Biopsychology(plasticity and functional recovery) Flashcards
Plasticity -
Refers to the brains ability to modify its own structure and function due to experience.
Life experience -
- As people gain new life experiences, new nerve pathways develop stronger connections.
- It also prunes away neurons that are rarely ever used.
- The brain is constantly able to adapt and change to the environment
- However there is also natural decline in cognitive functioning with age which can be attributed to areas in the brain
Research support of human studies -
Maguire in 2000 studied London taxi drivers, and concluded that changes in the brain can be explained through their extensive knowledge of spatial navigation.
By using an MRI scanner, the researchers calculated the amount of grey matter in the brain compared to a control group. It was found the posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers was significantly larger than the control group. And the posterior hippocampi was positively correlated with the amount of experience. Not only did it show this through job related experience of spatial navigation but also showed higher levels of plasticity were evident in extensive experience
Functional recovery -
Refers to the brain ability to recover due to it being compromised of brain injury and disease.
Stem cells -
Unspecialised cells that have potential to give rise to different cells to carry out different functions, including taking on characteristics of nerve cells, the first view is that stem cells directly in the brain would replace dead or dying cells, or they secrete growth factors faster which ‘rescue’ the injured cells.
Age differences in functional recovery -
It has widely been accepted that functional plasticity reduces with age. The view states that the only option following traumatic brain injury beyond childhood is to work round the deficit (social support), However through exstensive training it has been found that abilities commonly found to be used in children can be in adults. Demonstrated by the extended practice adults require in order to produce change.
Playing video games may alter plasticity -
- Makes many different cognitive complex and motor demands
-Kuhn compared a study of two groups where one group played super Mario for 30 minutes a day for two months - It included a significant increase in grey matter in the, cerebellum, hippocampus and cortex.
- The research has concluded the formation of new synaptic connections in brain areas involved in spatial navigation, and strategic planning. Skills that are important when playing a video game.
Neuronal unmasking -
Dormant synapses are synaptic connections that exist anatomically but their function is blocked. Under normal conditions these synapses may be ineffective because the neural input rate is too low. Increasing the rate of input to these synapses can unmask the dormant synapses, therefore opening to regions of the brain that are not normally active.
Research of human studies - Maguire study. - plasticity
Discovered that London taxi drivers brains had changes that had been from a result of extensive experience of spatial navigation.
- Used an MRI scanner
- Compared the amount of grey matter in the brain of the experimental group (taxi drivers) to a control group.
- The posterior hippocampi was significantly larger in the taxi group compared to the control variable.
Research support for animal studies -
Evidence for the role of stem in the recovery of the brain.
- Assessed in rats
- Randomly assigned with traumatic brain injury to one of 2 groups.
- One group received transplanted stem cells into the region of the brain affected by the injury.
- Whereas the other received no stem cells.
Findings :
- Measured 3 months later
- The brain of the stem celled rats showed development of neuron-like cells in the area of injury.
- Whereas the evidence
