Abstract
Throughout this chapter I will be talking about plasticity in the central nervous system. Although the concept is central to both biological and psychological development, the term plasticity has been used in so many different ways that it has lost much of its meaning For example, almost any change in behavior or in an organism’s response to stimuli can be taken as an example of plasticity. Here, I will try to define the term in a way that makes sense for people in the neurosciences as well as in psychology, then I will give some specific examples of the kinds of plasticity that can be seen in both the developing and mature nervous system. Over the last decade, despite the problem of how to define the term adequately, there has been a major revolution in ideas about how the nervous system functions, how it develops, and what actually represents “plasticity.”
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Attella, M., Nattinville, A., &Stein, D. G. (1987). Hormonal state affects recovery from frontal cortex lesions in adults females rats. Behavioral and Neural Biology, 48, 352–367.
Baudry, M., &Lynch, G. W. (1984). Glutamate receptor regulation and the substrates of memory. In G. Lynch, J. L. McGaugh, &N. M. Weinberger (Eds.), Neurobiology of learning and memory (pp. 431–450 ). New York: Guilford Press.
Bregman, B., &Goldberger, M. (1982). Anatomical plasticity and sparing of function after spinal cord damage in neonatal cats. Science, 237, 553–555.
Bregman, E., &Goldberger, M. (1983a). Infant lesion effect: II. Sparing and recovery of function after spinal cord damage in newborn and adult cats. Developmental Brain Research, 8, 119–135.
Bregman, B. S., &Goldberger, M. E. (1983b). Infant lesion effect: III. Anatomical correlates of sparing and recovery of function after spinal cord damage in newborn and adult cats. Developmental Brain Research, 9, 137–154.
Cajal, S. (1928). Degeneration and regeneration of the central nervous system (R. M. May, Trans.). London: Oxford University Press.
Dalyrimple-Alford, J. D., &Kelche, C. (1985). Behavioral effects of pre-operative-postoperative differential housing in rats with brain lesions: A review. In B. E. Will, P. Schmitt, D. C. Dalyrimple-Alford (Eds.), Brain plasticity, learning and memory. Advances in behavioral biology (Vol. 28, pp. 441–458 ). New York: Plenum Press.
Descarries, L., Baudet, A., &Watkins, K. C. (1975). Serotonin nerve terminals in adult rat neocortex. Brain Research, 100, 563–588.
Earle, E. (1987). Lesion size and recovery of function: Some new perspectives. Brain Research Reviews, 12, 307–320.
Feeney, D. M., Gonzalez, A., &Law, W. A. (1982). Amphetamine, haloperidal and experience interact to affect rate of recovery after motor cortex injury. Science, 217, 885–857.
Feeney, D. M., &Sutton, R. (1987). Pharmacotherapy for recovery of function after brain injury. Critical Reviews in Neurobiology, 3, 135–197.
Gazzaniga, M. (1974). Determinants of cerebral recovery. In D. G. Stein, J. J. Rosen, &N. Butters (Eds.), Plasticity and recovery of function in the CNS (pp. 203–216 ). New York: Academic Press.
Geschwind, N. (1985). Mechanisms of change after brain lesions. In R. Nottebohm (Ed.), Hope for a new neurology, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 457, 1–11.
Gollin, E. S. (1981). Development and plasticity. In B. S. Gollin (Ed.), Developmental plasticity: Behavioral and biological aspects of variation in development. New York: Academic Press.
Greenough, W., &Chang, P. F. (1985). Synaptic structural correlates of information storage in mammalian nervous system. In C. W. Cotman (Ed.), Synaptic plasticity (pp. 335–374 ). New York: Guilford Press.
Hebb, D. O. (1949). The organization of Behavior. New York: Wiley Press.
Hovda, D. A., &Feeney D. M. (1984). Amphetamine with experience promotes recovery of locomotor function after unilateral frontal cortex injury in the cat. Brain Research, 298, 358.
John, E. R., Tang, Y., Brill, A. B., Young, R., &Ono, H. (1986). Double-labeled metabolic maps of memory. Science, 233, 1167–1175.
Kalil, R. E., &Schneider, G. E. (1975). Abnormal synaptic connections of the optic tract in the thalamus after midbrain lesions in newborn hamsters. Brain Research, 100, 690–698.
Kandel, E. R., &Schwartz, J. H. (1981). Principles of neuroscience. Amsterdam: Elsevier North-Holland.
Kaplan, B. (1983). A trio of trials. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Developmental psychology: Historical and philosophical perspectives (pp. 185–228 ). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Kelche, C., &Will, B. (1982). Effects of postoperative environments following dorsal hippocampal lesion on dendritic branching and spines in rat occipital cortex. Brain Research, 245, 107–115.
Kertesz, A. (1983). Localization in neuropsychology (p. 18). New York: Academic Press. Kuhn, T. ( 1970 ). The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Kuhn, T. (1977). The essential tension. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Nieto-Sampedro, M. (1988). Growth factor induction and order of events in CNS repair. In D. G. Stein &B. A. Sabel (Eds.), Pharmacological approaches to the treatment of brain and spinal cord injury (pp. 301–338 ). New York: Plenum Press.
Nottebohm, F. (1985). Neuronal replacement in adulthood. In F. Nottebohm (Ed.), Hope for a new neurology (pp. 143–162). Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 457.
Raisman, G. (1978). What hope for repair of the brain? Annals of Neurology, 3, 101–106.
Scheff, S. W., Hoff, S. F., &Anderson, N. J. (1986). Altered regulation of lesion-induced synaptogenesis by adrenalectomy and corticosterone in young adult rats. Experimental Neurology, 93, 456–470.
Schneider, G. (1979). Is it really better to have your brain damage early? A revision of the “Kennard Principle. ” Neuropsychologie, 17, 557–583.
Schneider, G., &Jhaveri, S. (1974). Neuroanatomical correlates of spared or altered function after brain lesions in the newborn hamster. In D. G. Stein, J. J. Rosen, &N. Butters (Eds.), Plasticity and recovery of function in the CNS (pp. 65–110 ). New York: Academic Press.
Slavin, M. D., Laurence, S., &Stein, D. G. (1988). Another look at vicariation. In S. Finger, T. E. LeVere, C. R. Almli, &D. G. Stein (Eds.), Brain injury and recovery: Theoretical and controversial issues (pp. 165–180 ). New York: Plenum Press.
Thompson, R. F. (1986). The neurobiology of learning and memory. Science, 223, 941–947.
Thompson, R. (1978). A behavioral atlas of the rat brain. New York: Oxford University Press.
Valenstein, E. S., Cox, V. C., &Kakolewski, J. W. (1968). Modification of motivated behavior elicited by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus. Science, 158, 1118–1121.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Stein, D.G. (1989). Development and Plasticity in the Central Nervous System. In: Ardila, A., Ostrosky-Solis, F. (eds) Brain Organization of Language and Cognitive Processes. Critical Issues in Neuropsychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0799-0_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0799-0_12
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8088-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0799-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive