A “New Trick” for Neuro-Rehabilitation: Treating Networks Not Spots

The view that behaviors depend on activity in one “spot” of the brain is being replaced with a more sophisticated model of how interconnected networks of brain regions perform the computations necessary for cognition. This dynamic and complex view of the brain allows for creative opportunities for investigating how to restore function after neural injuries such as stroke. Paradoxically, recovery could be enhanced by focusing interventions on brain regions far from but connected to the area of damage. This talk will discuss how these new ideas are expanding clinical interventions and providing insights into the potential of, and limits to, adult brain plasticity.