For the first time, researchers are beginning to identify key ways to reprogram the impaired brain through addition, removal, and stimulation of brain tissue and through environmental stimulation-bringing the brain back to healthy function similar to that achieved for other organs. Research on the effects of brain injury provides significant insights regarding neural plasticity.
Plasticity involves an intricate interaction of endogenous and exogenous factors.
New research is addressing important scientific issues regarding what factors enhance or exacerbate functional recovery after brain injury and developing innovative ways to manipulate and measure recovery mechanisms to maximize the brain s ability to reorganize after injury. New breakthroughs in manipulating brain recovery through neural transplantation, stimulation, and excision as well as behavioral stimulation approaches are discussed along with utilization of advanced brain imaging technology to measure reorganization of the central nervous system. One goal is to link how exogenous treatments impact endogenous factors. The presentations will examine whether brain adaptability can be enhanced with newly developed interventions and how treatment effectiveness can be elucidated through computational models and brain imaging. Mechanisms that promote recovery will be identified.