The cortical homunculus is a physical representation of our body in our brain. There are two types of these neurological ‘maps’; one for sensory pathways, the other for motor. The area a body part takes up on the map depends on how innervated it is, not how large. If our bodies actually looked like our brain’s representation, we would look very strange indeed. What these maps look like also varies from person to person as they are dependent on the information the brain receives. My hands probably have a larger representation than average due to my music and crafts, whilst my legs are likely to have a smaller representation than average as a result of the movement symptoms of my FND.

Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change, was only discovered with any significant evidence and understanding late in the twentieth century. Before then, it was believed that the brain developed during early childhood, then remained relatively static throughout the rest of life. If you weight train at the gym, muscles engaged increase in size and strength. The same thing happens when different parts of the brain are used. As the saying goes, ‘use it or lose it,’ or even more appropriate for this, ‘neurons that fire together wire together.’

Neuro-rehabilitation makes positive use of neuroplasticity by changing the brain through the use of therapeutic tools and techniques. In neuro-physiotherapy, this means laying down and strengthening neural pathways through movement. By feeding my brain with fluid, symmetrical, healing movements (for example, by practising side to side weight shifting and a perfect sit to stand) and by avoiding reinforcing unwanted movement by changing maladaptive behaviours that have come about due to symptoms (for example, twisting as I sit down), I can change my brain’s body map. I can make use of neuroplasticity to develop and strengthen the automatic movement patterns that have been lost over the course of my FND.

Within the context of my condition, the knowledge of neuroplasticity feels incredibly empowering. But it’s also got me thinking; what are the wider implications? Our thoughts, actions and experiences shape our brain, thereby influencing how we feel and function. Perhaps then we need to be a little more mindful about what we feed our brains?

 

I wrote about using neuroplasticity to address the negativity bias and increase feelings of well-being in ‘The Treasure of Pleasure – Rewiring the Brain for Happiness.’

There’s a fascinating documentary I recently watched, ‘The Brain that Changes Itself,’ available on YouTube.