Neuroplasticity and Functional Recovery of the Brain After Trauma

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to alter its structure and function in response to new learning or changes in the environment. Therefore, when it is said that the human brain is ‘plastic’, it means malleable and able to change. This may seem impossible, but our brains are constantly changing from the moment we are born. Each time we learn or experience something new, synaptic connections and neural pathways are formed and the more that we use them, the stronger they become. Functional recovery of the brain after trauma is about how the brain manages to adapt and repair its structure and functioning after suffering damage, including head injuries, strokes, tumours and infections. Through neuroplasticity, the brain is able to change in order to compensate for the loss of function. It is thought that the brain is able to rewire and reorganise itself by activating and taking over existing, but rarely used neural pathways close to the area that has been damaged in order to regain functioning. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)