Exploring the brain’s ability to rewire itself
By Seth D. Torregiani, D.O.
Neuroplasticity is a term that describes the ability of the brain to adapt and grow in response to stimuli throughout life. Though still in its infancy, this fascinating field of study is already having an impact on the treatment of neurologic and psychiatric illness such as stroke, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
Until recently, conventional scientific thinking held that the brain finishes developing by early childhood. No new brain cells (or neurons) grow after about 3 years of age, though new connections between them are created as we mature and experience new stimuli. Furthermore, specific areas of the brain that control specific brain or bodily functions are fixed and static.
According to this view, if an area of the brain was damaged from, say, a stroke, then that area was essentially dead and there was little hope of recovery of the injured function. Likewise, the most that a person who suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder could hope for was to suppress symptoms with medications or therapy without altering the essential nature, or course, of the disease.
Neuroplasticity is demonstrating that the brain, rather than being a fixed organ incapable of further growth, can actually grow new neurons throughout life, even into old age, can recruit areas to support damaged functions, and can even override dysfunctional circuits that lead to disorders such as depression and OCD. These findings, I believe, give hope to patients who suffer from neurologic or psychiatric diseases that their illnesses are not terminal conditions but may be amenable to treatment.
The key to utilizing the brain’s plasticity for therapeutic effect is to be able to train the mind by constantly exposing it to new stimuli. This may be helpful not only for treatment of established diseases but may also help prevent the onset of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
For example, Dr. Edward Taub, a neuroscientist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has pioneered a unique method of rehabilitation for victims of stroke and other neurologic injuries. Called constraint-induced (or CI) therapy, Taub and his associates help patients improve motor function in limbs affected by stroke by restricting movement in the less affected extremity and encouraging, through intensive therapy, use of the more affected limb. This technique helps to rewire the brain to use and control the affected extremity to a greater degree than might otherwise be possible.
Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz, a psychiatrist at UCLA School of Medicine, has developed a form of mindfulness meditation to help patients suffering from OCD retrain their minds so that they learn to ignore the messages from their brain that trigger compulsive behavior. The technique was successful in significantly reducing OCD symptoms and giving the patients the feeling that they were no longer controlled by their condition.
Furthermore, Schwartz and his colleagues then performed PET scans on the brains of eighteen OCD patients before and after participation in a mindfulness meditation program. The PET scan in 12 patients showed reduced activity in the area of the brain associated with OCD. This landmark study demonstrated that training the mind profoundly impacts brain chemistry and function.
Other areas of research in this burgeoning field include whether constantly challenging the mind to learn new skills (such as a foreign language or a musical instrument) can stave off Alzheimer’s disease, the use of mindfulness mediation to prevent recurrence of depression and many other areas.
This field may hold hope for the treatment of diseases once thought incurable or untreatable. It may be that turning inward and training our minds can be more therapeutic for many conditions than looking outside ourselves for the latest medication or medical technology.
This article originally appeared in The Delaware News Journal on January 29, 2008
Dr. Seth Torregiani practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, acupuncture and integrative medicine in Newark, DE. He has recently added facial rejuvenation acupuncture to his practice. For more information, call (302) 266-9010 or visit www.dr-seth.com.