Guest columnist Dr. Amy Jo Marcano-Reik, Ph.D., teaches on faculty at Baldwin Wallace University (her undergraduate alma mater) and John Carroll University. She is pursuing her M.D. degree through Northeast Ohio Medical University-Cleveland State University Partnership for Urban Health, and was awarded the Forest City Enterprises Scholarship. She recently published the book, Brain and Spinal Cord Plasticity: An Interdisciplinary and Integrative Approach for Behavior, Cognition and Health.
Many of us have heard the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." However, it appears that you can, in fact, teach an old dog new tricks, thanks - in part - to brain plasticity. Plasticity is the "plastic" ability of the brain to change and mold in response to experience, which includes new information and sensations, such as touch and taste.
For example, every time a child learns a new word or experiences a new flavor of ice cream, the child's brain changes; brain cells fire, pathways connect, structures develop, and, eventually, preference develops. Perhaps the child likes the pistachio-flavored ice cream, and that becomes part of their "taste repertoire." And, perhaps, after a number of training sessions, the "old dog" (finally) learns to roll over.
[For more of this story go to http://www.cleveland.com/metro...er_of_your_brai.html]
Comments (0)