BIOAPP - Draganski (2004)

Question 1

aim

Answer 1

to see whether learning a new skill - in this case, juggling - would affect the brains of participants.

Question 2

participants

Answer 2

24 volunteers total - 21 males, 3 females (age range - 20 to 24)
all non-jugglers - did an MRI scan to serve as a base of grey matter

Question 3

method

Answer 3

self-selected

Question 4

conditions

Answer 4

2
1st- taught a 3 ball cascade trick
2nd - control group –> then had a second MRI scan - stopped juggling and did a 3rd + 4th MRI scan

Question 5

results

Answer 5

VDM - Voxel-based morphometry-
no differences in brain structure before experiement
2nd scan - the jugglers showed a significantly larger amount of grey matter in the mid-temporal area in both hemispheres - an area associated with visual memory.
3rd/4th scan - three months after the participants stopped juggling - when many were no longer able to carry out the routine - the amount of grey matter in these parts of the brain had decreased.

juggling relies more on visual memory - that is, the perception and spatial anticipation of moving objects - than on “procedural memory” which would more likely show a change in the cerebellum or basal ganglia.