Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, can be defined as the ability of the nervous system to alter its activity in response to a stimulus by reorganizing its structure, function, and neuronal ...

For most of the 20th century, the scientific consensus held that the adult brain was essentially fixed, unable to grow new connections or recover lost function after a critical window in childhood.

The evidence and concept of adult neurogenesis have been documented in the scientific literature since the 1960s, with research conducted by Altman (1962) and Altman and Das (1965). These studies have ...

The brain is known to develop gradually throughout the human lifespan, following a hierarchical pattern. First, it adapts to support basic functions, such as movement and sensory perception, then it ...

For much of modern history, the brain was seen as largely fixed by the end of childhood. Intelligence, personality, and ability were believed to follow a mostly predetermined biological path.