Brain plasticity and recovery

• Plasticity


  The brain adapts, making changes to both its function and structure in response to changes in the environment
• Plasticity


  1. Learning new skills

  2. Adapting to developmental needs

  3. Recovering from sudden traumatic events
• Plasticity can cause neuronal cell death, requiring the brain to change significantly and quickly to compensate for damaged areas
• Functional reorganization


  Healthy areas of the brain compensating for areas that have been lost or damaged
• How plasticity works


  1. Formation of new neuronal pathways

  2. Repeated use strengthens pathways

  3. Lack of use results in synaptic pruning
• Infants have more neuronal connections than at any other time, which are then pruned as the brain develops
• Compensation for damaged areas

  1. Axonal sprouting

  2. Neural regeneration

  3. Increased sensitivity of remaining axons
• Factors affecting functional recovery

  • Age (children more resilient)
  • Sex (women recover more easily)
  • Access to rehabilitation
• Constraint-induced therapy


  • Stopping patient from using coping strategies and consciously working on lost function
• Study on London taxi drivers

  • Increased grey matter volume in posterior hippocampus due to intense memorization demands
• Case study of EB

  • Infant had left hemisphere removed, but right hemisphere took over language functions
• Understanding brain recovery can help physiotherapists, return people to work, and understand brain specialization
• Cognitive reserve (IQ and education) positively correlates with recovery from traumatic brain injury
• Case study of Phineas Gage

  • Survived having an iron bar shot through his skull, with only minor long-term effects