1 Running head: NEURONAL PLASTICITY & RESILIENCY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Human Growth & Development. Signature Assignment

Theepika Nagalinagm Salt Lake Community College

2 Running head: NEURONAL PLASTICITY & RESILIENCY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

In psychology, Neuroplasticity refers to the brains ability to restructure itself after training or practice. Human brain is capable to bend, stretch and expand and specialize itself to different circumstances on a variety of levels throughout the lifespan. Gregg Recanzone made an experiment on monkeys to show that we perceive it in the mind is evident not only in humans but certain animals alike. As a result their auditory sensitivity sharpened to a point at which they were able to easily discriminate between tones that were indistinguishable at the beginning of training.(Nelson,2006) In Nelsons article, he included four other psychologists Michael Merzenich, Alison Gopnik, Walter Mischel, and Michael Rutter studies who made experiment on both children and adult brain. Especially Gopniks studies show the definition of brain plasticity clearly. According his view young children behave like scientists exploring the world for the first time. (Nelson 2006) . Absolutely children born with no knowledge always tend to explore the world by making their own hypothesis and eventually their mind adapt to remember the new facts. Emily Bazelons article A Question of Resilience talked about two girls life story who are La Tanya(13 years) and Tichelle(11 years). They were sexually abused by their mother Jeans boyfriend. Her study on the minds resilience unofficially began in 1993 when she met these two girls in foster care and was given the task of interviewing them about what went on in their family. Resilience is the capacity to withstand stress and catastrophe. Psychologists have long recognized the capabilities of humans to adapt and overcome risk and adversity. Individual and communities are able to rebuild their lives even after devastating tragedies. ( Tuppett M & Ann S, 2004)

3 Running head: NEURONAL PLASTICITY & RESILIENCY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

These two girls, LaTanya and Tichelle inspired this study on resilience because despite the obvious hardships they had faced for years as young children, they both seemed to be coping with the difficulty impressively well as apposed to many other children or young adults who were raised in similar situations. Humans developed resilient capabilities to better cope with the many stresses that were abundant in times before the industrial age. With famine, poverty, disease, filth and moral corruption running rampant in ages past, humans would have long ago been wiped out if they could not cope and then come back from the many difficulties with which were tossed at them. Without resilience, the species would have been plagued by a variety of disorders - depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and other manifestations of tragic life occurrences. Such disorders are debilitating to say the very least and would have lead to a species which would be unable to function rationally and logically - if at all - thereby making easy targets for any perceived predators or threatening circumstances. At this moment, we really need to thank plasticity and resiliency.

In 2003 Moffit and her husband discussed the relationship between the gene, 5-HTT, and childhood maltreatment in causing depression. This gene regulates serotonin to the brain and helps to promote positive reactions to negative situations. There are two of these gene present in every individual, which are two long variants, two short variants or one short and one long variant. Two long alleles in within the gene are less prone to depression than those with one short allele.

4 Running head: NEURONAL PLASTICITY & RESILIENCY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

The shorter variation predisposes people to fail to be resilient in the face of traumatic events and makes it more likely to suffer from depression or other such consequences after the traumatic event, whatever it may be. The person with two long variant of gene tends to spring back when life is hard. On the other hand, the person with one long variant and short variant fall into middle and provides moderate risk. In Bazelons study, she took the two girls for the DNA test and found that Lc Tanya has one short variant and one long variant whereas Tichelle has two long variants. This clearly shows the reason behind of Tichelles successful life. She is able to cope with her past trauma more easily than her sister whereas LcTanya, made some wrong choices in her life because of the hardship she went through in her childhood. Reflection. I am always interested in learning the medical terminology related to the phychology. To be honest, I didnt know the meaning of those two words. I remember my psychology lecturer mentioned plasticity at the beginning of the semester. Understanding these terms helps to explain certain behaviors of the human brains and especially between individuals. I think resilience and plasticity play huge roles in living, learning, and facing the challenges presented from both. I think it is fascinating that levels of resilience can be tested in the brain and elasticity can be more or less prevalent based on the individual studied. Right now, I would like to find out my variation of 5-HTT. I feel that everyone should know about their variation of 5-HTT so that they could overcome the problems when their life turns dark.

5 Running head: NEURONAL PLASTICITY & RESILIENCY IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Reference Pages Bazelon, Emily. A Question of Resilience. New York Times, 30 April 2006. Web.

Fostering the Future: Resilience Theory and the Practice of Positive Psychology. Yates, Tuppett M.; Masten, Ann S. Linley, P. Alex (Ed); Joseph, Stephen (Ed), (2004). Positive psychology in practice. , (pp. 521539). Hoboken, NJ, US: John Wiley & Sons Inc, xxii, 770 pp. Mike, Torres. Neuroplasicity: Your Brains amazing Abitility to Form New habit. 27 May 2009. Web Nelson, Leah. A Learning Machine: Plasticity and Change Throughout Life. APS Observer, 2006. Web