Which Of The Following Defines Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences.
This refers to the brain’s ability to rewire itself in response to changes in the environment or changes in how we use it. It is this plasticity that allows us to learn new skills and form new memories.
The term “neuroplasticity” was first coined by neuroscientist Roger Sperry in the 1950s, but it is only in recent years that we have begun to understand just how plastic the brain really is.
Neuroplasticity occurs at all stages of life, from infancy through to old age. It is thought that babies’ brains are particularly plastic because they are growing and developing so rapidly.
However, it is now clear that even adult brains are capable of making changes in response to experience. For example, London taxi drivers who need to memorize the streets of the city have been found to have larger hippocampi (the part of the brain involved in memory) than people who don’t drive taxis.
It seems that whenever we learn something new or do something repetitively, our brains make physical changes in response. This has major implications for education and for rehabilitation following injury or stroke.