PsychologyCode Series – Article 2 [ Originally Written on July 21, 2013 ]
Neuroplasticity: An Introduction
Over the next while I will be preparing a series of instalments on the subject of neuroplasticity. During this first instalment I will briefly explain neuroplasticity, mention previous thoughts on the subject, and provide a remarkable example from the late 60s; a device which can allow the blind to see.
The word Neuroplasticity refers to the brains incredible ability to change and mold. The first part of the word ‘neuro’ comes from the word neuron. Neurons are the ‘thinking’ cells which interconnect and make up your brain. The second part of the word ‘plasticity’ refers to the characteristic of plastic which allows it to be easily shaped, changed, and molded. Previously when scientists adopted a mechanical view of the world they also formed the belief that the brain must too function this way. From this further damaging beliefs were born, such as damaged brain cells could not be replaced. Due to this self-limiting belief many people simply lived accordingly under the impression that their brain will not regenerate. Some scientists, however, refused to believe this mechanical model, and designed experiments to explore the belief that the brain can change itself.
One such scientist by the name of Paul Bach-y-Rita designed an experiment to test these limits. If neuroplasticity was as powerful as he hypothesized, he believed that he could create a machine to remap sight through the sense of touch. As we discussed in the previous article, it is not the eyes which see (or perceive), the eyes simply gather information; it is the brain that sees. If we can get sight information into the brain another way then all the brain has to do is change itself to process those signals in the same way it would have done with vision. The scientist created a special chair in which the patient would sit capable of remapping the sense of sight. There was a camera connected to a square array of ‘electric stimulators’ on the chair. The visual signals were then transmitted in the form of tiny shocks along the patients back. If there was an object in the upper left part of the cameras visual field the upper left section of the patients back would be stimulated.
Remarkably the patients brain was able to rewire itself to such an extreme extent that during tests the blind patient was able to recognize symbols, words, and even people faces. Upon seeing someone they patient could even describe characteristics about them,
such as: ‘Oh, that’s Mary. She has glasses on and is wearing her hair down’.
I hope this give you a very brief introduction the realization that the brain not only can change and learn, but it is changing continually. With this, it is also very true that the brain is a muscle, and just like a muscle as you exercise it your performance will improve. In the following instalments we will go into greater depths, discuss some more eye-opening studies (including the accident and recovery of Phineas Gage), and I will provide resources that can be used to exercise and strengthen your brain.
More Information:
Paul Bach-y-Rita, Neuroplasticity, and Sensory Substitution
SeeingSharp 
