Another Step Past the Pre-Plasticity Era
A really exciting development:
“Georgetown University and MedStar National Rehabilitation Network announced today a new research and patient care partnership that extends the boundaries of neuroscience. The new Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery marks the launch of a rare research continuum spanning basic and translational science in brain recovery. The Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery focuses on the study of neural plasticity, the biological process that underlies the brain’s ability to learn and develop.
Researchers say plasticity offers a powerful recovery tool in conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease. By understanding brain plasticity mechanisms, scientists can broaden the research focus on finding ways to reverse the effects of neurological damage and disease.” Read more here.
This center is a sign that the research community, and the rest of society, is moving out of the pre-plasticity era—when we thought the brain had little capacity to change—and into an embrace of the brain’s amazing malleability.