to form new connections and recruit trained cells toward a clearly defined target. The nervous system draws on accumulated patterns while steering toward the fresh goal, he notes. Education at this stage becomes purposeful and strategic, not aimless, reflecting the brain’s tendency to optimize and reassign resources rather than start from scratch.
Further discussion on what motivates ongoing development and whether cognitive simulators can assist in expanding mental flexibility is available in the socialbites.ca feature that accompanies this report. Source: socialbites.ca