Running head: NEUROPLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE

Neuroplasti it! and Resilien e "essi a #ogge Salt La$e Co%%unit! College

NEUROPLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE Neuroplasti it! and Resilien e Neuroplasti it! %eans that hu%an traits an 'e %olded 'ut indi(iduals an still %aintain a ertain dura'ilit! o) identit!* One annot hange a persons geneti s+ past e,perien es or

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per%anent da%age -.erger+ &/1/0* It1s also suggested that the 'rain is al%ost in)initel! adapta'le through earl! in)an ! into late adulthood* The 'rain has the apa it! to spe iali2e itsel) in response to hanges -Nelson+ L*0* Also $no3n as orti al %apping+ neuroplasti it! resear h has sho3n that the 'rain ontinues to reate ne3 neural path3a!s and alter old ones in order to adapt to ne3 e,perien es+ reate ne3 %e%ories and learn ne3 in)or%ation -Cherr!+ &/140* Resilien e is a pro ess o) positi(e adaptation 3ithin the onte,t o) signi)i ant ad(ersit! and to o(er o%e serious stress* Ad(ersit! is signi)i ant in hildren that o(er o%e onditions that 3ould other3ise o(er3hel% their peers+ %a$ing the% appear in(in i'le -.erger+ &/1/0* Resilient people are a'le to use their s$ills and strengths to ope and re o(er )ro% pro'le%s and hallenges* These 'eha(iors are not an in'orn trait )ound in sele t indi(iduals 'ut people are apa'le o) learning the s$ills needed to 'e o%e %ore resilient -Cherr!+ &/140* Neuroplasti it! resear h )indings indi ate that the 'rain an 'e trained to in rease it1s sensiti(it! to (arious sti%uli+ 3hi h orresponds 3ith a )un tional reorgani2ation o) the ere'ral orte,* During hildhood+ the 'rain )un tions 3ith an 5an!thing6goes plasti it!7+ adapting itsel) to sort and interpret a large (ariet! o) in)or%ation* A)ter de(eloping 5sele ti(e attention ontrol7+ 3hi h is the a'ilit! to sort and )o us on ertain input+ the adult 'rain an use plasti it! )or %ore purpose)ul reasons* As indi(iduals gro3 older+ 'rains 'e o%e 'usier ausing degrading o) the 'rain learning6 ontrol %a hiner!* Plasti it! (aries )ro% one indi(idual to another 'e ause 'rains 3ill respond to si%ilar e,tre%e ir u%stan es in o%pletel! di))erent 3a!s -Nelson+ L*0*

NEUROPLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE Plasti it! is ongoing throughout li)e and in(ol(es 'rain ells other than neurons+ in luding glial and (as ular ells -Cherr!+ &/140* Resilien e is %ore e(ident in %iddle hildhood than earlier* A good+ supporti(e adult6

hild relationship ena'les resilien e and %a! help a hild to de(elop )riends+ s$ills and a ti(ities that are en8o!a'le to the% -.erger+ &/1/0* In the stor! A Question of Resilience, La1Tan!a and Ti helle 3ere a'le to 'oun e 'a $+ )or the %ost part+ )ro% a hildhood o) se,ual a'use* Resear h indi ates that hildren in this and si%ilar en(iron%ents usuall! su))er )ro% depression+ post6trau%ati stress disorder and sui idal thoughts* As adults+ the!1re %ore li$el! to 'e ho%eless+ une%plo!ed and addi ted to drugs or al ohol* These girls still had ps! hologi al struggles 'ut 3ent on to )or% nor%al relationships+ )a%ilies o) their o3n and ha(e su ess)ul areers* Studies sho3 that &/69/: o) (i ti%s sho3 )e3 signs o) 'eha(ioral or %ental health pro'le%s -.a2elon+ &//;0* Resilien e orrelates 3ith personalit! traits li$e opti%is% and sel)6 on)iden e+ 3hi h are so%e o) the %ost prote ti(e assets against li)e1s stressors* So%e traits %a! 'e rooted in 'elie) s!ste%s that allo3 one to reappraise situations and regulate e%otions* So ial ps! hologists re)er to this as hardiness+ 3hi h is a s!ste% o) thought 'ased on the 'elie) that one an )ind a %eaning)ul purpose in li)e+ a 'elie) that one an in)luen e ones surroundings and out o%e o) e(ents and the 'elie) that positi(e and negati(e e,perien es 3ill lead to learning and gro3th* Religion and ultural identit! ha(e a strong in)luen e on resilien ! also -<olli+ &/1&0* E(iden e is no3 sho3ing a onne tion to geneti s* Resear hers ha(e )ound that a parti ular (ariation o) a gene that an help pro%ote resilien ! and a t as a 'u))er )or ad(ersit!* S ientists ha(e dis o(ered that the gene =6#TT is riti al in the regulation o) serotonin in the

NEUROPLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE 'rain+ 3hi h helps pro%ote 3ell6'eing and prote t against depression in response to stress or trau%a* Ea h gene has t3o alleles and ea h allele is either a short or a long (ersion* The!1re )inding that people 3ith at least one short =6#TT allele are %ore prone to depression* A'out one6third o) the population has t3o o) the prote ti(e long alleles and 1>: ha(ing t3o short

alleles* One short allele poses a %oderate ris$ o) depression in people 3ith %a8or li)e stresses or hildhood %altreat%ent* T3o long alleles gi(es those arriers a good han e at resilien !* This is not $no3n as a 5depression gene7 i) the arrier ne(er has negati(e e,perien es* La1Tan!a and Ti helle1s results are onsistent 3ith this resear h* La1Tan!a1s one short allele an a ount )or her not )airing as 3ell as Ti helle and Charnelle+ 3ith their t3o long alleles+ 'ut it does help in her a'ilit! to ha(e a produ ti(e li)e -.a2elon+ &//;0* I) I 3as to ha(e the =6#TT testing done+ I 3ould guess that I ha(e at least one short allele+ as I ha(e o%'ated depression going on 1? !ears no3* I ha(e had so%e %a8or set 'a $s in %! li)e that ha(e %ade %! depression 3orse at ti%es* Neuroplasti it! has helped %e adapt to these situations and+ 3ith a good support net3or$+ I ha(e )ound resilien e in %! li)e*

NEUROPLASTICITY AND RESILIENCE Re)eren es .a2elon+ E* -&//;+ April 4/0* A @uestion o) Resilien e* Retrie(ed )ro% http:AA333*n!ti%es* o%/2006/04/30/magazine/30abuse.htm .erger+ B*S* -&/1/0* Invitation to the Life !an. Ne3 Yor$+ NY: Corth Pulishers* Cherr!+ B* -&/140* Chat Is .rain Plasti it!D Retrie(ed )ro% http:AAps! holog!*a'out* o%AodA'iops! holog!A)A'rain6plasti it!*ht% Cherr!+ B* -&/140* Chat Is Resilien eD Coping Cith Crisis* Retrie(ed )ro% http:AAps! holog!*a'out* o%*odA risis ounselingAaAresilien e*ht% Nelson+ L* -no !ear listed0* A Learning Ea hine: Plasti it! and Change Throughout Li)e* Association fo" #s$chological cience.

<olli+ A* -&/1&+ "ul! 1&0* Understanding+ and Nurturing+ Resilien e and Adapta'ilit!* Retrie(ed )ro% http:AAsharp'rains* o%A'logA&/1&A/>A1&Aunderstanding6and6nurturing6resilien e6 and6adapta'ilit!A