Neuroplasticity
– a theory in formation. One aspect is
clear about medicine. It is a latecomer
to the application of modern scientific methods, essentially beginning only in
the late 19th century. In medicine,
there is so much to discover that we may say many of the discoveries of the
early 20th century were the reaping of the proverbial low-hanging
fruit. It was only the examination of
phenomena from a rigorous viewpoint that proved fruitful to medical
discovery. It advanced quickly and
profoundly during the entire 20th century, using microbiology,
chemistry, physics, and even engineering to examine the physical human resulting
great discoveries. Thus, medicine
provides a fertile are to examine the development of theories from their
grounding to maturity.
From the 15th up to the 20th century,
neurology was focused on the theory of localization,
meaning that certain areas of the brain were dedicated irrevocably to certain
mental activities. There were literal
maps of the brain demonstrating this. Making precise the question of which areas of
the brain control which functions was among others the research of Paul Broca
(1824–1880). He believed that by
studying the brains of cadavers (he had hundreds) this determination could be
made. This was the subject of a book by
Carl Sagan (1934-1996), published in 1979[1].
Neuroplasticity
is a generalized term that refers to the brains ability to change during a
lifetime. Included are its ability to change during select inputs, to change due
to thought, to re-purpose neural pathways from one function to another. It applies to almost everything we do
mentally. It cannot be escaped in the
sense your brain may be different from day-to-day. One interesting conclusion is that among the
elderly, the continued use of the brain into old age keeps it vibrant, often
times functioning as a much younger brain.
The concept is hardly new philosophically, but quite
new analytically. The great philosopher Immanuel
Kant (1724-1804), at the age of 70, wrote an essay on how to master the powers
of mind by resolution. One principle was
to breath only through the nose. Not much science was evident in the essay, but
as with many proto theories, intuitive thought preceded actual theory.
Neuroplasticity began the (very) early 20th
century phenomenon, seeming to originate in the seminal work of William James[2], though observations were
made in earlier centuries. Ignored at
the time, it contrasts with the idea that the brain develops during childhood,
reaching a steady and constant state in the teen years. However, early research was conducted over the
next few decades, also somewhat ignored.
It seems to have taken off in the 1960’s with the work of Paul Bach-y-Rita
(1934-2006), who invented a devise to help blind people “see” words, shadows,
and distance using neural pathways connect to touch. In some cases stroke
victims were able to regain the use lost limbs through cleverly devised mechanisms
that encouraged the brain to use other neural pathways. Remarkably, once the brain was rewired, the
devises were no longer needed, implying a permanent change.
In another example, a man with a severed arm
experienced for years phantom pain from the severed limb. By using a simple devise using mirrors, the
brain was somehow (note this word) able to eliminate this pain. In another
example, a woman who had permanently lost balance control was able to reconnect
balance into her brain by using a device through her tongue nerves. Even more
remarkable, subjects were able to stimulate appropriate parts of their mind
simply by thinking through particular actions, such as playing piano chords. Neuroplasticity seems to work for persons of
any age, giving rise to the hope and potential reality that mental aging
actually is a myth, at least partly.
Where is neuroplasticity as a theory? Fundamentally, there is a single axiom or
hypothesis. The brain is “plastic” in
nature being able to adapt neural pathways from one purpose to another. In
many, if not most cases, devises seem to be needed to effect this, though
thinking in and of itself seems also applicable. The subject is so new and so potentially
powerful that future applications seem almost without bound. As the theory, its
status is remarkably primitive. With the
single hypothesis and belief in its efficacy, researchers are continually
devising new methods for empowering the plasticity of the brain to more and
more situations where some brain function seems lost. Yet, the theory is not quite advanced to
explain how or why the brain has this ability.
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