Biopsychology - plasticity and functional recovery. Flashcards
What is Brain plasticity?
= This is where the brain easily changes or adopt as time goes by this because its malleable (The brain has the ability to adopts througtout life as a result of time / experiences.
What is synaptic pruning?
= Synaptic pruning is where the brain gets rid/ deteriorates of all the connections that we don’t use and strengthens the one that we do use
What is the research for brain plasticity?
= The research for brain plasticity is Maguire = he studied the brain of London taxi drivers - he had them do a complex test where they had to recall the different routes of London and he Maguire than compared the results to those who were not taxi drivers.
What was Maguires findings?
= Maguire found that taxi drivers in London had more grey matter on there hippocampus meaning that were better connections in that area making it stronger , meaning there was a positive correlation between experiences and its influence on the brain (connections we make) - this supports brain plasticity.
What is functional recovery?
= Functional recovery is a form of brain plasticity where when the brain experiences trauma or a stroke the unaffected areas will compensate and adopt to help support the affected areas by taking over its functions
