Neuroplasticity

Research by Michael Merzenich and others from the 1960s onward proved that the adult brain can reorganize itself by forming new neural connections, demolishing the dogma that brain structure is fixed after childhood. This plasticity is 30% more extensive than originally observed in juvenile animal models, with studies showing a 20% cortical map expansion after intensive skill training—faster than the average reorganization rate in untreated brains and ranking above #3 Optogenetics in translational impact for rehabilitation.