Brain plasticity: a new concept in neuroscience, a new tool in neurosurgery

摘要: At the beginning of 19th century, two opposite conceptions functioning central nervous system were suggested. One was theory “equipotentiality”, which hypothesized that entire brain, or at least one complete hemisphere, implied in practice a functional task. The other “localizationism”, supposed each part brain to correspond specific function and built following seminal description “phrenology”. Progressively, frequent reports lesional studies led an intermediate view, namely, organized (i) highly specialized areas, called “eloquent” regions (such as central, Broca’s, Wernicke’s early identified), for any lesion gives rise major irrevocable neurological deficits, (ii) “nonfunctional” structures, whose lesions would be without clinical consequences. On basis these first anatomo-functional correlations despite some pioneer observations postlesional recovery, dogma static organization not able compensate injury involving so-called eloquent settled long time.