How does neuroplasticity allow the brain to rewire itself?

The answer

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize its structure and function in response to experience, learning, and injury throughout life. At the synaptic level, frequently used neural connections are strengthened while unused ones are pruned, a process summarized by the phrase 'neurons that fire together wire together.' At the structural level, intensive learning can increase gray matter volume: famously, London taxi drivers who spent years memorizing the city's 25,000 streets showed measurably larger posterior hippocampi compared to bus drivers who followed fixed routes. After injury, such as a stroke, intact brain regions can take over functions of damaged areas through cortical remapping. Neuroplasticity also underlies the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy, which physically changes neural circuits involved in anxiety and depression through repeated practice of new thought patterns.