Functional recovery

• What is functional recovery?

  Due to brain plasticity, the brain can transfer functions from a damaged area to an undamaged one.
• What happens during recovery?

  Brain reorganises itself by forming new synaptic connections near damaged area.

  Secondary neural functions (that were not used for a function) are activated to enable a functioning to continue
• What are the processes that happen in recovery?

  - Axonal sprouting

  - Denervation surpersensitivity

  - recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the
• Describe axonal sprouting

  Growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neural pathways
• Describe denervation supersensitivity

  Axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that are lost
• Describe its real-world application

  - understanding processes involved in plasticity has contributed to neurorehabilitation

  - Constraint- induced movement therapy. In stroke patients. Use affected part of body, while unaffected is restrained

  - research helps medical professionals knew when interventions need to be made