Biopsychology- Plasticity And Fucntional Recovery Of The Brain After Trauma Flashcards
Plasticity -
(also referred to as neuroplasticity or cortical remapping) This describes the brain’s tendency to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning.
Functional recovery -
A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, the brain’s ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area(s) to other, undamaged area(s).
What is brain plasticity?
Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change throughout life by forming new neural connections or modifying existing ones in response to learning, experience, or injury.
How many synaptic connections per neuron are present in the brain during infancy?
During infancy, the brain has approximately 15,000 synaptic connections per neuron.
What is synaptic pruning?
Synaptic pruning is the process by which rarely used neural connections are deleted, and frequently used connections are strengthened.
How does recent research challenge earlier views on brain plasticity?
Recent research shows that neural connections can change or form at any age, contrary to the earlier belief that brain plasticity only occurs during childhood.
What did Maguire et al. (2000) find in their study of London taxi drivers?
They found that London taxi drivers had significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus, which is associated with spatial and navigational skills.
How does the duration of a London taxi driver’s job relate to brain structure?
The longer the taxi drivers had been in the job, the more pronounced the structural differences in the posterior hippocampus.
What findings were observed by Draganski et al. (2006) in medical students?
Draganski et al. found learning-induced changes in the posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex of medical students before and after their exams.
How does functional recovery occur in the brain after trauma?
Functional recovery occurs when unaffected brain areas adapt and compensate for damaged areas, often through neural plasticity.
What are three structural changes that support functional recovery?
- Axonal sprouting – growth of new nerve endings to form new pathways.
- Reformation of blood vessels.
- Recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the brain.
What role does neurorehabilitation play in brain recovery?
Neurorehabilitation supports recovery after the brain’s spontaneous recovery slows, using therapies like movement therapy and electrical brain stimulation.
What is negative plasticity?
Negative plasticity refers to maladaptive changes in the brain, such as cognitive decline from prolonged drug use or phantom limb syndrome after limb loss.
How does meditation influence brain plasticity?
Meditation increases grey matter in areas like the hippocampus (associated with learning and memory) and white matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (related to self-regulation).
How does age affect brain plasticity?
Functional plasticity declines with age, but activities like golf training can still induce neural changes in older adults, as shown by Bezzola et al. (2012).
What did Hubel and Wiesel (1963) discover in their study of kittens?
They found that the visual cortex associated with a sewn-shut eye continued to process information from the open eye, demonstrating neuroplasticity.
What is cognitive reserve?
Cognitive reserve refers to the brain’s resilience to damage, influenced by factors like education, which enhances recovery from brain injury.
What did Schneider et al. (2014) find about education and recovery from brain injury?
They found that people with more than 16 years of education had a higher chance of disability-free recovery compared to those with fewer years of education.
