Over the last twenty years there has been an explosive growth in our understanding of the molecular, cellular, and anatomical changes that occur in the days and weeks following brain injury. It is now clear that training and exposure to certain environments can modify and shape neuronal plasticity in lower animals and humans. In humans, in particular, there are new ways of charting neuronal plasticity at the ensemble or regional level using functional neuroimaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, the time seems right for transporting the laboratory results to the clinic so that experimental findings can be tested in the "field". This volume provides some impetus to moving the field of cognitive neuroscience a little further in its efforts to improve the lives of patients who have suffered a debilitating brain injury.

The Dyslexic Brain: New Pathways in Neuroscience Discovery offers a state-of-the art examination of the neural components and functions involved in reading and in the possible sources of breakdown. Suggestions for intervention are introduced throughout the book. The book is based on presentations at a summer 2004 symposium, which was part of an ongoing symposia series titled, “The Extraordinary Brain,” convened by The Dyslexia Foundation. The participants are top scholars in the multidisciplinary research programs related to the neuroscience of brain development in general and reading disorders in specific. The Dyslexic Brain: New Pathways in Neuroscience Discovery will be important to researchers and scholars interested in dyslexia, as well as those interested in issues involving the cognitive consequences of unusual brain development. Graduate students looking at reading and reading disorders in schools of education and communication disorders will also find substantial new information.

Written by leading experts in the field, this invaluable text situates the practice of cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation in the latest research from neurobiology and cognitive neuroscience. Initial chapters review current findings on neuronal injury, plasticity, and recovery. The volume next examines the neurobiology of core cognitive domains--attention, memory, language, visuospatial awareness, and executive functioning--focusing on the processes underpinning both healthy and impaired functioning. Highlighting the practical applications of the research, authors describe available interventions in each domain and set forth clear recommendations for clinical practice. Also addressed are ways to understand and manage challenging behaviors, such as aggression, that may emerge in brain-injured persons. The concluding chapter provides overall strategies for helping people recover from the two most common forms of acquired neurological disability: traumatic brain injury and stroke.

This volume of Progress in Brain Research focuses on the applying brain plasticity to advance and recover human ability. The volume starts off discussing brain plasticity in the young, adults and old brains with follow on discussions regarding the type of neuroscience-based training that is on offer in impaired child populations as well as discussing the therapeutics involved in adults. - Applying brain Plasticity and advances and recover human ability

“Fascinating. Doidge’s book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain.”—Oliver Sacks, MD, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat What is neuroplasticity? Is it possible to change your brain? Norman Doidge’s inspiring guide to the new brain science explains all of this and more An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable, and proving that it is, in fact, possible to change your brain. Psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity, its healing powers, and the people whose lives they’ve transformed—people whose mental limitations, brain damage or brain trauma were seen as unalterable. We see a woman born with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole, blind people who learn to see, learning disorders cured, IQs raised, aging brains rejuvenated, stroke patients learning to speak, children with cerebral palsy learning to move with more grace, depression and anxiety disorders successfully treated, and lifelong character traits changed. Using these marvelous stories to probe mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture, and education, Dr. Doidge has written an immensely moving, inspiring book that will permanently alter the way we look at our brains, human nature, and human potential.

Stroke survivors, health care professionals working in rehabilitation, and anyone whose life has been affected by a stroke, will find critical information in Highs, Lows, and Plateaus. Anne Burleigh Jacobs, PT, PhD, a neuroscientist and a physical therapist with a successful track record of helping patients recover from stroke, explores complex topics in an easy-to-understand and conversational tone. Using real examples and powerful analogies, she leads readers along a path of recovery. From the initial injury, to mechanisms of recovery, to the future of rehabilitation, you will get guidance on: recognizing the initial signs of a stroke and the importance of emergency treatment; understanding the physical and neural processes associated with rehabilitation; understanding the concepts of neuroplasticity that drive recovery of the brain; providing useful resources and ideas to progress one through the stages of recovery from stroke. Dismissing the negative connotations of plateau, this book provides hope and inspiration along the continuum of recovery. Each step along the path is supported by basic science, concepts of neuroplasticity, and the resilience of the human spirit. Filled with illustrations, this guidebook to recovery from stroke also includes information that can be helpful to those who have suffered a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. Dr. Jacobs is innovative and displays initiative in developing new ideas to help people with neurological disabilities. In her private practice, she was among the first in applying the concepts of neuroplasticity in therapy. Jack and Cyndy Bradley, stroke survivors