This article, by Dr. Abigail Zuger, describes the concept of plasticity: the fact that the human brain is malleable and flexible, and is capable of transforming and rewiring itself in incredible and complex ways.
According to classical neuroscience, the adult brain is an unchanging organ, everyone single gland, neuron, and lobe serves a specific purpose and can not be changed. In the past few decades, sophisticated experimental techniques have proven that the brain is more able to respond to injury with functional reorganization, and can physically rework itself into new order.
The article references several remarkable instances where an individuals brain has rewired itself after a traumatic injury. A surgeon in his 50s suffered a stroke which paralyzed one half of his body . His good arm and hand were immobilized. Eventually, the hand that was paralyzed regained most of it's function. Another individual, amputee experienced excruciating “phantom” pain in his missing elbow. When he put his good arm into a box lined with mirrors he seemed to recognize his missing arm, and he could finally stretch the cramped elbow out. Within a month his brain reorganizes its damaged circuits, and the illusion of the arm and its pain disappeared. Research conducted alongside these experiments have shown measurable electrical changes in the brain as it re-wires itself.
This shows just how resilient the human brain really is. It also has great implications for the future of medicine. If the brain is capable of doing so much on it's own, how could future developments in technology and medicine influence the way we treat neurological conditions? Could we conceivably teach the brain to re-wire itself in a specific manner?
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