Neuroplasticity and Blindness
Neuroplasticity refers to the tendency of the brain to continuously change and adapt throughout one's life. While there is a higher degree of plasticity during childhood while the brain is still developing, the brain continues to adapt even through adulthood.
Cortical remapping refers to a large scale remapping of the brain that occurs in response to a loss of particular sensation. For example, following an amputation of the right leg, the region of the brain in the sensory cortex that maps to the right leg is no longer relevant, leading to cortical remapping, or the reorganization of neurons in that region of the brain. Sometimes, cortical remapping can go wrong, leading to symptoms like phantom limb pain (PLP). Neuroplasticity occurs to a greater extent during young childhood, which accounts for the fact that children who go blind before 3 years or are born blind compensate with other senses. The brain is a magical place and adapts to our lives as we go.
Cortical remapping refers to a large scale remapping of the brain that occurs in response to a loss of particular sensation. For example, following an amputation of the right leg, the region of the brain in the sensory cortex that maps to the right leg is no longer relevant, leading to cortical remapping, or the reorganization of neurons in that region of the brain. Sometimes, cortical remapping can go wrong, leading to symptoms like phantom limb pain (PLP). Neuroplasticity occurs to a greater extent during young childhood, which accounts for the fact that children who go blind before 3 years or are born blind compensate with other senses. The brain is a magical place and adapts to our lives as we go.
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