BRAIN PLASTICITY Although the brains of young children show the greatest ability to reorganize and adapt to damage, adult brains also have some capacity for self-repair. Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords lost her ability to speak after suffering a left-hemisphere gunshot wound. Her medical care included music therapy, where she worked on forming words to familiar songs such as “Happy Birthday.” Giffords has since partly recovered her speaking ability. Two years after the shooting, she was able to speak as a surprise witness at a 2013 U.S. Senate hearing on gun legislation.
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