Neuroplasticity and early intervention: Effectiveness on children with perinatal stroke

Abstract

This study evaluates current treatment for perinatal stroke, a stroke prior to or shortly after birth. Modern treatments benefit the patient via mechanisms involving neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to recover function after traumatic injury. This "re-wiring" of the brain is a process that is strongest in early childhood during rapid brain development (Kolb, 1995). I predicted that early intervention in children who have suffered from a perinatal stroke is one of the most effective treatments, leading to the highest success rate. Modern literature on brain plasticity and perinatal stroke was evaluated and compared to the case of a young adult who experienced a perinatal stroke. By studying the medical records and interviewing the patient and family members, I was able to compare the patient's treatment and outcome relative to those identified in the current scientific literature. As a result, I was able to observe how this patient reacted to early intervention and the recovery process following traumatic brain injury.