Assignment 1

My own definition of neuroplasticity would provide another term to substitute the condition- brain plasticity. Brain plasticity is a description of a lasting transformation on an individual’s brain throughout his course of life. In simple terms, neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to recover from damage or trauma. Neuroplasticity enables us understand why people regain intellectual functions because we are shown how the brain performs its functions to bring them from trauma to normal life. Brain development and surgery is only successful at a tender age when the brain is still able to perform its functions (Keller and Just 2016). When an individual gets old, the brain unlike that of Jodi is not elastic anymore and Jodi was successful because of her tender age. A phantom limb is simply a feeling of amputation or that of a missing limb still attached to an individual (Subedi & Grossberg 2011). Occasionally, individuals with phantom limbs would always anxious, stressed also accompanied by feelings of trauma and thus casing neuroplasticity.

Assignment 2

When an individual bounces back from trauma, we call this the ability to train and regain. The ability to regain comes from a strong, close and tight support as evident in Jodi’s case. However, brain plasticity is very much successful as shown in the case of Jodi because of her age. In the case of an old man, neuroplasticity might not be successful because the brain gets older as an individual grows old.

Assignment 3

Bouncing back from trauma is a brain function. The brain is created with the ability to heal itself and design new techniques out of traumatic experiences. However, it is also true that as one ages, they lose the chances of having a successful brain plasticity surgery. Phantom limb syndrome is born from neuroplasticity because of the feeling and plain from the amputation. Because pain and sensation are mapped to a portion of the brain, the feeling takes over the brain and this explains why after surgery the patient would feel a part of him is missing.

Assignment 4

Traumatic experiences are ugly and painful life experiences and because the brain has been designed with the ability to make an individual bounce back from trauma, neuroplasticity could be defined also as the ability for the brain to take over as though nothing happened. Plasticity is elasticity which is the ability to be easily modeled or shaped. The brain has the ability to sense and communicate and I believe Jodi’s brain sensed the great family support and that is why she was able to bounce back quickly.

Assignment 5

Stress in never necessary, it is not a good thing and it is not useful. This is because prolonged stress can lead to depression while depression can ultimately lead to death (Hidebrandt 2012). Very simple and small changes can impact on individual’s health and also global health. The greatest cause of stress in people presently is because due to the rise cost of living, insecurity and political instability. Because of meeting individual needs and wants, people take up stressful jobs that are high paying than relaxing jobs that give low pays. In the United States it is very common to find people taking up three different jobs to earn more. Myself, I would rather take a less stressing job as long as it is relaxing.

Assignment 6

Stress is evidently not a good thing and not useful. Other than insecurity and money, schoolwork, job and family could also be stressing. It is better to take a relaxing job with low pay than have a well-paying job that is stressful.