How the Brain Adapts, Changes, and Forms New Patterns Over Time For many years, it was believed that the adult brain was relatively fixed and unable to change in meaningful ways after a certain age. We now know that this is not true. The brain is constantly adapting in response to thoughts, emotions, behaviors, experiences, and the environment. This ability to change and reorganize is known as neuroplasticity. Understanding neuroplasticity can help explain why healing is poss