Symptoms and signs caused by neural plasticity.

Plastic changes in the central nervous system are associated with hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, and spread of activity including activation of brain regions that are not typically involved. Symptoms and signs such as neuropathic pain and tinnitus and hyperactive disorders such as muscle spasm and synkinesis may result from such changes in function. Plastic changes that cause symptoms of diseases can be initiated by novel stimulations, overstimulation, or deprivation of input and the induced changes in the function of central nervous system structures may persist and aggravate after these events have ceased if the condition is not reversed. Disorders that are caused by neural plasticity are potentially reversible with treatment. However, the absence of morphologic abnormalities makes diagnosis of these conditions difficult and their treatment has been hampered by lack of understanding of their pathophysiology. Here the role of neural plasticity in the pathophysiology of several disorders is reviewed.