Brain Plasticity in babies highlights exciting new discovery for Stroke Survivors

I have just seen this news on brain plasticity and recovery from a Stroke.  Scientists are looking to improve the recovery from a Stroke.  They hope eventually to use drugs to improve the brain plasticity in adults, similar to a child’s.  As a result, this would help the brain to rewire itself.  The study was led by Georgetown University Medical Center and may have positive implications for stroke survivors in the future.

The research was conducted on people aged 12 -25 who had a stroke as a baby.  It shows they can use the exact opposite side of the brain to perform tasks after the stroke.  For example, one article clearly shows an MRI scan with a comparison of two brains undertaking the same task.  It shows the scan of someone who had a stroke as a baby and someone who has been healthy.  The scans show the area in the brain used is the opposite side of someone who had a stroke as a child.  This highlights the plasticity of the brain in babies and children.  As a result, a stroke in a baby does not seem to have the lasting impact that a stroke in an adult would have.

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In conclusion, from this research, it seems scientists hope one day to provide drugs to mimic this.  Allowing a state of plasticity would enable hopefully the brain in adults to rewire, thus improving recovery from a stroke.   It would also hopefully, reduce the impact of disability on stroke survivors in the future.

For further information or links to the research you will find this on :Science News

Additonal detail on this story available from Science Daily