The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science [Hardcover ed.] 067003830X, 9780670038305

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NEW YORK TIMES

NORMAN

BESTSELLER

DOIDGE, M.D.

As Featured on PBS's

The Brain Fitness Program

®

THE

THAT CHANGES

ITSELF Stories of Personal

Triumph from

the Frontiers of Brain Science

"The power of positive thinking

finally

gains

scientific credibility.

Mind-bending, miracle-making, reality-busting the

gap between science and

self-help."

stuff

—The

.

New

.

.

Straddles

York Times

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2013

http://archive.org/details/brainthatchangesOOnorm_0

PENGUIN BOOKS

THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF Norman on the

Doidge, M.D.,

faculty at the

is

a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst,

Columbia University Center

Training and Research in

New

and researcher

for Psychoanalytic

York and the University of Toronto's

department of psychiatry, as well

an author,

as

a four-time recipient of Canada's National

divides his time between Toronto

essayist,

and poet. He

is

Magazine Gold Award. He

New York.

and

A Slate Pick for a Best Book of the Year A Globe & Mail Best Book of the Year The Brain That Changes

Praise for

book

is

a remarkable

adaptability of the

human brain.

"Doidge's

Itself.

and hopeful portrait of the endless .

.

.

Only a few decades

ago, scientists

considered the brain to be fixed or 'hardwired,' and considered most

forms of brain damage, therefore, to be incurable. Dr. Doidge, an eminent psychiatrist and researcher, was struck by

transformations belied neuroplasticity science

this,

and

set

how

his patients'

out to explore the

by interviewing both

scientific

new

own

science of

pioneers in neuro-

and patients who have benefited from neurorehabilitation.

how the brain, far changing its own struc-

Here he describes in fascinating personal narratives

from being ture

fixed,

has remarkable powers of

and compensating

for even the

most challenging neurological

—Oliver Sacks

conditions."

"In bookstores, the science aisle generally

lies

well

away from the

self-

help section, with hard reality on one set of shelves and wishful thinking

on the

other.

But

Norman

Doidge's fascinating synopsis of the cur-

rent revolution in neuroscience straddles this gap: the age-old distinc-

tion

between the brain and the mind

is

crumbling

fast as the

positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility.

power of

Mind-bending,

miracle-working, reality-busting

stuff,

with implications

for individual patients with neurologic disease but for

not to mention

human

culture,

human

"Lucid and absolutely fascinating

.

.

measure, the

ing. It satisfies, in equal

.

learning and

He

.

.

not only

human beings, human history."

— The New York Times

engaging, educational and rivet-

mind and

the heart. Doidge

presents the ordeals of the patients about

is

able

and thorough-

to explain current research in neuroscience with clarity ness.

.

all

whom

he writes

people born with parts of their brains missing, people with learning dispeople recovering from strokes

abilities,

the best medical narratives fraternity

—and

—with grace and

vividness. In

the works of Doidge

.

.

.

join that

—the narrow bridge between body and soul traversed with — Chicago Tribune is

courage and eloquence."

"Readers will want to read entire sections aloud and pass the book on to

someone who can

benefit

tation with personal

and

from

triumph

for these scientists' faith in

"Doidge

tells

it.

[Doidge] links scientific experimen-

way

in a its

that inspires

of a

new

one spellbinding story after another

age.

Each story

manner

told in a

that

imagine that a book

one

is

hard to

set

is

Norman

Doidge.

to read

—

it

ble guide. difficult

^just

He

interwoven with the

—

down."

Jeff

Zimman,

terrific

late

upends

to

this

Posit Science, e-newsletter

And now

there

is is

book. You don't have to be a brain surgeon

mind. Doidge

has a fluent and unassuming

concepts without talking

how we look at

may be hard

It

Stephen Jay Gould.

a person with a curious

What makes

brain science,

latest in

can also be a page-turner, but

down

style,

It

is is

the best possiable to explain

The

is

that

says that the brain, far

collection of specialized parts, each fixed in

case study

and Doidge does not

neuroplasticity so exciting the brain.

and

to his readers.

the psychiatric literary genre par excellence,

appoint.

he travels the globe

explain science to the rest of us. Oliver Sacks

So was the

A

as

Post

who are on the cutting edge

both simple and compelling.

so rich in science

"It takes a rare talent to

a master at this.

is

for the brain,

— The Washington

capacity."

interviewing the scientists and their subjects

awe

its

location

it

is

dis-

completely

from being

and function,

a is

in fact a

need

dynamic organ, one

arises. It is

severe afflictions abilities,

that can rewire

an insight from which

—

all

and rearrange

itself as

the

of us can benefit. People with

strokes, cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, learning dis-

obsessive compulsive disorders

obvious candidates, but

who among

and the

like

—

most

are the

us would not like to tack on a few

IQ points or improve our memories? Buy

this

book. Your brain will

— The Globe & Mail (Toronto)

thank you."

"The most readable and best general treatment of this subject

—Michael M. Merzenich,

to date."

Ph.D., Francis Sooy Professor, Keck Center

for Integrative Neurosciences, University of California at

San Francisco

"A masterfully guided tour through the burgeoning

of neuroplas-

field

—Discover

ticity research."

"Norman

Doidge's

ity to a variety

With

adults. trate

fun

.

book

.

and brings

life

and

clar-

of neuropsychiatric problems that affect children and

and manages

controversy.

beautifully written

case histories that read like excellent short stories to illus-

each syndrome ... .

is

It is

to

it

reads a bit like a science detective story and

humanize an often

aimed

at the

baffling area of science

well-educated lay reader

need a Ph.D. to benefit from the wisdom imparted

is

and

—you do not

here."

—Barbara Milrod, M.D.

Psychiatry,

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

"A

riveting, essential

ground and skill as

is

book. Doidge covers an impressive amount of

an expert guide, a sense of wonder always enriching

an explicator of subject matter that in

less able

daunting or even impenetrable. These stories are most emotionally isfying

is

It

becomes

sat-

how

cultural influences literally 'shape'

clear that

our response to the world around us

Doidge addresses

our brain. ...

his

hands could be

not only a social or psychological phenomenon, but often a lasting

— The Gazette (Montreal)

neurological process."

"Doidge provides a history of the research in

this

growing

lighting scientists at the edge of groundbreaking discoveries

fascinating stories of people

who

have benefited."

field,

high-

and

telling

—Psychology Today

"For years, the conventional wisdom has been that the

human

brain

remains fixed after early childhood, subject only to deterioration. Children with mental limitations or adults suffering from brain injury

can never hope to attain brain normality. Not lines the brain's ability to reorganize itself

nections throughout

Doidge.

He

out-

by forming new neural con-

Through numerous

life.

so, says

case studies, he describes

who have learned to move and speak again, senior citiwho have sharpened their memories, and children who have raised their IQs and overcome learning disabilities, among others. The science, he predicts, will have ramifications for professionals in many fields, but stroke victims

zens

especially for teachers of

"Astonishing. This

book

all

—Education Week

types."

will inevitably

draw comparisons

of Oliver Sacks. Doidge has a prodigious technical highly readable.

work

hard to imagine a more exciting topic

It's

or a better introduction to

to the

rendering the highly

gift for

— The Kitchener Waterloo Record

it."

known that brain changes can affect our psychology and what we think. Norman Doidge has shown that what and how we think can change our brains. He has illuminated the foundations of psycho"We've long

—Charles Hanly,

logical healing."

Ph.D., President-Elect,

International Psychoanalytical Association

"A panoramic examination of Injured or dysfunctional

cells

plasticity's

and

circuits

profound implications.

can indeed be regenerated

and rewired; the location of a given function can, from one place its

to another.

mental lifespan

The body's

lifespan

astonishingly,

may not have to

move

outpace

Everything that you can see happen in a young

brain can happen in an older brain. Deterioration can be reversed by

— Toronto Daily

twenty to thirty years."

Star

"An eloquently written book about the boundless potential of the

human

brain. In addition to being a fascinating, informative

emotionally powerful read,

it

about the incredible learning-enhancing opportunities to

them and

and

has the potential to enlighten parents

now

available

their children. Addresses learning disabilities in a

unique way and could revolutionize the way educational issues are

— The Jewish Week

addressed."

"A rich banquet of brain-mind

plasticity,

communicated

—Jaak Panksepp,

clear writing style."

in a brilliantly

Endowed Chair

Ph.D., Bailey

of Animal Well- Being Science, Washington State University; Head,

Neuroscience

Affective

Therapeutics,

Research,

Northwestern

Center

Falk

Molecular

for

Distinguished

University;

Research

Professor of Psychobiology, Emeritus, Bowling Green State University

"Why

isn't this

mind

the recognition that the brain

itself

—

far greater

gripping. Dr. the oldest

hymn

Doidge

among

is

to

intellect

new hope

—Jane

hope

.

.

and can

huge leap

S.

all

time? In

my

actually change

in the history or

from the youngest

for the future.

I

as

to

Hall, International Psychoanalysis

for the brain, giving advice

turns everything

upside down."

of

—Panorama

and always informative."

.

a

to everyone

we grow

on how

all

this

(Italy)

to maintain

older, Doidge's

recommend

highly

enjoys stories of triumph against

"Doidge

is

life."

and reasoning functions

the reader

plastic

list

than landing on the moon. Clear, fascinating, and

gives

us."

"An owner's manual

who

the top of the bestseller

with exercise and understanding

mankind

"A

book on

book

book

to

gives

anyone

odds. Extremely engrossing,

—Curled Up With

a

Good Book

we thought we knew about

—

the brain

Publishers Weekly

The Brain That

Changes

Itself

Triumph Frontiers of Brain Science

Stories of Personal

from

tlie

NORIVIAN DOIDGE,

A James

H.

IVI.D

Silberman Book

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group

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published in the United States of America by Viking Penguin, a

member of Penguin Group (USA)

Inc.

2007

Published in Penguin Books 2007

17 19 20 18 16 Copyright

© Norman Doidge, 2007

All rights reserved

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED THE HARDCOVER EDITION AS FOLLOWS: Doidge, Norman.

The Brain

that changes itself

:

stories of personal

of brain science p.

/

Norman

triumph from the

frontiers

Doidge.

cm.

ISBN 978-0-670-03830-5 (he.) ISBN 978-0-14-31 1310-2 (pbk.) Patients Rehabilitation. 2. Brain damage

—

—

l.Neuroplasticity.

QP363.3.D65

612.8—dc22

I.

Title.

2007

2006049224

Printed in the United States of America Set in

Minion

Designed by Spring Hoteling Except in the United States of America, this book that

it

shall not,

by way of trade or otherwise, be

circulated without the publisher's prior consent in

than that

in

which

it is

this condition

The scanning, uploading and

is

sold subject to the condition

lent, resold,

hired out, or otherwise

any form of binding or cover other

published and without a similar condition including

being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

distribution of this

without the permission of the publisher

is illegal

book

via the Internet or via

and punishable by

any other means

law. Please

purchase only

authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy

of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights

is

appreciated.

For Eugene

L.

Goldberg, M.D.,

because you said you might

like to

read

it

Contents

Note to the Reader XV

Preface xvii

1

A

Woman

Perpetually Falling

.

Rescued by the Man Who Discovered the Plasticity of Our Senses 1

Building Herself a Better Brain A Woman Labeled "Retarded" Discovers

How

to Heal Herself

27

Redesigning A

Scientist

tlie

Brain

Cinanges Brains to Sharpen Perception and

iVlemory, Increase

Speed

of Thought,

and

Heal Learning Problems

45

Acquiring Tastes and Loves What

Neuroplasticity Teaches Us

About

Sexual Attraction and Love

93

IVIidnight Resurrections stroke Victims Learn to

Move and Speak Again

132

Brain Locl< Unlocked Using Plasticity to Stop Worries, Obsessions,

Compulsions, and Bad Habits

164

Pain The Dark Side of

Plasticity

177

8

Imagination How

Thinking

Makes

It

So

196

Turning Our Ghosts into Ancestors Psychoanalysis as a Neuroplastic Therapy

215

10

Rejuvenation The Discovery of the Neuronal Stem Cell and Lessons Preserving Our Brains

245

for

11

More than the Sum A Woman Shows

Us

How

of Her Ports

Radically Plastic the Brain

258

Appendix

1

The Culturally Modified Brain

287

Appendix Plasticity

2

and the Idea

of Progress

313

Acl97n-99n

in,

68

white noise and, 81-82

of speech"

for,

in,

251-52

in, 69,

71

Lashley Karl, 55-56, 328« law of association by simultaneity, 223-24, 334«, 375«, 376n

Lawson, Donald, 295-96 learned

fear,

219

69-70

70-74

latency period, 283

of autistic children, 75

in enriched environments,

69-71, 86, 300

delayed language processing Fast

290

intelligence, 48, 74, 164, 274,

speed of thought

of, 52,

156,399«-400«

regression to, 298

insula,

infants' learning of,

second, learning

predatory and dominance, 296

of,

16

of,

period in development

59-60, 78, 83-84, 298-99

instincts, 95, 96, 97, 102, 239, 281, 283,

sublimation

exercises,

349n

imprinting, 52

n

Index learned nonuse, 141-43, 155, 156, 162,

left-handedness

right-handedness and

location of cognitive processing,

185

327n

learned pain, 193 learning, 16, 46-48, 63, 218-21, 229-30,

238, 313-14,

left

analytical processing of, 260, 278,

301-4, 400«-402n

59-60,87, 156, 399n-400« classical

conditioning

consolidation

373

in,

congenital absence

258-71, 277-80,

394n

frontal lobe of, 16, 279-80,

239, 328«

premotor cortex

in, 68, 71, 73, 75, 83,

speech as locaHzed

38-39, 42

280-81

in, 16, 17, 28,

40-41, 254, 259, 260, 278, 327«

87,88,111,231,248 genes affected by, 220-21 in,

of,

right hemisphere inhibited by,

251-52,315 focused attention

temporo-parietal cortex

of,

72

visual field of, 261

372n, 373«

Lehman, H. C, 257

high-speed, 83-84

long-term potentiation

mastered

of,

282-85

of, 24, 71, 109, 114, 170,

in enriched environments, 35, 43,

habituation

hemisphere, 34, 154, 226, 276-77,

393n-94n

372«-73«

acquiring second language, 47, 52,

117

in,

87-88, 252-53,

skills vs.,

Lehner, Lori, 145 leprosy, sensory-substitution gloves for,

256-57 of new

vs.

417

20

skills,

47, 66-68, 87-88,

198-202, 212, 252-53, 256-57 operators recruited

212

in,

reinforcement

Levin, Harvey, 276-77 Levine, Seymour, 387« Liepert, Joachim, 149

plateaus of, 24, 199 to play piano, 67,

Levi-Montalcini, Rita, 79

200-202

of, 109,

life

112, 121, 122,

expectancy, 85

hmbic system,

1

13, 226, 234,

383«

Lincoln, Frederick, 157-59

130,155,227,235,240 rewardsin,71,83,88, 107, 113

Lincoln-Douglas debates, 42

sleep and, 239

literacy, 212, 223,

synaptic connections strengthened by,

localizationism, 12-14, 48-49, 52, 55-57,

61-62, 259, 295, 306, 325«-26«

218-19,221 see also critical periods; perceptual

learning; unlearning

35-41, 44, 68-77

for,

compensation techniques

for, 32, 35,

40,44,276

Freud's rejection

genes

in, 12,

to, 17, 18,

of,

55-56

222-23, 375«

274

hemispheric lateralization

in,

260,

261

Luria's notion of cognitive deficits and,

32-35, 36-37, 38, 43-44 reading problems, 38-39, 69-70 social skills in, 29,

cognitive processing in, 274

evidence contrary

learning disabilities, xv, 27-44

brain exercises

292-93, 300, 314

39-40

in,

operator theory origin

of,

vs.,

29-30, 33-36,

17, 326/1

21 1-12

16-17

Paul Bach -y- Rita's rejection

speech problems, 28, 38, 40-41

symbol relationships 37-39,41-43

one function, one location,

of,

25 Lolita

(Nabokov), 125

London

taxi drivers,

290

weak auditory memory in, 39

long-term depression (LTD), 117

writing problems, 29, 38-39

long-term potentiation (LTP), 117

see also Fast

ForWord programs

LeDoux, Joseph, 374«

Lorenz, Konrad, 52 love apples, Elizabethan, 101

16-20,

index

418

Luria, Aleksandr, 32-35, 36-37, 38,

photographic, 270

43-44, 270, 375n

reconsolidation

correspondence with Freud, 32

of,

378m-79«

repressed, 240, 272, 297

retranscribed, 224-25, 229-30, 238,

McFarland, Carl, 146

244

Mack, MicheUe, 258-71, 277-80, 282-85

sleep and,

McLuhan, Marshall, 308-10, 311,314,

traumatic evocation

370m World, The (Luria),

33-35

unlearning see also

expansion, 275-76

memory loss,

101-2

tribe,

masochism,

96,

as attempt to

117

of,

hippocampus

memorization, 41, 47, 88, 212

Marks, Gerald, 239

85-86, 88-89, 241, 255, 256

mental maps, 28, 29

124-30

mental practice, 200-204

master past trauma, 129

Merzenich, Michael, 45-92, 97-98, 293,

childhood medical treatment

in,

295, 297, 342m, 400m

125,

126-30

massed

229, 378m

unconscious traumatic, 224-25

Malacarne, Michele Vincenzo, 315

Masai

of,

unconscious procedural, 228-30, 240

Man with a Shattered map

239-40

age-related cognitive decUne and,

practice, 149, 156, 306, 309, 395n,

402n

46-47,84-91,245-46,255 on autism, 77-83

Masuda, Take, 301-2

on autism and

mathematical computation, 203, 276-77

brain

savant, 259, 269-71,

280

internal noise,

339m

mapped by, 46, 48, 49, 50-68,

78-79, 83-84, 107, 122, 159-60, 183,

Meaney, Michael, 387«-88«

295

mechanistic biology, 12-13, 313-14

brain traps described by, 122-23, 349m

media, modern, 291, 306-11, 314

cochlear implant developed by, 47,

57-58,310

meditation, 171, 256, 290

MEG (magnetoencephalography) scan, 182,335«

companies established critical

period research

Melzack, Ronald, 190-92

on

memantine, 363«

education

memories, memory,

xix, 27, 31, 32, 48, 49,

68, 71, 97, 224-25, 228-33, 237-41,

243-44, 273, 364«, 380n-8ln

early childhood trauma,

240-41

228-30, 237-38,

240-41, 243, 378«, 380«, 381m, 389m flashbulb,

380m

as frozen in time,

232-33, 378m

231,233,238,243,389m 237-38, 380m-81m

long-term

vs.

faster

of,

49-50

unlearning sought by, 60,

1

16-17

learning as viewed by, 46-48, 87-88,

252

personality

short-term, 203, 219-20,

of,

professorship publications scientific

implicit (procedural), 228, 229-30,

infantile,

cultural development, 288, 293

on modern media, 306

300-303

explicit (declarative),

88

77-84

61-62

of concrete thinkers, 265

and

of,

localizationist opposition to, 56-57,

auditory, 39, 41, 42, 212, 246

cultural effect on,

by, 70, 84,

46

of,

57

of, 56, 59,

claims

of,

71

46-48

solution to crossed -wires experiment,

336m see also autism; Fast

ForWord

programs; Posit Science

mesolimbic dopamine system, 113

229, 239-40, 241, 244, 373m,

Michael, Erica, 308

385M-87M

Michelangelo, 290

Index Nelson, Lord Horatio, 179-80

microelectrodes, 50 Miller, Bruce,

Miller, Neal,

419

nerve growth factors (NGF), 79-81, 183

280-81

BDNF, 80-81,

354«

Miller, Steve, 70

255

82,

nerves, 13, 17, 18, 20, 183,

365n-66n

Milner, Peter, 113

damaged

mirror region takeover, 11^-1%^ 280

growth

mirror therapy, 179, 186-87, 188, 189-90,

of hand, 53-55, 58-59, 62

192-94, 195

optic,

facial

rate of,

motor, 24 211

25

tongue, 24

mirror writing, 29 Mishkin, Mortimer, 160-61

Nestler, Eric, 107

Mitchell, Silas Weir, 181

neurogenesis, 250-53, 255

Mitchison, Graeme, 382«

neuromodulators, 118-21

Mithen, Steven, 292, 396n-99n

neuronal group selection theory, 212

mnemonists, 270

neuronal pathways,

Montessori School, 314 Moseley, G.

L.,

304-6; see also

344«, 387«-88n, 389«

149,204-7,213,273,290

maps

364«-65n motor system, 23, 48-49, 55-56,

movement

MRI

of,

components death

as similar to unfreezing frozen

phantom,

273-74

of,

of,

53

53

of, xvii, xix, 32, 85,

149-50,

240-41,248,249,273

AFosB accumulation

in, 107,

108

dendrites, definition of, 53

378/1

operator, 211-12

(magnetic resonance imaging) scans, 133, 150, 157,260

Miiller, Johannes,

42, 100, 253,

oiAplysia, 218-21

axons, definition

mourning,

of,

298

138-43, 147, 185, 188, 192-94,

Mountcastle, Vernon, 18, 50, 51, 56, 354«

9, 62, 100,

333«-34«

218-19,292 Mott,F.W., 138

242,

neurons:

anoxic injury 90,

1,

1-12, 142-43, 199-200, 211, 235,

adolescent pruning

55-56, 97, 198-202,

of,

1 1

236,

cortex, 17, 18, 133, 139, 142-43,

brain

249

mental

rigidity,

unmasked secondary,

194

mothering, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230, 240,

motor

9, 18, 126,

self-sustaining nature of, 208-1

Monroe, Marilyn, 188

326n

musicians, 123, 201, 289-90, 367«, 395«

efficiency of,

66-67

excitatory vs. inhibitory signals

received by, 53-54, 118

extending Hfe

of,

252-53

fatty coating of, 80, 81, 339tt

growth

of,

241

Nabokov, Vladimir, 125

of insects, 49-50

Nagle, Matthew, 207

metabolic decline

of,

NASA,

"neurons that

apart wire apart,"

19-20, 395«

National Institutes of Health (NIH), 106, 108, 144, 146, 160-61, 265, 271-72,

383n

89

principle of, 64, 66, 174

"neurons that

fire

together wire

together," principle of, 63, 64-66, 68,

Nature, 10, 19, 24

80,97, 108-9, 111-12, 114, 117, 122,

nature

174, 223, 230, 232, 297, 334«, 337«,

changing idea

of,

12-13, 324n-25n,

U.S.,

375«, 376«

number

405«-6n "second nature," 102, 299

Navy SEALS,

fire

20

of, 50,

252, 293-94

pain inhibitors, 192 peripheral regeneration

of,

53-55

n

Index

420

neurons (continued)

checking compulsions

in,

167-68, 174,

175-76

receptive fields of, 67, 191

REM sleep and, 239

emotional trigger

of sector borders, 275-76

and 339«

signal clarity of, 68, 69, 86, 88,

neuroplasticity:

of,

infections, 170,

165

557

magical beliefs

in,

168

mistake feeling

in,

169-70

obsessional thoughts in, 166, 171, 172,

additive vs. subtractive plasticity,

298

173

as altering structure

and function,

xiii,

46-48

sex

competitive nature

of,

59-60, 109,

116-17,161,210-11,212,275-76,

358«

resistance to, 168, 173,

and aggression

issues in, 166, 172

typical compulsive acts in, 167-68, 174 typical obsessions in, 166-67, 171, 174

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),

298-99, 355n definition of, xv

treatments

evolutionary advantage

of,

56-57

of,

168-74

behavior therapy, 168, 171-72

and idea of progress, 313-18

cognitive therapy, 172

of infancy and childhood, 42, 51-53,

form

vs.

content

171-72

in,

56, 77-79, 87, 98-100, 225-26, 239,

frontal lobotomy, 164

240-41,277,304

medications, 165, 168, 174

negative effects

of, xx.

See also brain

lock theory; brain traps; rigidity, mental; stress hormones; use lose

it

or

refocusing

on pleasurable

use-it-or-lose-it principle in, 170,

173-74

342n of,

276-78

occipital lobes, 25, 34, 48,

neuropsychology, 33

O'Connell, Redmond, 308

neurotransmitters, 54, 71, 85-86, 118

Olds, James, 113

dopamine

see also

Neville, Helen,

Nicolelis, Miguel, T.,

292

olfactory bulb, 251

On Aphasia (Freud), 223 0« Love (Stendhal), 112

295-96

Newkirk, Ingrid, 143

Nigg, Joel

activity, 170,

172-74 relabeling in, 170-71

it

as property of all brain tissue, 97-98,

types

psychoanalysis, 172

operator theory, 211-12

205-7

orbitofrontal system, 169-70, 226-27,

307

Nisbett, Richard E., 300-303,

40ln-2n

nonverbal communication, 226, 227, 228,

230, 233-34, 377« orienting response, 309-10

oxytocin, 118-21, 347«, 348n, 350n

234, 299

North Korea, 305 Pacheco, Alex, 143-46, 353n

Nottebohm, Fernando, 250 nucleus basalis, 80, 83-84, 86

Paglia, Camille, 350tt

pain, 97, 107, 138, 144, 177-94, 346n, obsessive- compulsive disorder xix,

(OCD),

164-76, 365n

anxiety

in, 165, 169, 170, 173,

brain components involved

174

in,

169-70,

356«-57«

causes

of,

of, 170,

body image and, 188-90, 192 brain maps and, 180-86, 187,

188, 191,

194, 195

brain lock theory

brain scans

361« of battlefield injuries, 191

of,

168-74, 176

chronic, 191, 192-94

168-70, 171, 174

congenital absence

357«

emotional,

1

14,

of,

359n

115-16, 234, 235, 236

««

Index quick

endorphins as blocking, 129, 191

vs.

slow plastic change, 199-200,

211

gate control theory of, 190-92, 195,

on

361«

208-11

rigidity,

on similar behaviors

guarding and, 192-94, 362 hypersensitivity to, 191, 361

as using different

208

circuits,

53-55

in India, 195

Paul, Ron,

learned, 193

Pavlov, Ivan, 140, 309, 352«, 373«

mirror therapy

for,

normal

Penfield, Wilder, 48-49, 50, 53, 61, 63,

192-94, 195

neuronal inhibition

of,

181, 184, 197

192

People for the Ethical Treatment of

"acute," 180, 359/t

Animals (PETA), 143-46, 160-61,

placebo effect and, 191

162-63

referred, 191

for,

perceptual learning, 299-306

124-30

in sexual perversions,

treatments

aging and, 304-6

192-95

analytic vs. holistic, 301-4,

visualization exercises for, 194 see also

phantom

limbs;

phantom pain

305-6

pain system, 190-94 of,

400n-402n

ideological indoctrination through,

pain medication, 193, 195

complexity

421

perfectihilite,

314-18, 406«-7m

moral problems created

192

by, 315-16,

317-18

motor components of, 192-94 Palombo, Stanley, 386n-87«

peripheral nervous system, 20, 53, 195

panic disorder, 165

perversions, see sexual perversions

PET

psychoanalytic psychotherapy and, 234, 380«

scans, 89, 169, 203, 366n,

hemiplegia, 263

mood state, 216, 230, 231, 234, 237

War

of Civil

thought translation machine

asfrozen, 184-87, 194, 378tt

for,

204,

206-7

parietal lobes, 34, 48, 72, 276-77, 280,

296

Pascual-Leone, Alvaro, 196-202, 208-12,

364n-65« of, 197,

serial

amputations

181

of,

pain, 179-88, 195

absence of feedback brain

198

blindfold experiment

map

in,

185-86

invasion and, 183

frozen, 184

210-11, 292,

309

postoperative, 180, 195 see also

Braille reading

for,

successful amputation of, 187

phantom

Parkinson's disease, 25, 136, 207

background

186-87, 188, 192

sexual excitement and, 183-84

mothering

242, 297,

for,

paralysis of, 184, 185, 186, 187

parenting, 118, 119-20, 121, 295, 348«

experiments

255-56

as plastic, not elastic,

mental practice experiment

209

of,

200-202

on operator theory, 211-12 on plastic brain as like snowy hill, and mental-neural tracks, 209

phantom limbs

physical exercise, 246, 252-53, 254,

of,

198-200,210

on brain

soldiers, 181

mirror therapy

see also strokes

187,

188

of phantom hmbs, 184, 185, 186, 187

see also

383«

phantom Hmbs, 179-88, 190 brain maps and, 181-84, 185-86,

paralysis:

as

(positron emission tomography)

mental practice

of,

204

Piaget, Jean, 301

placebo

effect,

191

plastic paradox, xx,

208-1 1, 242-43,

298-99,317-18 Plato, 98, 343«, 383«,

402«

Index

422

pleasure, 106, 112, 184,

psychoanalysis, 32-33, 215-44

383n

cravings vs. (wanting as distinguished

from

liking),

dopamine in

in, see

dopamine

OCD treatment,

170,

case of Mr. L, 215-17, 225-38,

172-74

124-30

in sexual perversions,

240-41, 242-43, 244, 378«, 380«-81^z, 382n

pleasure centers, 107, 108-9, 113-15, 116,

dissociation and, 222, 232-33

dreams

129,297,346n Pleistocene epoch, 291-92 Plotsky, Paul,

brain scan changes and, 234 case ofA., 93-94, 121-24

107-8

in, see

dreams

free association in, 32,

387n-88n

223-24, 230,

231,237

Poggio, Tomaso, 303

ghosts turned into ancestors by, 243

Pons, Tim, 160-61, 181

memory systems

addiction

brain

to, 104, 105,

106-12

maps reshaped by,

103, 105,

106-9,111-12

neuronal changes engendered by,

218-21,223,224,225 for

excessive preoccupation with, 103-4,

OCD,

172

positive transference feelings in,

233

111

hardcore

vs. softcore,

impotence caused

102-3, 109-10

by, 103, 105

Internet, 103-4, 105, 108-12,

popularity

309

103

of,

regression in, as possible unmasking,

235, 236 rigidity and, 215,

242-43

transference in, 225, 229, 230, 242,

104-5

as "porn,"

378n

sadomasochistic themes

of,

102, 112

sexual excitement modified by, 103,

working through see also Freud,

232-33

in,

Sigmund

Pulvermiiller, Friedemann, 154

104 tolerance

women

altered by, 224-25,

228-33,237-41,243-44

pornography, 102-12, 130-31

to,

pupil adjustment, 289, 395n

105,107, 112

as always eager in,

105-6

putamen, 356«-57a7

positive reinforcement, 141

Posit Science, brain exercises for age-

Ramachandran, V.

S.,

177-95

related cognitive decline and, 84,

background

88-89, 246

on body image, 188-90, 192

post-traumatic stress disorder, 165, 234 flashbacks

in, 91,

233

prefrontal lobes, 233-34, 278-81,

379n-80n, 394n

290

Proceedings of the National Academy of

USA, 89

progress, idea of, 313-18

"Project for a Scientific Psychology"

(Freud), 223, 376n

181-86

of,

work

of,

178

186-87, 188, 189-90, 192-94, 195

178-79 personality

cortex, 38-39, 42

Sciences,

experiments

nineteenth-century science and, 177,

343n-44n, 383^2

glasses,

195

mirror therapy invented by, 179,

prefrontal cortex, 198, 239, 278-81,

prism inversion

map

individual cases in

prairie voles, 119

premotor

brain

of, 177,

of,

1

77-79

therapeutic illusions created by,

186-90

Ramon y Cajal, Santiago, 200-201, 365n, 366m, 367«, 375n reading, 38, 39, 41-42, 69-70, 293 Braille,

198-200,210

brain scans

of,

293, 308

275

projection, 225

brain sectors

protein kinase A, 220

comprehension centers

in,

of,

308

249,

«

Index as cultural activity, 223, 291, 292, 295,

repetition in, 209-10, 242, 243

roadblocks and, 21 0-11, 212

310 receptive fields, 67, 191,

receptor

333n

rigidity, social,

15-16, 17-18, 183, 190

cells, 13,

404n romantic love, 96-97, 98-100,

reflexes, 13

pupil adjustment

spinal, 138-39, 141

138-40, 141, 160,

addictive

movement, 351«-52«

reflex sympathetic dystrophy,

192-94

regression, 99-100, 235, 236, 298,

344«

rehabilitation medicine, 10, 14, 20, 23-24,

273

12-24,

symptoms

of,

15-16

1

attraction changes in, 112-13, 114-15

globalization in, 114-15, 116 intoxication phase of,

novelty

in,

15

1

116

pleasure centers

in,

1

13-15,

1

16

"talking dirty" in, 100

relabehng, 170-71

terms of endearment

(rapid-eye-movement)

sleep,

239-40, 585n-87n

tolerance to,

unlearning

1

in,

99-100

346n

16,

in, see

unlearning

Rosenzweig, Mark, 35, 43, 315

repression, 240, 272, 297

Rousseau, Jean- Jacques, 313-16, 405n-7n

326«

Rovee- Collier, Carolyn, 237-38, 38 In

retinal implants, 14 retinitis

1

216, 233, 236-37, 348«-49«

289

as,

reflexological theory of

retina, 16,

304-6

Robertson, Ian H., 45-46, 308, 395n,

Reeve, Christopher, 97

REM

423

pigmentosa, 175

rewards, 143

Sacks, Oliver, 33, 329«,

from dopamine,

71, 106-7, 109, 170,

merged

sex and aggression

309

vs.

left-handedness,

and location of cognitive processing, 327n

in,

1

12,

122-25, 350«

in learning, 71, 83, 88, 107, 113

right-handedness

375n

sadism, 96, 127

sadomasochism, 93-94, 124-30, 350« in

pornography, 102, 112

Sapolsky, Robert, 293

327«

right hemisphere, 276-81,

frontal lobe of, 226, 279-81, holistic processing of,

394n

301-4,

400n-402n

280

savants, 259, 269-71,

scalpels, sensory-substitution,

20

Schilder, Paul, 2 Schiltz, Cheryl, 1-10, 25, 26,

57

inhibition of, 280-81

Schoenfeld, Nat, 140

of Michelle Mack, 259-71, 277-80,

Schore, Allan N., 343«, 376«, 377n

282-85

Schwartz, James, 220

orbitofrontal system of, 226-27,

233-34, 377n

Science, 71, 3 33

parietal lobe of, 276-77,

temporal lobe

of,

Schwartz, Jeffrey M., 167, 168-74, 372n

280

280

Scientific Learning,

70

Sea Gypsies, 288-89, 29^

visual field of, 261

2004 tsunami survived

visual-spatial processing in, 254, 260,

underwater vision

277, 278 rigidity,

by,

303-4

289, 290-91

semicircular canals, 3

mental, 59, 208-1

1,

215,

398n-99n flexibility vs., 96,

of,

Seneca, 255

sensory cortex,

242-43, 298, 317-18,

26, 50-51, 97,

operators and, 211-12

398« as increasing with repetition related to

aging, 121, 242, 304-6,

7, 18,

364«-65«

348«-49n

sensory deprivation, 202, 225 sensory reassignment, 276

Index

424

sensory receptors, 15-16, 17-18

shaping, technique

sensory substitution, 13-14

of,

143, 147, 149,

155

sensory-substitution devices, 6-12, 14,

18,19-20,24-26,310-11

Sharansky, Anatoly, 202-3 Shatz, Carla, 63

sensory system, 15-16, 17-18,48-49,

90-91, 138-43, 218-19, 295-96,

sheep, imprinting of, 120

Sherrington, Sir Charles, 55, 56, 138-40,

365n-66«

141,160,223,351«

localizationism and, 12, 13-14,

Sick:

325«-26«

The Life and Death of Boh Flanagan, Supermasochist, 126-30

Simonton, Dean Keith, 257

media's effect on, 308-9, 314

septum, 251

Skinner, B.F., 137,

sexual abuse, 98, 224

sleep, plastic

sexual and aggressive instincts, 112,

351n-52n

change and, 239-40,

385n-87n Adam, 317-18

122-24, 166, 172, 239, 272, 297,

Smith,

34 1«, 350«

social disinhibition, 272, 281

sexual excitement, 20, 94, 103, 104, 107,

110

social rigidity,

304-6

social skiUs, 29, 39-40, 256,

phantom limbs and, 183-84

Socrates, 324«,

279

406«

sexual fantasies, 93, 104, 109-10, 111, 128

Solms, Mark, 233, 384«-85n

sexual perversions, 95-96, 100, 124-30,

Soltmann, Otto, 17

349«

Soviet Union, 32-33, 202

childhood traumas mirrored

SoweU, Thomas, 317

in,

126-30

space gloves, 19-20

fetishism, 95, 128-29, 184,

350n

spatial orientation, 3

in pornography, 102-3 see also

spatial reasoning, 28, 29,

masochism; sadism;

sadomasochism sexual plasticity, 93-131, 376n

107,121-24,130-31 of,

comprehension centers

of,

308

emotional-musical component

98-100, 109,

1

10,

111-12, 121-22, 126, 129-30, 131,

224

oral stage in,

99-100 34ln

"fast parts of," 69, 71

sexual scripts, 95-96, 98-99,

1

40-41

premotor cortex and, 38-39, 42

154-55,254,259,260,278 Sperry, Richard, 281

10

sexual tastes, 93-96, 100-131

spinal cord, 23, 48, 53, 138, 141, 190, 191,

attractive objects in, 94-95, 100-101,

117-18, 121-22, 130-31, 345n-46n biological factors in, 100-101 in,

left

speech aphasia, 154-56

see also sexual tastes

changes

226,

localization of, 16, 17, 28, 40-41,

plasticity of sexual preference, 95,

historical

of,

227

in learning disabilities, 28, 38,

instinctive behavior vs., 95, 96, 97, 102

see also

378«

speech, 20, 22, 40-42, 58, 86, 122, 300

anal stage in, 100

periods

211-12

spatial representations, 290,

Spectator, 109

case examples of, 93-94, 98-99, 103-4,

critical

276

spatial relationships, 33, 34,

sexual perversions

cells in,

injuries to, 20, 97,

251

136,207

spinal reflexes, 138-39, 141

101

pornography; romantic

206, 249

dormant stem

love;

spinal shock, 141-42 Spitz, Rene, 229, 240,

387«

Shah, Premal, 389m-90«

Springer, Melanie, 253

shapes, recognition of, 40, 211-12

sprouts, sprouting, 159, 183, 199

Index stem

cells,

syndactyly (webbed-finger syndrome),

241, 249-53, 390n

64

250

in animals,

increase in production of, 251-52

marker

of,

345«-46«

Stickgold, Robert,

stress

synesthesia,

tactile-vision device, 10-12, 18, 19,

385n-86n

tai chi,

Robert, 125-26, 128-29

animal rights campaign against, 136,

striatum, 251 strokes, xix, 25, 32, 132-63, 207-8, 185,

brain exercises

21-24

for,

147

154-56

in Broca's area, 16,

conventional therapy

for, 133,

current collaborative experiments

135-36,

of,

162 deafferentation experiments of,

147, 155

irreminiscence

in,

137-40,141-43,144,160-61,

384«

"late" recoveries from, 23, 24, 147-49,

155

181-82 lab

mirror therapy

20-23,136,273

of,

136, 137-46, 159-61,

learned-nonuse theory

141-43, 155,

of,

156, 162, 185

personahty changes caused by, 272, 281

Edward; Taub Therapy

see also Taub,

monkeys

162-63, 181-82, 353«-54«

195

for,

Pedro Bach-y- Rita's recovery from,

personality Silver

of,

136

Spring laboratory

of,

143-46,

159-61, 162-63, 181

Clinic

sublimation, 296-98

Taub,Mildred, 136, 145

Taub Therapy

suicide, 2, 35, 164, 187

Stack, 233,

379n

Supreme Court,

Mriganka, 25

154-56

cerebral palsy patients

cochlear implants

at,

constraint-induced (CI)

in,

57-58

therapy

243-44

for infant cataracts,

of,

52-53

180,

148, 149-54, 156-57,

length of training

29-30, 33-36,

37-39,41-43,266 synaptic connections, 42, 47, 54, 118-19,

218-21, 223, 238, 240, 249, 373«

new formation of, 63, 199-200, 201 possible number of, 294 of,

at,

by, 134-35,

158-59

147, 149, 155, 162

massed practice technique

see also deafferentation of,

156-59

162, 173, 195

195

symbols, relationships

136,

movement

132, 134-36, 138, 140,

improvements achieved

phantom pain and,

radiation

141-43, 147-50, 151-53, 154-59,

188

strengthening

147-59

tumor patient with damage at, 150-54

surgery, 24, 25, 50-51

postoperative

at,

brain

U.S., 160

for epilepsy, 229,

Clinic,

aphasia patients

supersenses, 14,20

plastic,

136-37

of,

behaviorism and, 137, 139-41, 143,

in bilingual people, 399/i-400«

221

143-46, 160-61, 162-63, 353n-54n

background

258, 263

Sur,

Taub, Edward, 134-63, 173, 183, 195,

207,210,289,352n

387n-88«, 389n

Harry

24

256

TaUal, Paula, 69-70, 293

hormones, 240-41, 248, 256, 380n,

Sullivan,

270-71

251

Stendhal, 112,

Stoller,

425

199-20, 201, 218-19,

of, 149,

reduced brain maps restored

156

by,

148-49 shaping technique

of, 143, 147, 149,

155 training principles of, 155-56 television watching, 307-10, 314,

405n

orienting responses triggered by,

309-10

«

1

5

Index

426

temporal lobes, 25, 34, 48, 72, 253, 280 temporal processing, 73-74,

theme

MOn

extraction, 279-80, 281,

brain sectors and, 275 in

394«

Thomas, Sean, 109-1

OCD treatment,

170,

173-74

pain and, 194

sensory deprivation and, 202

thought, 200-202, 365«-66n abstract vs. concrete, 259, 265-69,

279-80 speed

of,

67-68

Vasari, Giorgio,

Vaughn, Susan, 221 vestibular apparatus, 2, 3-10, 26, 57,

369ti

90

tinnitus, 162

(transcranial magnetic

vestibular nuclei, 3

stimulation), 194-202, 207, 210,

video games, 206, 309-10

365n-65«

Vietnam Head Injury Study, 274, 393«

(rTMS), 197-98, 364«

repetitive

vision, visual system, 15, 17, 34, 37-38,

Tocqueville, Alexis de, 316

tongue display,

6, 7, 19,

61,90,239,292

24

balance system linked

tongue nerves, 24

touch, sense

of, 7,

305-6

in dreams,

15-16, 17, 18, 28-29,

field of,

3S3n-84n

narrowed span

210,261

peripheral, 296

233

underwater, 289, 290-91

212,239 of Braille readers, 200, 210

twin studies, 77

brain

underwater vision, 289, 290-91, 394n 1

16-24, 186, 232, 233, 235,

habits, 60, 117

blocked in inveterate bachelor, 348n falling in love,

117-21

it

9, 100,

or lose

it,

in,

276

sound in blindfold experiment, 210-11 203-4

principle of, 59, 60, 64,

as, 42,

298 in age-related cognitive decline,

B., 137,

351

webbed-finger syndrome (syndactyly),

235, 236, 333n

adolescent pruning back

Wall,Patrick, 190-92, 139

Watson, John

97,108,131,141,148-49,239

256-57

sensory reassignment

117

in,

118-21, 347«, 348n

parenting and, 118, 119-20, 121

unmasking,

51-53, 333n

von Ruden, Nicole, 150-54

long-term depression (LTD) in,

of,

visualization, 194,

griefin, 117, 118

oxytocin

maps

of deaf people, 296

switching to processing touch and

240, 306, 382n

and

290

289

visual cortex, 18, 24, 25, 175, 181, 203-4,

Turnbull, Oliver, 233

ofbad

in,

vestibular apparatus linked to, 3,

tsunami of 2004, 303-4

unlearning,

29

glasses and,

pupil adjustment

transference, 225, 229, 230, 242, 378n positive,

of,

prism inversion

stimulation (TENS), 192

8

261

48-49, 67, 81, 90-91, 183, 198-200,

transcutaneous electrical nerve

to, 3, 5,

300-303

cultural effect on,

totalitarian regimes,

use

290

vasopressin, 119

thought translation machines, 204-7,

TMS

George, 256

van Praag, Henriette, 252, 255

imagination

see also

Vaillant,

253,

64 Weiss, Paul, 328m

Weissman, Myrna, 379n Wernicke, Carl, 16 Wernicke's area, 16 Wexler, Bruce, 304-6

1

Index Young, Barbara Arrowsmith, 27-4

white noise, 81-82, 83

"Why"

asymmetry of, 27-29

(Flanagan), 129

Wiesel, Torsten, 51-53, 56, 61-62, 239

Wolfe, Tom, 104-6

II,

44

79, 191, 221-22,

228

Wright, Frank Lloyd, 257

of,

Yovell,Yoram,380n

292-93

in learning disabilities, 29,

mirror, 29

31-32

Yue, Guang, 204

31

as cultural activity, 223,

of,

multiple learning disabilities

44

writing, 41-42, 73, 207-8, 246, 291

on computers,

brain exercises designed by, 35-41,

education

Woolsey, Clinton, 53, 56

World War

427

38-39

Zazetsky, Lyova, 33-35, 37, Zelazo, Philip, 402/i

43-44

28-30,

book

"Fascinating. Doidge's

a remarkable and hopeful

is

portrait of the endless adaptability of the

human

brain."

—Oliver Sacks

The discovery that our thoughts con change the structure and function of our

age— is

brains— even into old in

four centuries.

psychiatrist,

In this

the most important breakthrough

neuroscience

revolutionary look at the brain, bestselling author,

and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., introduces both

new

the brilliant scientists championing this

the astonishing progress of the people

we can

Introducing principles

science of neuroplasticity and

whose

lives

they've transformed.

use as well as a riveting collection of case

all

histories— stroke patients cured, a to

in

woman

with half a brain that rewired

work as a whole, learning and emotional disorders overcome, IQs

and aging brains rejuvenated— Tfie Brain That Changes for all

human

human

history'' [The

"Readers

will

New

want

someone who can

to

culture,

/fse/f

raised,

has "implications

human

learning and

York Times).

read entire sections aloud and pass the book on to

benefit from

personal triumph

"Lucid

human

beings, not to mention

itself

a

in

way

and absolutely

it.

,

.

.

Links scientific experimentation with

that inspires

fascinating.

grace and vividness. ...

It

awe." —The Washington Post

Doidge explains with

satisfies in

clarity,

equal measure the mind

and the heart." —The Chicago Tribune

"Superb.

Brilliant.

I

devoured

it."

Director of the Center for Brain

Phanfoms

in

-V.

S.

Ramachandran, M.D.,

the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the

author's

Visit the

Web

Visit

site at

Human Mind

www.normandoidge.com

www.vpbookclub.com Cover design: Base Art

Cover

A

art:

Phrenology head, Catherine Ledner/Getty Images

Penguin Book

j

Science/Psychology

.

pengum.com

ISBN 978-0-14-311310-2 5

U.S.

$16.00

CAN.

$17.50

Ph.D.,

and Cognition, UCSD, and author of

1

600

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