Following physical injury or trauma, unaltered areas of the brain are often able to adapt and compensate for those damaged areas
Neuroscientists suggest that this process can occur quickly after trauma and then slow down after several weeks or months
The brain 'rewires'
The brain is able to recognise itself by forming new connections close to the area of damage
Secondary neural pathways that would not typically be used to carry out certain functions are activated or 'unmasked' to enable functioning to continue
Axonal sprouting
The growth of new nerve endings which connect the other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways
Denervation supersensitivity
When axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that are lost
However, it can have a negative consequence of oversensitivity to messages such as pain
Homgulous recruitment
Reformation of blood vessels (angiogenesis)
The formation of new blood vessels from existing ones which helps restore oxygen and nutrients to damaged areas, promoting repair
Stem cells
Unspecialised cells that can adapt into different cell types that carry out different functions, including nerve cells
Directly replacedead or dying cells
Secrete growth factors that 'rescue' injured cells
