Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2022 Jul;138:104691. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104691. Epub 2022 May 11.
Plasticity is the ability to modify brain and behavior, ultimately promoting an amplification of the impact of the context on the individual's mental health. Thus, plasticity is not beneficial per se but its value depends on contextual factors, such as the quality of the living environment. High plasticity is beneficial in a favorable environment, but can be detrimental in adverse conditions, while the opposite applies to low plasticity. Resilience and vulnerability are not univocally associated to high or low plasticity. Consequently, individuals should undergo different preventive and therapeutic strategies according to their plasticity levels and living conditions. Here, an operationalization of plasticity relying on network theory is proposed: the strength of the connection among the network elements defining the individual, such as its symptoms, is a measure of plasticity. This theoretical framework represents a promising tool to investigate research questions related to changes in neural structure and activity and in behavior, and to improve therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders, such as major depression.
可塑性是指大脑和行为能够进行自我调整的能力，最终促进了环境对个体心理健康的影响的放大。因此，可塑性本身并不是有益的，其价值取决于环境因素，如生活环境的质量。在有利的环境中，高可塑性是有益的，但在不利条件下可能有害，而低可塑性则相反。韧性和脆弱性与高或低可塑性并不完全相关。因此，根据个体的可塑性水平和生活条件，应采用不同的预防和治疗策略。在这里，提出了一种基于网络理论的可塑性操作性定义：定义个体的网络元素（如其症状）之间的连接强度是可塑性的一种衡量标准。这一理论框架代表了一种很有前途的工具，可以用来研究与神经结构和功能以及行为变化相关的研究问题，并改善精神障碍（如重度抑郁症）的治疗策略。
