Neural plasticity can be broadly defined as the ability of the nervous system to adapt to either extrinsic or intrinsic changes.In this lecture,I will first summarize some recent developments in the basic research on activity-dependent neural plasticity at the cellular and neural circuit level.The knowledge gained in basic research is likely to be relevant to our understanding of mechanisms underlying spontaneous functional recovery after brain injury and to the design of therapeutic treatments for promoting neural regeneration.A hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases is a prolonged prodromal period during which there is no apparent functional deficit.There is increasing interest in this prodromal period as it offers a window for intervention that aims to maintain or regain normal circuit function through activity-dependent neural plasticity.Clinical studies in a wide range of patients with developmental,neurological and psychiatric disorders have shown that targeted rehabilitation with task-specific training can improve motor and cognitive functions.I will review some existing plasticity-based therapies and speculate on future development in this field.