Dyslexia and the Brain: Taxi Drivers

The article below was published in the TLC Magazine, Vol. 4(2), a magazine published by the South African Medical Association. The title of the article is “Drive a cab and increase your brain power.” This article confirms the plasticity of the brain:

“A study in London has found that an area of the brain associated with navigation was larger in London's famed taxi drivers than in other people.

“The drivers' brains have been adapted to help them store a detailed mental map of the city, shrinking in one area to allow growth in another, according to the study.

“Evidence that the brain is physically able to change according to the way it is used could have important implications for people with brain damage or brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, say experts. London taxi drivers are renowned for their encyclopedic knowledge of the capital's streets. They spend an average of two years learning the layout of the city's roads before taking a test to get their licenses. Scientists have also reported differences in the structure of the brain between musicians and non-musicians.”