21. Neuroplasticity & Neural Basis of Motor Learning

Question 1

Motor learning vs performance

Answer 1

Learning- relatively permanent change

Preformance- temporary change observed during practice

Question 2

Habituation is a simple form of neuroplasticity where you have learned ____________

Answer 2

supression of non-noxious stimuli

Note: you can take a tolerance break and then the response will be re-elicited to same stimuli

Question 3

Habituation is due to decreased synaptic activity between….

Answer 3

Sensory neurons and interneurons/motor neurons

Question 4

Short term habituation is due to ________ changes

-reduction of neurotransmitter

-less Ca2

Answer 4

presynaptic

Question 5

Longterm habituation is due to ________ changes and structural changes

Answer 5

post synaptic

Question 6

Sensitization is caused by strenghtening the response to a stimuli that is _________________

Answer 6

preceded by a noxious stimuli

Question 7

T or F. Sensitization is a more complex process than habituation

Answer 7

T

Question 8

Habituation can be due to altered _______ conductance or facilitating more neuro transmitter release

Answer 8

K+

Question 9

In long term sensitization there are changes in:

Answer 9

Altered strength of existing synapses

synthesis of new proteins

modification of synapses

Question 10

Classical conditioning vs operant conditioning

Answer 10

classical- 1 stimulus to another

Operant- behavior to consequences

Question 11

Long term association causes new protein synthesis with formation of….

Answer 11

new synapses between the neurons

Question 12

Classical conditioning example

Answer 12

dog hears bell and gets food

bell -> dog salivates

note: timing between conditioned stimulus and unconditioned response has to be fast.

Question 13

Trial and error learning requires close ___________ due to simular neuro processes as classical conditioning

Answer 13

temporal association

Note: Trial and error learning is behavior shaped by internal thoughts and motivation

Question 14

For implicit procedural learning the movement must be ___________ by the learner through trial and error and _____________

Answer 14

Performed

within the context of the skills and in typical environment

Question 15

procedural learning occurs in specific areas of the….

Answer 15

frontal & parietal cortices, basal ganglia, and cerbellum

Question 16

implicit procedural learning definition

Answer 16

Learning and execution of motor and nondeclarative cognitive tasks, especially w/ sequences

example: skills and habits

Question 17

Declarative learning requires conscious processing with end product of…

Answer 17

Acquiring knowledge that can be expressed explicitly

Question 18

What parts of the brain are responsible for explicit learning?

Prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus ___________, ________, ____________

Answer 18

Caudate

Medial temporal lobes

hippocampus

Question 19

long term potentiation (LTP) requires the firing of both ________ and ___________ cells at the same time

Answer 19

pre and post synaptic

Question 20

What is longterm potentiation (LTP)?

Answer 20

when weak and strong input arrive at the same time at the post synaptic dendrite, and the weak one will be facilitated due to association with the stronger stimulus

similar to sensitization

Question 21

Short term potentiation has ___________ only whereas long term potentiation causes _____________

Answer 21

functional changes only

protein synthesis for structural changes

Question 22

Long term depression is similar to ________

long term potentiation is similar to ______________-

Answer 22

habituation

sensitization

Question 23

Long term depression has active synapses change to ____________ by removal of _______________ into cytoplasm

Answer 23

silent/weak synapses

post-synaptic receptors

Question 24

What is associativity?

Answer 24

When contributing fibers and post synaptic cells work together to give a stronger input

(weak input becomes stronger due to traveling the same route as a stronger input)

Question 25

What is cooperativity?

Answer 25

Requires > 1 neuron working together all the neurons working together converge on the same synapse and combine their inputs to become stronger.

Question 26

**Specificity**: Only synapses that are __________ will exhibit long term potentiation Example:_____________

Answer 26

highly active Selective memory

Question 27

When learning a new task, many brain areas are active, with repetition......

Answer 27

fewer areas are active becoming more streamlined as the skill developed

Question 28

T or F, myelin also demonstrates experience dependent neuroplasticity

Answer 28

True

Question 29

Enhanced motor skill development seen in patients after _______

Answer 29

sleep

Question 30

______ memory and _____ memory overlap and are used in most learning activities

Answer 30

implicit and explicit note: implicit and explicit memories can shift to the other kind

Question 31

**Motor learning**: Practice can increase activity of _______, which can activate the motor cortex, bypassing the somatosensory cortex ________ are developed aiding in **efficiency** and **redundancy** (especially important for case of injury)

Answer 31

thalamocortical pathways parallel pathways

Question 32

Stages of motor learning _________ -> ___________ -> _____________

Answer 32

cognitive -> associative -> autonomous Note: as you progress the level of attention required goes down

Question 33

In the **early cognitive phase** of motor learning, you're reliant on ______________ from motor preformance, many errors, rapid improvment

Answer 33

sensory feedback

Question 34

Early cognitive phases experience an _________ and then a _____ in *dorsolateral prefronal cortex, sensorimotor cortices, parietal areas, and cerebellum* activity

Answer 34

increase decrease

Question 35

When do you have larger improvements? Cognitive phase or associative phase?

Answer 35

cognitive phase associative phase - slower improvements

Question 36

**Associative phase**: __________ are less active than initial stage increase in activity in the ____________ Less motor planning and executive functioning needed

Answer 36

motor and sensory areas dentate, thalamus, putamen

Question 37

Which phase includes: Trial and error period trying new strategies refining skills preformance less variable

Answer 37

associative phase

Question 38

During the **autonomous** stage the ________ remains active but ________ decrease activity

Answer 38

primary motor cortex cortical association areas

Question 39

What areas increase in activity as a task becomes more automatic?

Answer 39

Basal ganglia Thalamus Cerebellar Nuclei

Question 40

What motor learning phase is characterized by Minimal attention required stable preformance error detection present increased accuracy, smoothness, and speed

Answer 40

Autonomous stage

Question 41

Healthy older adults are able to acheive new automatic motor skills but require....

Answer 41

significantly more practice than younger adults

Question 42

Patterns of brain activities are simular in older and younger adults during skill acquisition. But Older adults need ____________ to attain simular levels of automaticity

Answer 42

significantly more brain activity

Question 43

Aging can impact ______ capabilities since harder/longer time to reach automaticity

Answer 43

Dual Task

Question 44

Most brain damage comes from __________, than the intial acute injury

Answer 44

excitotoxicity

Question 45

What is excitotoxicity

Answer 45

excessive **glutamate** released from hypoxic cells that **destroys** post-synaptic neurons

Question 46

During excitotoxicity, glutamate binds to receptors and increases intracellular _______, this causes more _____ to exit the cell. Due to this, more glycolysis is required to give sufficient energy -> more lactic acid -> acidosis -> breaks down cell

Answer 46

CA+ K+

Question 47

(excitotoxicity) Heightened glycolysis in cells causes excess _________ which reduces intracellular pH causing acidosis which breaks down the cell membrane

Answer 47

lactic acid

Question 48

(excitotoxicity) CA+ stimulates protein enzymes that release _______, and make oxygen free radicals along with excessive NO, causing more cell damage

Answer 48

arachodonic acid note: also water influx ocurs causing cellular edema

Question 49

Right after axon is severed in an injury ______ leaks out of both ends and segments retract away from eachother

Answer 49

cytoplasm

Question 50

Distal segments of an axon (when severed), start ____________ process with axon degeneration and myelin sheath pulling away from axon

Answer 50

wallerian degeneration

Question 51

What kind of cells clean up an axonal injury?

Answer 51

**Glial cells** clean up area of axonal injury

Question 52

During axonal injury, associated cell body degenerates through central ___________

Answer 52

**Chromatolysis** which may lead to cell death note: Post synaptic cells may also die if most input is lost

Question 53

Collateral sprouting vs regenerative sprouting

Answer 53

Collateral- **neighbor** axons take over work of damaged one regenerative: damaged one sends **new** sprout to original target

Question 54

What is the speed of axonal growth after injury?

Answer 54

1mm/day or 1 inch a month

Question 55

Nerve growth factor is produced by ________ cells and they they form a sheath guiding the sprouting axon to its target cell

Answer 55

schwann cells

Question 56

Exercise starting at day _____ facilitates neuron regrowth and muscular reinnervation

Answer 56

5

Question 57

What is synkinesis?

Answer 57

**Regrowth** causes innervation of **inappropriate target**, leads to temporary movement abnormalities

Question 58

Most CNS damage after an injury occurs due to __________

Answer 58

secondary cascading events

Question 59

After an injury: Proximal axons experience ______ Distal axons experience ________

Answer 59

Chromatolysis Wallerian degeneration

Question 60

A traumatic brain injury can cause widespread tearing or stretching/disconnecting , this is called.....

Answer 60

DAI Diffuse axonal injury

Question 61

Glial scars (damaged glial cells) can block regrowth and release _______

Answer 61

NOGO Neurite outgrowth inhibitor NOGO is expressed in oligodendicytes and not schwann cells

Question 62

Cell body death vs Axonal injury?

Answer 62

Cell body death always causes neuron death axonal injury not always

Question 63

What is denervation hypersensitivity

Answer 63

Synaptic change after injury Increased post-synpatic receptors available to accept Neurotransmitters released from neighboring neurons (increased sensitivity to neurotransmitters)

Question 64

What is synaptic hypereffectiveness

Answer 64

Synaptic change after injury: When pre-synaptic terminals are damaged, remaining post-synaptic branches receive all neurotransmitter that would normally be shared. (Remaining synapses now receive too mcuh input )

Question 65

What are 4 synaptic changes after injury?

Answer 65

1. Recovery of effectiveness 2. Denervation hypersensitivity 3. Synaptic hypereffectiveness 4. Unmasking/disinhibition of silent synapses

Question 66

What is the use it or lose it principle? Use it and improve it principle?

Answer 66

Failure to drive specific brain functons lead to functional degradation Opposite

Question 67

What is the specificity princple?

Answer 67

The nature of training dictates the nature of neuroplasticity

Question 68

Repetition matters principle

Answer 68

induction of neuroplasticity requires sufficient repetition

Question 69

Intensity matters principle

Answer 69

neuroplasticity requires sufficient training intensity

Question 70

Time matters principle

Answer 70

Different forms of plasticity happen at different times in training

Question 71

salience matters principle

Answer 71

the training must be salient to induce plasticity (pt must be aware and engaged)

Question 72

Age matters principle:

Answer 72

training induced neuroplasticity occurs more in younger brains

Question 73

transference principle

Answer 73

plasticity in response to one training can enhance simular behavior

Question 74

interference principle:

Answer 74

plasticity due to one experience can inferfere with acquisition of other behaviors