biopsychology - brain plasticity n functional recovery of the brain after trauma.

Question 1

What is meant by brain plasticity?

Answer 1

The brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning.

Question 2

What is brain plasticity also referred to as?

Answer 2

• neuroplasticity.
• cortical remapping.

Question 3

What happens to the brain as we grow up?

Answer 3

• during infancy, the brain experiences rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections, peaking at approximately 15,000 by the age of 2-3 years old.
• as we age, rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened in a process called synaptic pruning.

Question 4

What does the changing of our brain as we grow up show?

Answer 4

The brain is in continual state of change from growth in early years to a change and refinement in adulthood as we learn and experience.

Question 5

What was the aim of the research support for brain plasticity by maguire et al (2000)?

Answer 5

Examine whether structural changes could detected in the brains of people with existence experience in spatial navigation.

Question 6

What was the procedure of the research support for brain plasticity by maguire et al (2000)?

Answer 6

• taxi drivers undergo extensive training and a test known as “the knowledge”
  ↳ assesses their ability to recall streets and routes.
• structural MRI scans were obtained of 16 right-handed male London taxi drivers participated which all have been driving for more than 1.5 years. - scans were also taken of 50 healthy right-handed males who did not drive taxi’s for comparison.

Question 7

What were the findings of the research support for brain plasticity by maguire et al (2000)?

Answer 7

• increased grey matter was found in the posterior hippocampus than in the matched control group.
• changes with navigational experience.
• correlation was found where the more time spent as a taxi driver and the greater the volume in the right posterior hippocampus.

Question 8

What were the conclusions of the research support for brain plasticity by maguire et al (2000)?

Answer 8

• results provide support for the idea of brain plasticity.
• suggest that experience can change the structure of the brain.

Question 9

What was the aim of the research support for brain plasticity by draganski et al (2006)?

Answer 9

Examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brains of students as a result of learning.

Question 10

What was the procedure of the research support for brain plasticity by draganski et al (2006)?

Answer 10

• scanned the brains of a group of German medical students 3 months before and after an important exam. - - the scans were then compared to the scans of students who were not studying for an exam.

Question 11

What was the finding of the research support for brain plasticity by draganski et al (2006)?

Answer 11

Students who were studying for an exam showed learning-induced changes in the parietal cortex and posterior hippocampus which are known to be involved in memory retrieval and learning.

Question 12

What were the conclusions of the research support for brain plasticity by draganski et al (2006)?

Answer 12

• results provide support for the idea of brain plasticity.
• suggests that studying can change the structure of the brain.

Question 13

How can the brain repair itself?

Answer 13

• brain can compensate for damage.
• if left part of the brain is damaged, the right side can take over.
• through neural repair or neural plasticity.
• can sprout and connect with new areas by connecting nerve endings with undamaged nerve cells.

Question 14

How can we strengthen the connections in our brain for repair?

Answer 14

By performing cognitive tasks.

Question 15

What is meant by functional recovery?

Answer 15

• form of plasticity.
• follows on from trauma.
• where the brain is able to distribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area(s) to other undamaged area(s).

Question 16

What is an example of neural plasticity?

Answer 16

Functional recovery.

Question 17

How does functional recovery take place?

Answer 17

Forms new synaptic connections close to the area of damage.

Question 18

What happens to secondary neural pathways that would not carry out certain functions?

Answer 18

They are ‘unmasked’ to enable functioning to continue which is supported by structural changes.

Question 19

What structural changes support secondary neural pathways?

Answer 19

• axon sprouting.
• denervation supersensitivity.
• recruitment of homologous (similar) areas.

Question 20

What occurs during axon sprouting?

Answer 20

Nerve endings grow and connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways.

Question 21

When does denervation supersensitivity occur?

Answer 21

Axons that do similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for ones that are lost.

Question 22

What is the function of recruitment of homologous areas?

Answer 22

To do a specific task on the opposite hemisphere.

Question 23

Who discovered neuronal unmasking?

Answer 23

Wall in 1997.

Question 24

What did wall identify about neuronal unmasking?

Answer 24

Dormant synapses which have not received much input to be active open connections to compensate for a nearby damaged area of the brain.

Question 25

What does neuronal unmasking allow to occur?

Answer 25

New connections in the brain to be activated thus recovering any damage occurring in specific regions.

Question 26

What are the strengths of brain plasticity?

Answer 26

• has supportive research available around brain plasticity continuing with increasing age therefore the brain’s development is not bound to childhood.
• shows how the brain is able to adapt based on experience and create new neural connections.

Question 27

What is a weakness of brain plasticity?

Answer 27

May have negative behavioural consequences therefore the brain’s ability to adapt is not always beneficial.

Question 28

What are the strengths of functional recovery?

Answer 28

• has supportive research available around brain plasticity continuing with increasing age therefore the brain’s development is not bound to childhood.
• allows for the wider practical application in developing treatments
  ↳ demonstrates that it can help improve the cognitive functions of people suffering from injuries improving their quality of life.