PLASTICITY OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE BRAIN AS A NEUROLOGICAL BASIS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

The currently most important forms of psychotherapy these are behavior al therapy and psychoanalysis, are based on theories created around th e turn of the century. During that time little was known on neurobiolo gical aspects of brain plasticity, that is regarded here as prerequisi tion for any long lasting change in behavior, cognition and emotions a nd, thus, for all real psychotherapeutic effects. In the last decades, research of structural and functional plasticity has made dramatic pr ogresses; this research may enhance our understanding of what is feasi ble and what can be achieved by the various forms of psychotherapy. Af ter considering epistemiological problems, principles of cerebral info rmation processing, brain plasticity and analogies between brain physi ology and psychoanalytical theories are discussed. The article tries t o bridge the gap between neurobiology and psychotherapy.