“Re-Learning" to Remodel the Adult Damaged Brain: Experience-Driven Competition in Neural Mechanisms of Stroke Recovery

Theresa A. Jones, PhD

Professor, Psychology Department & Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin

This talk focuses on the integral role of behavioral experience in the reorganization of the adult brain after it is damaged.  The natural regenerative responses to stroke interact with neural mechanisms of learning to shape brain remodeling responses in a time-dependent manner.  There are likely to be sensitive windows of opportunity for capitalizing on this interaction to optimize functional outcome with neuro-rehabilitation, as well as windows of risk for stamping in maladaptive patterns of brain reorganization that are difficult to later reverse.