Strong Brain
The brain cannot only recover from damage; it can reorganize itself and there are exciting new treatments that promote neuroplasticity. For example, the brain can go about its reorganization and recover function thanks to its owner’s cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve seems to allow people to accomplish tasks in different ways and cognitive reserve can be built up through participating in things like continued learning and engagement in challenging leisure-time activities.
This is such an amazing topic!! When I first learned that my brain was actually shrinking, I was in my 2nd year of law school! Initially I struggled with trying to understand how I could maintain grades even though my brain mass was smaller! My running joke became that my brain isn’t shrinking, it’s becoming more efficient! Keep up the great work of training and retraining your mind because it does remember! Even if my legs have “forgotten” how to walk 4 times, through patience, pain, and perseverance they have remembered.
Love this comment Sophie! I tested my aging MS brain against the rigors of getting my MA in Counselling Psychology and have also started working out on a treadmill to force my weak legs to keep moving. Your legs keep remembering how to walk because your strong brain is rewiring itself while you are working out and learning.