Brain 'rewires' itself

[Legs]

Very rare case, when this fellow was 19 he had a severe brain injury that put him in a coma. Eventually he was conscious and could communicate with some grunting, this went on for about 20 years.

3 years ago he made some startling progress, now he can communicate, count to 25 etc..

nerves in his brain formed new connections at a glacial pace until enough were present to make a network.

Full story here

[Leesifer]

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Leesifer

Best post #2 ever!

[Leesifer]

[godfry n. glad]

I saw that story in the newspaper and immediately knew what it was by the title. I didn't open the thread for fear... :fear: Annie was here.

So... She hasn't got here to gloat yet? Interesting. Maybe she'll start her own thread. Including initimations towards her "prophetic pronouncements"!

Annie can give Elizabeth Clare Prophet a run for the money.

I wonder if she can channel an ancient warrior...or even Crumb. That'd be creepy.

Let the miracles begin!

[quiet bear]

I read this in the paper this morning. Interesting.

[Annie]

Nothing "rare" about it. Happens continuously! ~ especially so, when *positively...encouraged*

Annie

Originally Posted by Legs

Very rare case, when this fellow was 19 he had a severe brain injury that put him in a coma. Eventually he was conscious and could communicate with some grunting, this went on for about 20 years.

3 years ago he made some startling progress, now he can communicate, count to 25 etc..

Full story here

[ImGod]

I'm glad his quality of life is improving.

In another 20 years he may be able to get out of his diapers and feed himself some pudding.

I've told my family to pull the plug. On the ever so slim change I may recover from something like this, I'd want the recovery to be much more. To me, it's not worth the effort after a certain amount of time. But good for him.

[Smilin]

I felt much the way you do, ImGod. I told my wife if ever I was in that situation to pull the plug on me. Thing is, I was in that situation two years ago this July 10, and I'm so happy she didn't take me off life support. For if she had, I would have certainly expired seing that I couldn't breath on my own at the time. Eventually I my respiratory system regained the strength it needed for me to breath on my own.

Eventually, I was able to get out of those diapers and feed myself too!

Oh glorious day!

I really hate to think of what would have happened to my family if she had honored my requests not to be left on life support. They'd be living in poverty still.

[Beth]

I've told my husband that he can pull the plug after a certain time frame, unless I am truly brain dead. I need to write a living will to free my family's conscience over what to do, but I am still a little chicken about it.

I don't see this as a miraculous event, though.

[ImGod]

Originally Posted by Smilin

I felt much the way you do, ImGod. I told my wife if ever I was in that situation to pull the plug on me. Thing is, I was in that situation two years ago this July 10, and I'm so happy she didn't take me off life support. For if she had, I would have certainly expired seing that I couldn't breath on my own at the time. Eventually I my respiratory system regained the strength it needed for me to breath on my own.

Eventually, I was able to get out of those diapers and feed myself too!

Oh glorious day!

I really hate to think of what would have happened to my family if she had honored my requests not to be left on life support. They'd be living in poverty still.

Yes, I've told them to give me a certain amount of time (longer than a week and much shorter than 20 years). The amount will depend on the accident, speed of recovery, and the end quality possible. I'd be really glad to recover like you have, but not as limited of a recovery as this case. Especially, if it takes from age 19 to 42. That would be too big of a drain on my family.

[cappuccino]

Does anybody know of any work being on encouraging the brain to rewire itself or otherwise regress to an higher plasticity state like found during the childhood? In terms of evolution, it made sense for the brain to lose a large degree of its plastic capacity after childhood, but today, retaining the full ability into adulthood would be a tremendous benefit.

[The Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by cappuccino

Does anybody know of any work being on encouraging the brain to rewire itself or otherwise regress to an higher plasticity state like found during the childhood? In terms of evolution, it made sense for the brain to lose a large degree of its plastic capacity after childhood, but today, retaining the full ability into adulthood would be a tremendous benefit.

Some researchers (e.g. Phil Horner at the University of Washington) are studying the feasibility of using stem cells to help increase brain plasticity in adults, and particularly to promote regeneration of neurons in those suffering from degenerative conditions like Parkinson's.

Cheers,

Michael

[Annie]

Originally Posted by cappuccino

In terms of evolution, it made sense for the brain to lose a large degree of its plastic capacity after childhood.

Yes, I know your "plastic-capacity" refers to *neural development*;

but read in a humorous light: Let any "plastic"-brains die out, and become extinct. (lol)

Originally Posted by cappuccino

Today, retaining the full ability into adulthood would be a tremendous benefit.
or otherwise regress to a higher plasticity state like found during childhood?

Simple, just keep regenerating plus continue developing your own abilities...

Originally Posted by cappuccino

Does anybody know of any work being on encouraging the brain to rewire itself

Yes.
Aside my own personal work, as well as helping others, from "traumatic brain injuries" - fully recover, are a couple other people I'm aware of doing such work.

Annie

[Beth]

Originally Posted by The Lone Ranger

Some researchers (e.g. Phil Horner at the University of Washington) are studying the feasibility of using stem cells to help increase brain plasticity in adults, and particularly to promote regeneration of neurons in those suffering from degenerative conditions like Parkinson's.

Cheers,

Michael

I think that this is wonderful. But I am wondering, because the President does not fully support this type of research, what kind of impact is it having on this type of research? -This really might be a topic for another thread, though.

[Shake]

Originally Posted by Beth

the President does not fully support this type of research

In fact, he's actively opposing such research.

"I made it clear to the Congress that I will not allow our nation to cross this moral line," he said. "I felt like crossing this line would be a mistake and once crossed we would find it almost impossible to turn back."

Yeah, his morals!

Several polls have shown a clear majority of Americans support the research, which would use embryos that already exist in fertility clinics and would otherwise be thrown out to search for cures of conditions like diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

Where's the fucking mandate now, beeyotch Bush?

[HyugaHinata]

Originally Posted by Legs

Very rare case, when this fellow was 19 he had a severe brain injury that put him in a coma. Eventually he was conscious and could communicate with some grunting, this went on for about 20 years.

3 years ago he made some startling progress, now he can communicate, count to 25 etc..

Full story here

Sounds wonderful. I guess it shows that half of his brain didn't turn into mush, unlike Terri Schiavo's (and those who wanted to kill Judge Greer ).

Also, he was in a coma, and not in a PVS. I'm sure that this case will improve our knowledge into how the brain works and recovers.

[Annie]

Originally Posted by Annie

Nothing "rare" about it. Happens continuously! ~ especially so, when *positively...encouraged*

Originally Posted by Legs

Very rare case, when this fellow was 19 he had a severe brain injury that put him in a coma. Eventually he was conscious and could communicate with some grunting, this went on for about 20 years.

3 years ago he made some startling progress, now he can communicate, count to 25 etc..

nerves in his brain formed new connections at a glacial pace until enough were present to make a network.
[/QUOTE]
An edit I missed, should've said: Yes, it's rare - but need not be, especially when recovery/development is *positively...encouraged*.

Annie

[RareBear]

Originally Posted by Annie

Nothing "rare" about it. Happens continuously! ~ especially so, when *positively...encouraged*

Not only is that true but it is a greatly overlooked and misunderstood human dvelopment capacity. We grow the interconnections needed to acomodate the challenges we place upon our minds. That means that no one should ever be deemed to have a static intellect and part of a permanent intellectual capacity level. I've personally experinced many occasions where after working hard hypothecizing and running though lots of scenarios in my mind for answers to a particular problem, the answer will just come to me sometime soon thereafter when i am at rest and not even thinking about the problem. Something in my head continues the struggle without my consciousness of it. To do that requires a conduit and neurons and dendrites reach out on their own within the brain to provide that much like muscles in the arms will grow after a period of being challenged. We must find ways to nurture this and cease using memory retention tests as a way to "judge" the potential of a person.

[Goldie]

Yes...the brain rewires itself everyday! That is how it works!
However, some folks are just too far gone...and nothing helps. My mother was severely brain damaged, from a motorcycle accident, and in a comatose state for 9 yrs. We waited those few days/weeks to see if she would come out of it before pulling the plug. When we finally DID pull the plug, she kept on living. Her own breathing took over and her heart kept beating. She was like that Scrivo (spelling?) woman...for 9 years...eyes open, but nobody home. It was a nightmare...and that is putting it mildly. There ARE things worse than death. I KNOW!
Now, my brother, who was in the accident with her, was in a coma for 4 days, and while he lost an ear and cracked his skull...and lost some of his memory...he came out of it and healed just fine,
It is not always so cut and dry...in fact I don't think it EVER is.

[Annie]

Originally Posted by Annie

Nothing "rare" about it. Happens continuously! ~ especially so, when *positively...encouraged*

Originally Posted by RareBear

Not only is that true but it is a greatly overlooked and misunderstood human dvelopment capacity.

Hi,

Editing my statement, served not to 'take-back' my original claim - because in support/agreement with you, other people as well as myself, have been helped after a trauma - in regaining abilities, plus continue developing.

I selfedited, only because the General-public has been taught to regard such matters from sadly-outdated beliefs, and individuals successes are attacked in this group, and others.

Originally Posted by RareBear

We grow the interconnections needed to acomodate the challenges we place upon our minds. That means that no one should ever be deemed to have a static intellect and part of a permanent intellectual capacity level.

Both statements are true, as people have allowed and encouraged such to occur.

Originally Posted by RareBear

I've personally experinced many occasions where after working hard hypothecizing and running though lots of scenarios in my mind for answers to a particular problem, the answer will just come to me sometime soon thereafter when i am at rest and not even thinking about the problem.
Something in my head continues the struggle without my consciousness of it. To do that requires a conduit and neurons and dendrites reach out on their own within the brain, to provide that much like muscles in the arms will grow after a period of being challenged.

And your own minds' abilities can develop beyond this, as you can further discover...

Originally Posted by RareBear

We must find ways to nurture this, and cease using memory retention tests as a way to "judge" the potential of a person.

Yes, *nurturing* as another way of saying "positively... encouraged".
A continuously-updated model of perception helps tremendously in this work.

Cheers !,

Annie

[RareBear]

Originally Posted by Annie

...A continuously-updated model of perception helps tremendously in this work.

Cheers !,

Annie

Yer darn tootin'. Can you imagine living the entire educational experience over again working with persons on an individual basis who really had state of the science insight into models of perception and physiological brain capacity development who posessed actual ethics, technologies and techniques to achieve perception and understanding ideals?

Instead we have people who merely "order" one to go "study"--dosen't matter how or what, just go "study". Unbelievable.

[angrybellsprout]

Talk about old news, or simply stuff that you can find out with the assistance of an 'outdated' psychology textbook.

[Shelli]