Sensory and Motor Plasticity (SAMP) Lab

How does the brain develop and adapt when it’s missing key experiences, like seeing, hearing, or using certain body parts? 

Which parts of the brain are flexible enough to function normally, even without specific senses or body parts—and which take on new roles to compensate? 

And what can this tell us about how the brain is organized and how it processes information?

The Sensory and Motor Plasticity (SAMP) Lab, led by Dr. Ella Striem-Amit, studies how the brain adapts when someone is born without vision, hearing, or hands. Using advanced brain imaging and behavioral tools, the lab explores how the brain develops and functions without typical sensory or motor experiences. This research helps reveal how the brain represents and processes information in flexible ways.

Because the brain is most adaptable early in life, being born without vision, hearing, or hands leads to the most extreme potential of brain plasticity. Studying individuals with these early sensory or motor differences allows us to explore the outer limits of how the brain can reorganize. It also reveals how each individual person’s brain may develop differently based on their biology, life experiences, and the unique ways they adapt.

Finally, we aim to apply this knowledge to improve rehabilitation for people who lose vision, hearing, or limbs later in life. Our research on blindness and deafness could help guide personalized rehabilitation by understanding each person’s unique brain connectivity and function. Our work with individuals born without hands may contribute to the development of more effective prosthetic limbs and brain-machine interfaces.