Your brain has a remarkable ability to reorganize its structure, functions, and neural connections throughout your life in response to learning, experience, or injury. This is called neuroplasticity.
It was once thought that the brain’s neuroplasticity, no longer believed to be hard-wired at birth, slowed down by the age of twenty-six. But science has debunked that theory and we now know that neuroplasticity is correlated to the brain’s response to stimuli. The truth is after age twenty-six it was the stimuli that slowed down not the brains ability to restructure.
Neuroplasticity does not shut off with age, even at age 93, the brain remains capable of forming new connections. Right up until the end of life the brain is actively building new neuro-pathways, strengthening exisiting ones, and adapting. The speed and efficiency may change but not the ability itself.
What neuroplasticity looks like at 93:
- New neural connections can still form, especially with repetition and engagement
- Learning is still possible (new skills, routines, even languages—possibly a little slower)
- Emotional and meaning-based learning remains particularly strong
- Compensation pathways develop (the brain reroutes around weaker areas)
What the science shows:
Research in aging neuroscience has shown:
- Older adults, including those in their 80s and 90s, show measurable brain changes after learning tasks (music, memory training, physical movement, mindfulness)
- The brain continues synaptogenesis (creation of synapses) throughout life
- Even in very old age, experience changes brain structure and function
How can you support neuroplasticity as you age?
What matters more than your age itself is the act of stimulating your brain. Just like working out builds muscle, use it or lose it applies to the brain as well. Here are some ways to keep your brain healthy:
- Novelty (new experiences, not just repetition)
- Purpose & meaning (emotion drives plasticity)
- Movement (especially balance, walking, tai chi)
- Social connection
- Music (huge one—listening and playing)
- Adequate sleep & nutrition
If your feeling discouraged because you forgot something or misplaced your keys again, consider the following:
At 93, the brain is less like a fast computer and more like a wise library:
- It may take longer to add a new book
- But once it’s shelved, it tends to stick
- And it connects new information to deep existing knowledge
Whether your 39 or 93, your brain is still amazing.
Like my dad often said, it ain’t over til its over. Your brain is still learning, adapting, and responding to experience even if you’ve aged to 93 and beyond—especially when that experience is gentle, meaningful, and engaging.