Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change its structure and it's one of the most important medical discoveries in recent history. As we go through life, our brains change in response to what happens. But what does this mean?
Psychiatrist Norman Doidge says neuroplasticity gives the brain the ability to heal itself. Our brains constantly re-wire themselves through everyday activities like learning new skills. In his new book, Doidge covers neuroplasticity-based treatment methods that involve using energy like light, sound, and vibration to jumpstart the brain's own healing mechanisms. Doidge cites cases where patients with chronic pain, MS, or stroke side effects became healthier.
This all sounds too good to be true. How does it work and does it really work?
Guest:
- Dr. Norman Doidge, lecturer in Psychiatry at the Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research at Columbia University and author of The Brain's Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity