When we think about stroke, we always think of loss of function. However, there is no reason to not have a gain of function after a stroke. I believe the Japanese are looking into this very closely and I have come across anecdotal evidence for the same. This possibility can be the result of two processes. We know that around the age of 2, there are more synaptic connections than in the adult brain. PET scanning has also shown that at that age the brain has the highest metabolism ever in a person's lifetime. At the same time there is a lot of "pruning" occurring in the white matter. This pruning, though is being done in a very controlled manner, is nonetheless not different to the injury that occurs from a stroke. The other possible way for the gain of function after a stroke is to consider the CNS as a system. When a damage occurs to a particular area and we see a loss of function, it does not mean that the deficit was the function of that injured area. We can look at this system wise and say that the deficit we are observing is the coping mechanism of the remaining intact system. In this way, an injury can result in a gain of function of the remaining intact system. One famous example is that of Demosthenes, the great Greek orator. He used to stutter, but when he put some pebbles in his mouth his speech was fluent and he was known for his oration. In this case we clearly see how the system is able to overcome a deficit by employing different circuits. If the articulation was localized to a single area that was not functioning well and causing the stuttering, then putting pebbles in the mouth would not have helped Demosthenes. Thanks.
I remember in the 1990s speaking to professor of neuropsychology and experimental psychology about a person with aphasia who recovered language after a second CVA. The general feeling was nobody would ever believe it, so it went unpublished.
Unfortunately, that is likely the major reason for the lack of interest and studies into this phenomenon. The current paradigm based on the neuroanatomical localization of function is creating this "blind spot". I am sure that if we look closely into this gain of function phenomenon, we will find that even if there is loss of function in one area, there is a gain of function in another area, which can be used to help the patient, not only psychologically, but physically with proper rehabilitation techniques.
Yes the functions can gained with proper medical and rehabilitation therapy
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