Among all of the fascinating aspects of the human brain and its abilities, its plastic nature is something that, in my opinion, stands out as particularly interesting. The plasticity of the brain refers to the organ’s ability to rewire itself in respect to one’s experiences and interactions with their environment. A specific example of the brain’s ability to change its wiring is when one acquires a new skill (such as a second language); the brain’s plasticity is the basis of one’s ability to learn and acquire new information!
In their 2016 paper titled Early bilingualism, language attainment, and brain development, Berken et al. explore the mechanisms and larger trends associated with brain development in conjunction with early postnatal bilingualism/language acquisition. They highlight the advantages of studying neural plasticity in bilinguals to analyze how the brain wires itself when it learns a skill early on in life, versus later, after the brain’s circuitry is less plastic and language pathways are already fully developed. In their review of a multitude of findings, they conclude that language acquisition is “…likely determined by a series of nested optimal periods of variable onset, offset, and duration that are influenced by both pre-programmed molecular signals and sensory experience” (224). Overall, in this paper, the researchers’ primary conclusion is that language acquisition is “...likely determined by a series of…optimal periods of variable onset, offset, and duration that are influenced by both pre-programmed molecular signals and sensory experience (Werker and Hensch, 2015)” (224). To make that more digestible for a non-scientific audience, this essentially means that the acquisition of language is determined by the time in which one learns it; this time is determined by biological actions at the molecular level, and one’s experiences as well. Furthermore they go on to say that when exposed to two languages from birth, there is equal proficiency in both languages due to the fact that the brain early on in life is especially plastic and “...the window for language development is open and because the brain has the capacity to rather easily streamline the wiring of neural circuitry serving the two languages” (224).
In her article titled Neuroplasticity: There is Always Hope After Stroke, Katie Brown aims to highlight the role of neuroplasticity in helping stroke victims recover from their brain injuries. Although strokes can be devastating and leave people in seemingly hopeless situations, Brown assures that “...those who experience a stroke or brain injury can continue to improve even years later. Our brains are able to relearn, restore, and compensate for damage that may have occurred” (Brown 1). Although the scientific paper by Berken et al. focuses on the very plastic nature of the brain during language acquisition in the first few years of one’s life, Brown’s article asserts that, despite the brain being more plastic in those early years of life, it remains plastic throughout one’s lifetime. She uses modern neuroscientific knowledge to give hope to individuals who were victims of strokes by highlighting the basics of neuroplasticity, and how one can go about relearning abilities they lost to regain some sort of function that may have been lost.
Conclusively, the crossover between Berken et al.'s paper and Brown’s article is evident upon inspection: the cross between knowledge achieved from research and the clinical implications of said knowledge are fascinating. Although both pieces of writing address the brain’s plasticity in different contexts, the underlying theme is the same: this remarkable ability can allow for recovery from strokes, underlies the ability to learn, and allows one to adapt to their environments.
References:
Berken, J. A., Gracco, V. L., & Klein, D. (2017). Early bilingualism, language attainment, and brain development. Neuropsychologia, 98, 220–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.031
Brown, Katie. “Neuroplasticity: There Is Always Hope after Stroke.” Neuro Speech Solutions, Neuro Speech Solutions, 7 Dec. 2021, https://www.neurospeechsolutions.com/client-blog/about-neuroplasticity-speech-therapy.
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