Essay On Neuroplasticity

The goal of the current proposal is to recognise what neuroplasticity is, how it works and the result of change due to injury. Neuroplasticity; (derived from the root words neutron and plastic, the word neuron meaning the nerve cells in our brain and the word plastic meaning to mold, sculpt or modify) refers to the brains potential to reorganise itself, alter its structure and change its function by creating new neural pathways, to necessarily adapt to circumstances due to injury, growth or acquirements. Neurons next to damaged brain areas have the ability to reconnect pathways between other neurons, forming new circuits that can resume some of the lost function. Past research suggested that the adult human brain was incapable of neurogenesis …show more content…
EXPERIMENT 1:
Title: Scratching a phantom limb
Participant/s: Victor Quintero 
Research Conductor: V.S. Ramachandran 
Aim: To analyse and investigate the suggestion of the physical feeling of a phantom limb.
Hypothesis: “the strip of cortex that processes input from the face takes over the area that originally received input from a now missing hand” ~ V.S Ramachandran
Summary of results: Scratching a Phantom Limb:

Procedures Summary: Victor Quintero had lost his left arm due to serious injury. Neuroscientist; Ramachandran, had Victor sit still with his eyes closed and lightly brushed Victors left cheek with a cotton swab. Victor proclaimed that he could feel it on the back of his absent hand. Ramachandran touched Victors right cheek and he felt it on his absent thumb. Victors upper lip was touched and it appeared to have triggered a sensation on his absent index finger. When Victors left nostril was touched, it triggered a somatosensory sensation-tingling on his absent pinkie. When Victor experienced an itch on his phantom hand, scratching his chin would relieve the