Biopsycholgy: Plasticity And Functional Recovery Flashcards
Brain plasticity A01
Define: brains capacity of the brain to change throughout the lifetime.
Gopnick et al: During infancy, the brain experiences a rapid growth in the number of synpatic connections it has, peaking at 15000 aged 2-3 years.
These connections are deleted over time when not used and strengthened when they are. This is known as: synaptic transmission
Originally thought that once brain moved past” critical period” it would remain fixed and static however research suggests that this isn’t true
Research into plasticity:
Maguire et al:
Matched pairs control group and taxi drivers
Found that the grey matter in the posterior hippocampus has more volume.
(Posterior hippocampus associated with spatial and navigational skills in humans and animals)
The result of learning “the knowledge” which alters the structure of the taxi drivers brain.
The longer they had been in the job, the more pronounced the structural difference
Substances abuse and phantom limb syndrome
Prolonged substance abuse leads to poorer cognitive function and increased risk of dementia (Medina et al)
We should make drug use of public health crisis, this can intern help reduce the strain on the NHS.
Limb loss leads to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex. Leading to continued sensations in the missing limb as if it was still there.
Functional recovery definitions
A form of neural plasticity following damage through trauma. The brains ability to redistribute or transfer function usually performed by a damaged area to other, damaged areas.
The brains ability to adapt and compensate for those areas that are damaged. Healthy brain areas take over the functions of damaged, destroyed or missing.
This occurs quickly after trauma: spontaneous recovery, then slow down after some weeks and months (they made need therapy)
What happens during functional recovery
The brain rewires and forms new synaptic connections close to the area of damage. (Avoiding roadworks and finding a new route).
Doidge (2007): Secondary neural pathways, pathways that would be less used to carry out functions are activated or “unmasked” to allow functioning to continue in the same way as before.
Structurala changes
1) Axonal sprouting
2) Reformation of blood vessels
3) Recruitment of homologous areas (similar) areas on the opposite hemisphere to perform specific tasks. Eg. Broca’s area damaged, equivalent on right side damaged
What happens to the brain during recovery?
Structurala changes
1) Axonal sprouting
2) Reformation of blood vessels
3) Recruitment of homologous areas (similar) areas on the opposite hemisphere to perform specific tasks. Eg. Broca’s area damaged, equivalent on right side damaged
What is spontaneous recovery?
Neuroscientists suggest that functional recovery (transfer of functions usually performed by damaged areas to other undamaged areas) happens very quickly after trauma.
It then slows down and participants key require rehabilitative therapy to further their recovery.
Draganski et al
Imaged the brains of medical students three months before and after their final exams. Learning induced changes occurred in the posterior hippocampus and a larger parietal cortex was found.
Mechelli et al
People who were bilingual had a larger parietal cortex compared to matched monolingual controls.
Gopsnick et al
2-3 years old have the most amount of synaptic connections peaking at 15,000
Animal studies into neuroplasticity
Hubel and Wiesel
Sewed one eye shit and analysed cortical responses.
Even though this eye was shut, the area of the visual cortex was not idle as it continued to process information from the open eye.
Cost-benefit analysis and ethical issues.
