--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a psychologist called Mary &…" description: "\"“There's a psychologist called Mary & Diamond who at Brooklyn in California, in the 80s studied rats. And they took rats at different ages. Newborns, s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/670/gabor-mat-1410_brain-damage_there-s-a-psychologist-called-mary-diamo_3224964.jpg" --- # There's a psychologist called Mary & Diamond who at… ![“There's a psychologist called Mary & Diamond who at Brooklyn in California, in the 80s studied rats. And they took rats at different ages. Newborns, some of whom they deliberately brain damaged, adult, middle-aged, elderly rats. And they exposed these rats to different levels of environmental…” quote by Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/670/gabor-mat-1410_brain-damage_there-s-a-psychologist-called-mary-diamo_3224964.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/670/gabor-mat-1410_brain-damage_there-s-a-psychologist-called-mary-diamo_3224964.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/670/gabor-mat-1410_brain-damage_there-s-a-psychologist-called-mary-diamo_3224964.jpg) > ““There's a psychologist called Mary & Diamond who at Brooklyn in California, in the 80s studied rats. And they took rats at different ages. Newborns, some of whom they deliberately brain damaged, adult, middle-aged, elderly rats. And they exposed these rats to different levels of environmental stimulation, better food, more playmates, toys to play with and so on. They found out a couple of months later that the rats, at any age, including the brain-damaged rats, who had the better stimulation, they were smarter. But in the autopsy then they also found that in the front part of their brain they had larger nerve-cells with more connections with other nerve-cells and richer blood supply. In other words that environmental stimulation actually caused a change in the state of the brain, even in the older rats. And that's called neuroplasticity. The capacity of the brain to develop new circuits. So whether it comes to ADHD, addiction, depression or other childhood disorders or any other issue with adults as well, if we recognize them not as ingrained, genetically-determined diseases, but as problems of development, then the question becomes very different. Then the question becomes not just "how do we treat the symptoms?" (and addiction itself is a symptom, depression is a symptom), but "how do we help people develop out of these conditions?" In other words, it is not a medical question, purely, but a developmental question. And development always requires the right environment. Now, if you're a gardener you know that. If you are growing plants in your backyard and you want them to grow into healthy, functioning beings, botanical beings, you want to provide them with the right nurturing, the right nutrition, minerals, water, sunlight and so on. So the real question is how do we provide the conditions for further development for people whose development was impaired in the first place? Now we know how to do that. We are just not doing it.”” [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Environmental enrichment can reshape the brain at any age, improving cognition and health. **In simple terms:** Stimulating environments rebuild brain connections. Key Takeaway Provide enriching experiences for all ages. Themes neuroscience development health environment Mood hopeful inspirational Type educational motivational When to use this quote - education - elder care - rehabilitation - mental health treatment - policy planning Key Concepts neuroplasticity brain development environmental enrichment Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure access to enriching environments? - What barriers prevent widespread implementation? 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But in the autopsy then they also found that in the front part of their brain they had larger nerve-cells with more connections with other nerve-cells and richer blood supply. In other words that environmental stimulation actually caused a change in the state of the brain, even in the older rats. And that's called neuroplasticity. The capacity of the brain to develop new circuits. So whether it comes to ADHD, addiction, depression or other childhood disorders or any other issue with adults as well, if we recognize them not as ingrained, genetically-determined diseases, but as problems of development, then the question becomes very different. Then the question becomes not just \"how do we treat the symptoms?\" (and addiction itself is a symptom, depression is a symptom), but \"how do we help people develop out of these conditions?\" In other words, it is not a medical question, purely, but a developmental question. And development always requires the right environment. Now, if you're a gardener you know that. If you are growing plants in your backyard and you want them to grow into healthy, functioning beings, botanical beings, you want to provide them with the right nurturing, the right nutrition, minerals, water, sunlight and so on. So the real question is how do we provide the conditions for further development for people whose development was impaired in the first place? Now we know how to do that. 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