Neuroplasticity and Recovery of the Brain after Trauma.

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The human brain is one of the most astonishing organs of this body. Science for a long time assumed that once the brain was damaged it would never completely be recovered. They believed that the brain was an unchangeable fixed object at some particular age.

Research has however over the past few decades totally reversed that concept. Nowadays, we understand that the brain is unbelievably able to change, transform and recover itself. This capacity is known as neuroplasticity and it is among the greatest findings in the contemporary neuroscience.

But what does neuroplasticity mean? It is a combination of two words, which mean nerve or brain, and plasticity, which means that something can be reproduced or moulded. In simple terms, neuroplasticity is the capacity of the brain to restructure itself by establishing new connections among brain cells otherwise referred to as neurons.

All these connections are referred to as synapses which may increase or decrease according to experiences, habits, learning, and even injury. The brain is not in a fixed form. It is continuously evolving, and that is certainly great news to any person concerning brain trauma.

Brain trauma may be in numerous forms. It may be a physical trauma such as a car crash, a stroke, a tumor or even emotional trauma due to abuse or extreme stress. When such things occur the brain can be damaged in parts.

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Brain cells may die, brain circuits may be disturbed and the individual may lose some of his or her functions, such as speaking, moving, remembering, or even controlling his or her emotions. This may sound quite terrifying. This is what makes neuroplasticity really effective.

By the destruction of a given portion of the brain, neuroplasticity enables the brain part to assume the role played by the damaged part of the brain. This is termed by scientists as cortical remapping. This was very evident when neuroscientist Michael Merzenich observed that in cases where a single part of the brain is dysfunctional, adjacent parts re-wired themselves to compensate.

It is not a mere theory but it has been witnessed in actual patients who have recovered after suffering strokes, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other neurological disorders.

It is fascinating to me that it is literally true that the brain can rewrite itself. Studies that were published in the journal, Nature Neuroscience, have indicated that following a stroke, the brain starts to establish new synaptic links in the hours following the injury. Rehabilitation therapy - physical therapy, speech therapy and cognitive exercises- reinforces these new connections. The more one works on a skill that he has lost the better the new brain pathways become. This is the reason why consistency and repetition are to be such a significant aspect of recovery.

A notable study of London taxi drivers is one of the most famous examples of neuroplasticity being applied. It was discovered that the hippocampus which is the memory and navigation part of the brain was much larger in taxi drivers than in other individuals.

This is because they were always utilizing the said section of their brain. This informs us of something very crucial; the brain develops where we are concentrated and concentrated in our efforts. The same can be said of trauma recovery.

The evidence of this is also dominant according to the work of a psychiatrist and researcher, Dr. Norman Doidge, who wrote the book, The Brain That Changes Itself. His book is a compilation of true stories of individuals who had suffered a serious brain damage and had been able to recover through miraculous means all due to neuroplasticity. A stroke patient recovered speech and a patient with paralysis recovered movement because of specific mental and physical work which helped the brain to find other ways.

Also, it is necessary to note that neuroplasticity is not limited to physical recovery. The brain also alters as a result of emotional trauma. Investigations by Dr. Bruce Perry among others have revealed that childhood trauma has the ability to change the development of the prefrontal cortex which is the decision-making and emotional regulation center. The positive thing is that treatment, specifically, trauma-centered cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), has been found to re-pattern these emotional processes, over time, to regain healthier thinking and feeling patterns.

In my opinion the greatest lesson to all this is but one thing the brain has a way of healing. It does not necessarily have to come back to the no-go of what has been previously but it is able to adapt, compensate, and develop. Healing is slow, painful and requires the appropriate support - yet, it is not impossible. Age matters too. Brains that are younger are more plastic, but studies have indicated that adults and even older adults still have significant amounts of neuroplasticity in their life.

Neuroplasticity makes us learn that we should never give up on the brain. Whether you are a patient, a caregiver or just a person curious to discover how the mind works, by knowing this idea, you will make a difference in seeing recovery and the potential in a human being. When damaged, the brain is not a machine that is broken. It is a living system - and a living system is capable of adapting, rebuilding and surprising us on a daily basis.

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