Which process describes the brain's capacity to adapt following injury?

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This process is particularly important following an injury, as it allows other parts of the brain to take over functions lost due to damage. Neuroplasticity involves various mechanisms, including the strengthening or weakening of existing neural pathways and the formation of new synapses, thereby facilitating recovery and adaptation.

In the context of brain injury, neuroplasticity enables the brain to adapt by rerouting signals and compensating for lost functions, which is crucial for rehabilitation and recovery processes. This adaptability can involve changes at both cellular levels, such as synaptic plasticity, and at a broader level, such as the recruitment of different brain regions to perform tasks that a damaged area once handled.

While concepts like regeneration, compensatory growth, and neurogenesis address aspects of recovery and development, they do not encapsulate the comprehensive and dynamic adjustments the brain can make in response to injury as effectively as neuroplasticity does.