And that can help them find new ways to respond to a wide range of conditions including brain injury, stroke, learning disabilities, traumatic experiences, depression, and anxiety.
But neuroplasticity involves a number of complex processes, and it can be a difficult concept to convey to patients.
So we created this as a way for you to help patients understand how neuroplasticity works. Because if the brain can change, your patients’ lives can change.
Click the image to enlarge
If you’d like to print or download a copy to share with your clients, just click here: Color or Print-friendly
(If you’re sharing this infographic, please attribute it to NICABM. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. If you’re sharing this digitally, please link back to this page in your attribution. Thanks!)
To learn more about advances in brain science that can be applied to your clinical work, look at this short course featuring Stephen Porges, PhD; Daniel Siegel, MD; Rick Hanson, PhD; Pat Ogden, PhD; and more.
Now we’d like to hear from you. How could you use this infographic in your work with patients? Where do you see the benefits of neuroplasticity? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you so much for this informative and helpful article. I am just starting out in my career within the fields of exercise science and gerontology; at the moment I’m teaching aqua fitness to mostly older populations and I’m folding in some exercises that tickle the brain, if you will. Much like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, water exercises that you have to really think about (using multiple planes, sagittal, transverse, frontal) truly stretch and pull and challenge us in the best of neuro ways.
Thanks again,
Katherine
I love that I found this diagram especially since it am always looking at ways to explain neuroplasticity to my clients. I help my clients with increasing their resources (things that bring that calm, peace, joy, love) & how their resourcing creates new neuropathways especially since they have PTSD or other forms of trauma. Thank you! Thank you!
Can I use Neuroplasticity to change the way I experience pain from severe osteoarthritis in my hip please? I would like to avoid surgery and it appears that many people have almost alleviated their pain through an anti-inflammatory diet, movement, PT etc. I am close. Kind regards, Sally
Martyorrsally@gmail.com
These Infographics are a “keep it simple” way to help clients and keep sessions on track. Thanks so much for all you do!!! –
Thank you for sharing this valuable information
Does neuroplasicity require focused effort during repetitive motionor is repetitive motion all that is required?
How does the brain know to retire severed neuro connections? Do the motor nerves send a signal back to the brain to tell it to reword neuro pathways? How is this possible?
Thanks
I’m primarily interested in how to retrain the brain to simply make good decisions. Addicts have damaged prefrontal cortexes; this prevents them from controlling their impulses or actions. Similarly, impulsive disorders among non-addicted people may be helped if there was a very basic method of training the brain to decide to make good decisions, or decide against poor decisions. It’s an either/or decision-making process that could be trained using good versus bad decision-making as a basis for creating a habit loop for making better choices (decisions). This assumes neuroplasticity actually works to rewire the brain.
Jeff Olson’s book, The Slight Edge, is all about making incremental improvements every day by making the simple decision between good or bad choices. Verbal Judo can be distilled down to avoiding conflict and steering behavior by presenting (in a friendly way) an easy decision between choices that are either good or bad for you. The choice should seem EASY, and that, to me, should create neuronal pathways in the same way neuroplasticity researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have successfully “rewired” the brains of diagnosed psychopaths in the prison system by merely getting them to think, write, and speak about the consequences of their behaviors on others.
I am going to use these graphics to explain the effect of stress on brain and remediation strategies for secondary science students in my PhD studies.
I healed paralysis, 30 brain lesions, PTSD, and severe brain damage with this science.
That was after I used it in clinical social work with combat veterans with brain trauma and PTSD.
Then I woke up with holes in my brain and used it to heal myself.
Hi my 88 year old mom has dementia she was so good but fractured her pelvis two years ago and was left on the floor for ages on her own so she must have suffered some trama i am her full time carer she is thin and frail i find it hard sometimes but thankfully she sleeps at night but she goes in and out somtimes with her memory goes back a lot in time.
Thank you for making this printable!!
I would also like to be able to purchase the full piece in one post-size print if possible.
Michele Fluhr Fraser
Dear Alex,
It really is possible to overcome ADHD. I am a Davis Counselor and help clients to overcome dyslexia and dyscalculus. Almost all off them (to different degrees) have symptoms that are related to what is now known as AD(H)D. The common root cause is desorientation as a result from confusion. By becoming aware of your desorientation – when it occurs and what triggers it – you gradually but also rapidly are able to take control over the way you perceive the world. ADHD as well as dyslexia and dyscalculus are examples of the downside to neuroplasticity. The good news now is, that it is not irreversible.
I would love to hear more about your work with AD(H)D patients.
I used to teach about Neuroplasticity to medical students. This is a wonderfully clear and useful summary that illustrates the main points so well. Thank you! x Ute
I’m an OT in Neurorehabilitation and I love to share neuroplasticity to clients to help them understand better why are they doing therapy and how it affects the brain this improve function!!
How about naming Covid like Lynn Lyons names an anxiety. OK Corry Covid. Shut up. I’m putting on my mask and you go sit in a corner.
Annette
This is so helpful! I’m an SLP and I specialize in providing cognitive therapy to people who have had brain injuries, primarily concussions. I love the concept of neuroplasticity and I think it will be really helpful to explain this and/or provide the diagram.
A suggestion for your graphic:
Neuroplasticity is stimulated by something… not a “result” of something…
I am going to use this diagram both with my clients and to remind myself and my family the importance of practicing positive thoughts and behaviours.
As I read it I feel it offers hope.
IS THERE A FOUNDATION I COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY RELATED?
JILLJCOOK@MAC.COM
Trauma informed yoga is all about this!!
Let me know if youd like some good adhd therapists who will help retrain the add brain….im 41 and proof you can “overcome” many if not all adhd tendencies . Adhd is overcome-able
I would LOVE to have the opportunity to re-plasticize my ADHD brain!! With 30 years of sobriety in AA I am so ready for this challenge and opportunity. I have the gift of gratitude that has been significant in my journey. More shame around my ADHD than I thought was possible.
I am 73 and anxiety still locks doors I want to open for self and others.
I work with Substance Abuse clients who are attempting to re-wire neural networks that have been set for years . I teach them the capacity to mobe from Trauma Brain to Learning Brain and this will be so helpful for their sense of hope and motivation!!! Cant thank you enough!!!
This is great! I will use this to explain to my athletes how they can learn/improve skills by concentrating on good form, for a healthy number of repetitions.
I am a dyslexia tutor. This explains to parents that the brain CAN be trained and reshaped with systematic and intense instruction.
I am a dyslexia tutor. This explains to parents that the brain CAN be trained and reshaped with systematic and intense instruction.
I need somebody to help me do this.
Joy