Optimising Brain and Behaviour

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The brain is capable of changing continuously in terms of function and structure. Brain changes occur because of development and aging, by interaction of the person with environment, but also in response to injury. In this course, we will focus on plasticity in brain/behaviour relationships. Neuroplasticity has been shown to occur constantly throughout an individual’s life. We will discuss neuroplasticity from a fundamental, learning and injury perspective. Spontaneous recovery from brain damage, factors influencing recovery from brain damage and cognitive versus brain reserve will be discussed. The neuropsychological treatment of cognitive, emotional and behavioural problems will be discussed. In addition, a question that will be addressed is can we change brain and behaviour through interventions such as cognitive enhancement, enriched environment, neuropharmacology and non-invasive brain stimulation? We will also discuss the gap between research and the clinic.