The case of ABC reporter Bob Woodruff serves as a powerful example of recovery from severe trauma. After a bomb explosion in Iraq caused a traumatic brain injury, he experienced significant cognitive problems, including difficulties with memory and language. Through intensive cognitive and speech therapy, Woodruff was able to achieve a remarkable recovery of his functions.

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Cognitive and/or perceptual handicaps that develop from brain impairments can be modified by training; similarly, intensive training may restore some measure of walking ability after certain spinal cord injuries.


Rehabilitation and Retraining Can Help Recovery from Brain and Spinal Cord Injury

The nervous system's capacity to change and adapt is known as neuroplasticity. This adaptation can be triggered by various factors, such as personal experiences, normal developmental stages, or in response to damage or injury. The underlying mechanisms of neuroplasticity include the formation of new synapses, the elimination of unused ones, modifications in glial cells, and even the generation of new neurons. While the brain's plasticity is at its peak during early life, it retains a significant capacity for change and reorganization throughout adulthood.

Neuroplasticity

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Various therapeutic approaches can aid in recovery following brain and spinal cord injuries. These interventions include physical strategies like Constraint-induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) as well as cognitive and speech therapies, which are designed to address specific deficits in areas such as memory and language.

Treatments for Brain and Spinal Cord Injury

Bob Woodruff's Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury

Based on the principles of nervous system recovery, evaluate the specialist's recommendation for the individual in the scenario below. Is this approach likely to be beneficial, and why?

Evaluating a Recovery Plan

Serotonergic psychedelics have been shown to increase dendritic arborization, spinogenesis, and synaptogenesis, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. This seems to operate in a similar neural pathway to BDNF (TrkB and mTOR receptors), and it is mediated by the serotonin 2A receptors. This is one potential antidepressant  mechanism of psychedelic drugs.

Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity

Using the information from the case study, explain the biological principle that most likely accounts for the patient's significant recovery of function. Describe at least two specific changes at the neural level that could have facilitated this recovery.

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