Synaptic plasticity and the organization of behaviour after early and late brain injury

Hebb proposed that synaptic change underlies behavioural and cognitive plasticity. When applied to recovery from brain injury, the general hypothesis is that if there is recovery following brain injury, then there ought to be a correlated synaptic change, which is presumed to be responsible for recovery. In contrast, if recovery fails to occur, or expected recovery is blocked in some manner, then the synaptic change will likely not be present. Systematic study of functional recovery and synaptic change following brain injury at different ages supports these predictions. Good recovery is always correlated with enhanced connectivity whereas poor recovery is always correlated with an absence of reorganized connectivity. Furthermore, factors that stimulate recovery, such as neurotrophins or experience, stimulate synaptic change and functional recovery. Factors that retard recovery, such as depletion of neuromodulators, also block synaptic change. These results thus support Hebb's general idea that synaptic plasticity is related to behavioural change.