Biological Approach - Neuroplasticity Flashcards
What is Neuroplasticity
It describes the brain tendency to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning
What are the reasons for Neuroplasticity
Both genetics and environment
Axonal sprouting
Healthy axons sprout new nerve endings that connect to other pathways in the nervous system
Can be used to strengthen existing connections or to repair damaged parts of the nervous system by restoring neural pathways to full functionality
What is Grey Matter?
Is home to neural cell bodies, axon terminals and dendrites, as we as all nerve synapses
AMRC Maguire et al.
A - To see whether the brains of London taxi drivers would be different as a result of extensive training
M:
- 16 males, all healthy
- compared to 50 non-male taxi driver scans
- Quasi experiment as IV not manipulated with matched pairs design
- Average time spent training = 2 years
- Structural MRIs used to show relationship between brain scans and length of time drivers were licensed
R
- Taxi drivers control subjects –> larger posterior hippocampus, smaller anterior hippocampus
- Hippocampal volume positively correlated with time spent as taxi drivers
C
- Plasticity occurs in response to environment change
- Posterior hippocampus involved in spatial skills
- Implications for brain injury victims and rehabilitation
Evaluation of Maguire
+ Strong positive correlation between length of time driving and grey matter in hippocampus
+ MRIs provide a large amount of quantitative data for statistical analyses, reduces demand characteristics
+ Single blind technique
- Use of scanner decreases ecological validity
- MRIs expensive and time consuming
- All male sample - androcentric (gender bias)
Draganski et al
A - to see whether learning a new skill - would have an effect on the brains of participants
M -
Draganski et al
A - to see whether learning a new skill - would have an effect on the brains of participants
M -
