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SUMMARY:The plastic brain - Prof Colin Blakemore
DTSTART:20090521T190000Z
DTEND:20090521T203000Z
UID:TALK15088@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Karyn Megy
DESCRIPTION:The past 40 years have seen a radical change in understanding 
 of the brain. Although its fundamental characteristics are determined gene
 tically\, its organization is now known to be ‘plastic’ – changing i
 n response to activity passing through neuronal networks. The best-known e
 xamples of such plasticity are in sensory areas of the cerebral cortex\, d
 uring early postnatal ‘sensitive periods’. But the cortex retains othe
 r forms of plasticity throughout life. The ‘mapping’ of sensory and mo
 tor areas can change rapidly in response to changes of input\, local damag
 e and learning. And the cortex can reorganize itself on a massive scale\, 
 after stroke or after the onset of blindness. There has been progress in d
 efining the molecular mechanisms underlying some forms of plasticity\, but
  much remains to be learned about adult brain plasticity and whether it ca
 n be harnessed to help the brain repair itself after damage or disease. \n
 \n\nAbout the speaker:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Blakemore\n
LOCATION:Pharmacology Lecture Theatre\, Department of Pharmacology\, Tenni
 s Court Road
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