Rewiring Brain

Exploring the role of structural plasticity in brain function can be greatly assisted by mathematical and computational models. However, most traditional neuronal network models have a fixed connectivity structure, with plasticity merely arising from changes in connection strength (synaptic plasticity). In The Rewiring Brain, the editors bring together for the first time recent modelling studies that investigate the implications of structural plasticity for brain function and connectivity. It contains a valuable overview of contemporary computational and theoretical studies on structural plasticity. Starting with an experimental background on structural plasticity in the adult brain, the book covers computational studies on critical connectivity, network reorganization and recovery following lesions or stroke, synapse formation, interaction between synaptic and structural plasticity, functional consequences of synaptic rewiring and neurogenesis for learning and memory, and the relation between neurological disorders and structural connectivity. Structural plasticity adds a whole new dimension to brain plasticity, and The Rewiring Brain shows how computational approaches may help to gain a better understanding of the full adaptive potential of the brain in health and disease. This book is written for both computational and experimental neuroscientists, as well as neurobiologists and computer scientists. First comprehensive reference that gives a valuable overview of contemporary computational and theoretical studies on structural plasticityGive insights to the potential driving forces and functional implications of structural plasticity for cognition and serves as inspiration for developing novel treatment strategies for stimulating functional repair after brain damageEdited by two of the leading researchers in analytical approaches to studying activity-dependent structural brain development and repair