Brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny
Mental processes and brain mechanisms are dynamic in nature and change as an organism ages. A defining feature of living organisms is their plasticity in adapting both to endogenous changes that result from processes of disease and injury or maturation and senescence on the one hand, and from exogenous changes driven by environmental and experiential factors on the other hand. Brain plasticity is a prerequisite for both short-term adaptation and long-term behavioral change.
The degree and manifestations of brain plasticity may be co-determined by (i) the extent of this supply–demand mismatch and (ii) the level of the individual’s intrinsic reserve potential. The latter varies across brain systems, persons, and age. For instance, some subcorti-cal structures, such as the hippocampus, may retain their plasticity to a greater extent in adulthood and old age than other brain regions. Individual differences in genetic predispositions or age have also been found to affect working memory plasticity. However, the time course and the dynamics of the cascade of plastic responses to supply–demand mismatches are only poorly understood. Within the context of the Berlin School of Mind and Brain, research groups in brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny seek to attract doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers who pursue research that aims at delineating the dynamics of the different levels of brain and behavioral plasticity through repeated assessments of brain and behavior over time (micro-longitudinal approach), and who examine individual and age-related differences in intrinsic plastic potential.
Special Newsletter issue on plasticity and lifespan research: view or download pdf
