title: Neuroplasticity in normal and brain injured patients: potential relevance of ear wiggling locus of control and cortical projections.
abstract: Recovery after brain insult is variable. Research has shown that activation of higher-order cognitive processes create larger gains in recovery than repetitive tasks, most likely due to neuroplasticity. That is, neuroplasticity is promoted by task complexity. Ear wiggling is a rare skill among humans yet may activate and promote advanced recovery after a brain injury. Increased cognitive complexity of learning a new task could allow insights into plasticity in learning new motor tasks and the role of cognitive complexity in learning that task. This paper focuses on a hypothesis relating to white matter pathways dormant in most people (such as those related to ear wiggling). If these pathways can be triggered by electrical/magnetic stimulation and/or higher-order thought into becoming consciously controllable, then it is possible that activation of a dormant, complex skill may assist in re-growth or repair of brain-damaged pathways. The broader potential impact of the proposed hypothesis is that ear wiggling could be used for improving the recovery of TBI or stroke subjects via neuroplasticity processes.
authors.affiliation: Research Fellow of the National Trauma Research Institute, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred & Monash University Central Clinical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: jerome.maller@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Jerome J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D004423:Ear / Q000502:physiology*; D060733:Electromagnetic Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D009068:Movement; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation