My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

One of Taylor’s main themes is the human brain’s ability to recover from traumatic injuries and her own experience of healing. The brain is neuroplastic, or changeable, and with the right type of rehabilitation has the potential to relearn different functions and rebuild lost neural connections. It is this quality that helps Taylor relearn a myriad of skills, from writing and speaking to mathematics and driving, after her stroke and brain surgery. While some doctors think that any possible post-stroke healing will occur within six months, Taylor posits that her recovery took eight years and that medical professionals should not underestimate the brain’s ability to recover lost neurons. She writes, “As a trained neuroanatomist, I believed in the plasticity of my brain-its ability to repair, replace, and retrain its neural circuitry” (36).

Taylor also shares insights into the factors that she believes made her brain’s rehabilitation so successful. G.G. banned distractions such as TV and radio and engaged Taylor in frequent conversations and basic tasks. G.G. did not ask yes/no questions, instead challenging Taylor to find her own words and respond with more complex answers, thus connecting more of Taylor’s neural networks. The author also learned most effectively by performing basic imitations, which she calls “monkey-see, monkey-do” behavior since her verbal communication was limited during this time.