neuroplasticity

• Neuro


  Nervous systems
• Plasticity


  The ability of the brain and other parts of the nervous system to change in response to experience
• Plasticity


  • Weakening of old pathways in the brain
  • An example is when you want to get rid of old habits so your brain creates different pathways to develop good habits
• Synapse


  Gap between neurons, site of neuroplasticity
• Neurons


  • Information messengers, use electrical and chemical signals to send information between different areas of the brain, as well as between the brain, the spinal cord and the entire body
  • There are billions of neurons in our brains
• Experience expectant plasticity


  Brain change due to environmental experiences that are expected, occurs in sensitive/critical periods, e.g. developmental milestones: exposure to light, visual information early in life
• Experience dependent plasticity


  Brain change due to extensive use of the neuronal structure that already exists, occurs at any time, e.g. learning something new
• Sprouting is a way the brain changes in size
• Not all experience-dependent plasticity is positive
• Responding to brain injury- functional plasticity

  • Sprouting - Growing new connection from damaged neurons
  • Re-rerouting/new network - Undamaged neurons loses connection to a damaged neuron so actively seeks a new connection with another functioning neuron nearby
  • Reassignment of function - Function that were performed by certain areas of the brain can be reassigned to other undamaged areas of the brain, to compensate for changing input from the environment
• Repetitive activity is required to generate/maintain new connections and relearn tasks especially following brain injury
• Neurogenesis


  The process of creating new neurons, a life long process