Brain Plasticity

Alright, so I read a book awhile back called "The Brain That Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge and I haven't completely been able to forget it... it is very informative, and I felt encouraged to learn about the endless possibilities of our brains. I know I will not do this topic justice as it is one that requires a lot of time to fully understand and grasp the depth of what our brains are capable of so I do suggest reading the book and/or listening to the documentary.

Recently (within the past few decades)scientists have been researching and proving that the brain is NOT in fact "hardwired" as was previously thought; patients have been benefiting from neurorehabilitation and recovering from brain injuries that were thought incurable!

"Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment."

"A brain is not a computer. The brain begins working long before it is finished. And the same processes that wire the brain before birth also drive the very rapid growth of learning that occurs immediately after birth. At birth, a baby’s brain contains 100 billion neurons. Before birth, the brain produces trillions more neurons and “synapses" than needed. During the first years of life, the brain undergoes a series of extraordinary changes. Then, through a process that resembles Darwinian competition, the brain eliminates connections that are seldom or never used."

Basically the old way of thinking was "use it or lose it", but that is NOT the case... we can learn new things, remember more and reverse brain damage (not all) caused by injury by making new connections.

The plasticity/malleability of the brain is nothing short of amazing! From sharpening perception, memory, increasing speed of thought to healing learning disabilities, helping stroke victims learn to speak/move again, recovering from brain tumors, curing pain, the ability for the brain to change itself can also help stop worries, obsessions, compulsions and bad habits... so even if you don't have the "biggies" the "smaller" things can also be improved on with a little practice.

The greatest form of brain plasticity is present in a woman named Michelle (29 yo) who was born with only the right hemisphere of her brain (can you imagine only having half a brain and still function?); her development makes it clear that neuroplasticity is no minor phenomenon as it has allowed her to reorganize her brain on a massive scale -- she speaks (fairly normally), reads, and holds part time jobs... all because the right hemisphere of her brain "learned" how to do what the left hemisphere would do.

"The brain compensates for damage in effect by reorganizing and forming new connections between intact neurons. In order to reconnect, the neurons need to be stimulated through activity. In Michelle, the right hemisphere had to evolve without input from the left and learn to live and function on its own."

Pretty amazing right? Well, it doesn't end there...