<p>To the question "what is happening exactly when brain centres get damaged?". The answer is: When any tissue, including neural tissue, in the body gets damaged, the body will try to repair them. The process of reparation involves many distinct processes, such as the process to get rid of the damaged tissue and the process to regenerate new tissue. But compared with other tissues, such as skin, mucosa, and connective tissue in general, neural tissue has a much more limited capability to regenerate, yet it is not zero. Also, in the nervous system, neural plasticity, which is the adaptation of other neural tissue to perform the function that is impaired or lost, plays the role in the process of reparation too. The following articles may help explain this matter in more details: ref1 and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3552310/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ref 2</a>,  and <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jnms/82/1/82_4/_pdf/-char/en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ref3</a>. And some animal studies of neural plasticity: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734108/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ref4</a> and ref<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162127/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T09:52:13.973Z
It seems that the link to ref1 “ From Hydra Regeneration to Human Brain Structural Plasticity: A Long Trip through Narrowing Roads”
does not work. The url - file:///D:/x%20Others/936817.pdf - has to be copied and paste directly into the url search box.
user287279
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T11:00:44.237Z
@user287279: that's because you pasted a link to a file your local drive "D:"
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T12:13:03.883Z
@Fizz: Thanks a lot, that's why.  Sorry for the mishap. Well, if anyone is interested in reading "From Hydra Regeneration to Human Brain Structural Plasticity: A Long Trip through Narrowing Roads”, please go to https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2011/936817/abs/ and click for the pdf file from the menu at the right upper quadrant of the page.
user287279
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T09:47:47.937Z
2018-08-09T10:20:57.163Z
2018-08-09T10:20:57.163Z
user287279
<p>I have heard <a href="http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/brain-re-wires-itself-after-damage-246049" rel="nofollow noreferrer">stories/reports</a> that if a certain part of the brain (taking care of certain functions) is damaged other parts take over the function of the damaged part.</p>

<p>Intuitively this could mean 2 things:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>We are not using the brain to its full capability.</p></li>
<li><p>The performance of the brain will take a hit due to other brain centers taking over the functionality of the damaged center.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>For me the first one does not make sense since evolutionary selection makes sure we are endowed with the most efficient systems. So what is happening exactly when brain centers get damaged?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T16:34:06.310Z
When they get damaged, they [get damaged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_damage#Body's_response_to_brain_injury). You probably want to as "what is happening exactly" in recovery, otherwise I don't see the point of your other premises. Anyway, it seems you're asking a bit too many questions in one.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T16:41:18.623Z
Are you simply asking if performance takes a hit after brain damage? That's blindingly obvious to anyone who's seen a stroke patient.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T16:59:08.470Z
@Fizz why not click on the link and not take the question title literally...I just asked one question
DuttaA
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T17:00:29.210Z
I did look at the article. It didn't help me understand what your question/confusion actually is.
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T17:05:48.050Z
@Fizz I don't understand the confusion..Simple terms how is brain performing the same functions after some part of it is dead
DuttaA
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T17:13:16.483Z
It doesn't do that immediately, it takes (a usually lengthy) rehabilitation for that to happen. And  rehabilitation is not always successful. So I don't see what's the big contradiction you see. What "does not make sense"?
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-07T17:43:18.473Z
If your only problem is with "we are not using the brain to full capacity", then your intuition is correct. I can't immediately find where that was asked here before, but https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-really-use-only-10/ Ok I found it here as well https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/12281/interpretation-actual-result-of-10-of-your-brain-myth
got trolled too much this week
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T10:59:08.450Z
@Fizz thanks I'll check the links out kind of busy
DuttaA
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-09T18:30:20.810Z
A related, but opposite phenomenon, is when an unused part of the brain is taken over by a different part of the brain. For example, in deaf individuals, the auditory cortex responds to visual stimuli.
StrongBad
<neuroscience><neurophysiology><brain>
Performance of a damaged brain
DuttaA
# Performance of a damaged brain

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-07)

I have heard [stories/reports](http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/brain-re-wires-itself-after-damage-246049) that if a certain part of the brain (taking care of certain functions) is damaged other parts take over the function of the damaged part.

Intuitively this could mean 2 things:

* We are not using the brain to its full capability.
* The performance of the brain will take a hit due to other brain centers taking over the functionality of the damaged center.

For me the first one does not make sense since evolutionary selection makes sure we are endowed with the most efficient systems. So what is happening exactly when brain centers get damaged?

**Tags:** neuroscience, neurophysiology, brain

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: When they get damaged, they [get damaged](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_damage#Body's_response_to_brain_injury). You probably want to as "what is happening exactly" in recovery, otherwise I don't see the point of your other premises. Anyway, it seems you're asking a bit too many questions in one.  
> **username_1**: Are you simply asking if performance takes a hit after brain damage? That's blindingly obvious to anyone who's seen a stroke patient.  
> **username_0**: @Fizz why not click on the link and not take the question title literally...I just asked one question  
> **username_1**: I did look at the article. It didn't help me understand what your question/confusion actually is.  
> **username_0**: @Fizz I don't understand the confusion..Simple terms how is brain performing the same functions after some part of it is dead  
> **username_1**: It doesn't do that immediately, it takes (a usually lengthy) rehabilitation for that to happen. And  rehabilitation is not always successful. So I don't see what's the big contradiction you see. What "does not make sense"?  
> **username_1**: If your only problem is with "we are not using the brain to full capacity", then your intuition is correct. I can't immediately find where that was asked here before, but https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-we-really-use-only-10/ Ok I found it here as well https://psychology.stackexchange.com/questions/12281/interpretation-actual-result-of-10-of-your-brain-myth  
> **username_0**: @Fizz thanks I'll check the links out kind of busy  
> **username_2**: A related, but opposite phenomenon, is when an unused part of the brain is taken over by a different part of the brain. For example, in deaf individuals, the auditory cortex responds to visual stimuli.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-09. Score: 2

To the question "what is happening exactly when brain centres get damaged?". The answer is: When any tissue, including neural tissue, in the body gets damaged, the body will try to repair them. The process of reparation involves many distinct processes, such as the process to get rid of the damaged tissue and the process to regenerate new tissue. But compared with other tissues, such as skin, mucosa, and connective tissue in general, neural tissue has a much more limited capability to regenerate, yet it is not zero. Also, in the nervous system, neural plasticity, which is the adaptation of other neural tissue to perform the function that is impaired or lost, plays the role in the process of reparation too. The following articles may help explain this matter in more details: ref1 and [ref 2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3552310/), and [ref3](https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jnms/82/1/82_4/_pdf/-char/en). And some animal studies of neural plasticity: [ref4](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734108/) and ref[5](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162127/).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It seems that the link to ref1 “ From Hydra Regeneration to Human Brain Structural Plasticity: A Long Trip through Narrowing Roads” does not work. The url - file:///D:/x%20Others/936817.pdf - has to be copied and paste directly into the url search box.  
> **username_1**: @username_3: that's because you pasted a link to a file your local drive "D:"  
> **username_3**: @Fizz: Thanks a lot, that's why.  Sorry for the mishap. Well, if anyone is interested in reading "From Hydra Regeneration to Human Brain Structural Plasticity: A Long Trip through Narrowing Roads”, please go to https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2011/936817/abs/ and click for the pdf file from the menu at the right upper quadrant of the page.  

---

