Discuss brain plasticity. When is the brain the most plastic? What evidence does research on brain-damaged children and adults provide?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A highly plastic cerebral cortex, in which many areas are not yet committed to specific functions, has a high capacity for learning. And if a part of the cortex is damaged, other parts can take over the tasks it would have handled. But once the hemispheres lateralize, damage to a specific region means that the abilities it controls cannot be recovered to the same extent or as easily as earlier. Researchers study when brain lateralization occurs to learn more about brain plasticity.
At birth, the hemispheres have already begun to specialize. The brain is more plastic during the first few years than it will be ever again. An overabundance of synaptic connections supports brain plasticity, ensuring that young children will acquire certain capacities even if some areas are damaged. And although the cortex is programmed from the start for hemispheric specialization, experience greatly influences the rate and success of its advancing organization.
Research on brain-damaged children and adults offers dramatic evidence for substantial plasticity in the young brain. Consistently, adults who suffered brain injuries in infancy and early childhood show fewer cognitive impairments than adults with later-occurring injuries. Nevertheless, the young brain is not totally plastic. When it is injured, its functioning is compromised. The extent of plasticity depends on several factors, including age at time of injury, site of damage, and skill area.