ABSTRACT
Research in the field of neurosciences and genetics has given us great insight into the understanding of learning, behavior and changes in the brain in response to experience. It is seen that brain is dynamically changing throughout life and is capable of tearing at any time. Plastic reorganization of the brain is now being studied in children and adults with new noninvasive tools such as functional brain magnetic resonance imaging. Increasing evidence demonstrates that neuroplasticity, a fundamental mechanism of neuronal adaptation, is disrupted in mood disorders. Here we provide an overview of the evidence that chronic stress, which can precipitate or exacerbate depression, disrupts neuroplasticity, while antidepressant treatment produces opposing effects and can enhance neuroplasticity. Promising therapies that may enhance training-induced cognitive and motor learning, such as brain stimulation and neuropharmacological interventions, were identified, along with questions of how best to use this body of information to reduce human disability. Improved understanding of adaptive mechanisms at every level, from molecules to synapses, to networks, to behaviour, can be gained from iterative collaborations between basic and clinical researchers. Improved means of assessing neuroplasticity in humans, including biomarkers for predicting and monitoring treatment response, are needed. Neuroplasticity occurs with many variations, in many forms, and in many contexts. However, common themes in plasticity that emerge across diverse central nervous system conditions include experience dependence, time sensitivity and the importance of motivation and attention. Integration of information across disciplines should enhance opportunities for the translation of neuroplasticity and circuit retraining research into effective clinical therapies. Understanding how the brain's circuitry is sculpted during development provides an important perspective for thinking about neurodevelopmental disorders.
Keywords: neuroplasticity, plastic, remodel, neuropharmacological interventions
INTRODUCTION
Neuroplasticity refers to the inherently dynamic biological capacity of the central nervous system (CNS) to undergo maturation, change structurally and functionally in response to experience and to adapt following injury.