Brain Recovery After Stroke: Going Deeper on Neuroplasticity With Dr Roy Hamilton

Send us Fan Mail Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize and rebuild after injury, and it is central to every aphasia recovery story. This episode goes beyond the basics, examining what the latest research reveals about how and when the brain changes, what conditions support recovery, and what that means for survivors in the long term. A follow-up to Season 1's neuroplasticity episode, built for listeners ready to go further.  Dr. Roy Hamilton, Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of Penn’s Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation (LCNS), for a part 2 discussion on Neuroplasticity.  We begin with the fundamental concept that brains are plastic and designed to change based on experience. Dr. Roy shares how the quality of care in recovery will help language get stronger or activities become easier because the brain reorganizes and adapts also known as "neuroplasticity".Angie shares analogies that translate brain injury to neuroplasticity like “water on the motherboard”. Dr. Seles seeks tips on how practitioners can help with neuroplasticity in neurorehabilitation. Finally, we discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion in research, research staff, and publications.Dr. Roy Hamilton, link to the LCNS website and the email associated with the LCNS.https://www.med.upenn.edu/lcns/[email protected] Resourceshttps://aphasiaresource.org/https://aphasiaadvocates.com/ for Brain Friends Merchhttps://aphasia.org/event/ask-the-expert-february-2026/https://www.cognitiverecoverylab.com/seleshttps://aphasia.org/stories/announcing-the-davetrina-seles-gadson-health-equity-grant-program/Our beloved colleague, Dr. Davetrina Seles Gadson, passed away January 11, 2025. Dr. Gadson was an extraordinary speech-language pathologist and neuroscience researcher who devoted her energy to studying health disparities in aphasia recovery. She was a fierce advocate for improving services for individuals with aphasia, particularly Black Americans. Her research transformed our understanding of these health disparities and shed light on how we can address them. We were privileged to have Dr. Gadson as a cherished member of our lab community for four years, first as a postdoctoral fellow and then as an Instructor of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was still a close collaborator and friend to many of us at the time of her passing. Dr. Gadson was an incredible person—compassionate, inspiring, and full of life. Her dedication to advancing equity in aphasia recovery and her profound impact on our community will never be forgotten. ...