RE: Psychology Addict # 54 | Metacognition, Neuroplasticity & PR’s Incredible Brain.
Thats very interesting. Its incredible what the human brain (or any organisms brain really) is capable of. Neuroplasticity is especially facinating. Its funny how specific regions of the brain have very specific functions normally, but that there are major exceptions to that rule in terms of neuroplasticity. Its like, this part of the brain does XY and Z, but if another part of the brain gets damaged then this part of the brain may compensate by doing any task that it needs to. Lol
I recall a finding from a neuropsychology class I took a while back where researchers found that individuals with vision impairments (blindness...etc) often had enlarged somatosensory regions in their brains. In some cases their visual cortext would also switch from processing visual data to processing other sensory data like touch or hearing or whatever. It would seem that the individuals brain compensated for a lack of vision by increasing the functioning of other brain regions dedicated to other senses.
I know that there were a whole brunch of cool findings like that, but unfortunately I cannot actually remember them enough to discuss them here hahaha :S
Anyway, great post!
Hey @leaky20 :D
I'm so pleased you found this post interesting! I found this study particularly fascinating and it took me a while to find a way (in my head) to write it in a manner that wouldn't send people straight to sleep 😂 What you said about the brain is spot on! Well, the days when it was believed that "this little area here is exclusively responsible for this function and that one for that, seem to be, thank God!, long gone :)
Interesting info you provided here about compensatory systems in blind individuals. It brought to mind a piece of research I came across a while back that points to the possibility of cortical blindness protecting people from developing schizophrenia. For reasons similar to the ones you highlighted here : early developmental neuroplasticity that compensates and/or enhances brain processes (e.g. sound perception and construction of subjective experiences), which often don't function well in individuals living with schizophrenia :)
Thank you @leaky20, for your constant, encouraging support.
You guys take care over there!