What is brain plasticity?

[scilearner]

Hello everyone,

 

Ok I read the definitions. I think it is how the brain learns from mistakes, and remembers stuff and rewires itself. But I would still like to get someone's else's opinion on this. Thanks

[SMF]

In the most general sense, brain "plasticity" refers to changes in the wiring, or connectivity, of neurons. This was originally studied as the response to damage, such as a stroke or impact injury, but has progressed to mean just about any change in neurons in number and the interconnections between them, especially at the synapse level. If you think about it, every change in our behavior that involves learning and memory, including motor memory, have to involve some sort of molecular, physiological, or anatomical change in the brain. Further, having thought about it, you have made a change in your brain. SM

[Ringer]

As defined in Biological Psychology; Sixth Edition(Breedlove, 2010), "Plasticity refers to the ability of the nervous system to change in response to experience or the environment."

In a very simple sense it is the way a brain can change. Mainly plasticity refers 2 things, depending on what you're reading about when it is discussed, 1.) how the brain recovers from damage or 2.) Connections in the brain increasing/decreasing from use/disuse

[StringJunky]

I think the proper neuroscientific term is Neuroplasticity.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity

[steevey]

Changes in your brain happen all the time according to your behaviors, habits and how you deal with situations. In your brain, all the neurons are connected in some way, whether its directly or through a chain of other neurons. When a signal is generated by a single neuron, it sends it to other neurons in the same part of the brain which have their specific capacities and memories stored. So depending on the decision you make, your brain will re-wire itself to better connect with different things to make it more easy for a behavior pattern to happen. If a neuron re-wires from another neuron, then it's possible that the signal from the original neuron now has to travel though 10 other neurons rather then just directly to it. All your experiences connect your neurons in specific ways to each other.

[scilearner]

Thanks for all replied