Biopsychology: Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain Flashcards
What did early theories of brain plasticity focus on in terms of brain structure and development?
on there being a critical period in terms of brain structure and development
What does more recent research suggest about brain structure and development in terms of neural connections?
that existing neural connections can change and new ones can be formed at any point in life
What does the term plasticity refer to when talking about the brain?
refers to the brains ability to change and adapt functionally and physically as a result of experience or new learning
What is the approximate number of neural connections present in an infant aged 2-3?
15,000
What does the term synaptic pruning mean?
the process of rarely used connections being deleted and frequently used connections being strengthened
Give an example of plasticity …
functional recovery of the brain
State what functional recovery is
the ability of unaffected areas of the brain being able to adapt and compensate for damaged areas as a result of a physical injury or other type of trauma
Name the 2 processes involved in functional recovery of the brain…
1.neural regeneration
2.functional compensation
State what is meant by neural regeneration
the brain rewires itself through the growth of new neurons and connections to compensate for damaged areas
What are the 3 things involved in neural regeneration , describe each
axon sprouting-growth of new nerve endings to form new pathways
denervation supersensitivity-axons performing similar functions to damaged ones will become more sensitive to compensate
reformation of blood vessels
Describe what is meant by functional compensation
-give an example of what this may involve
the transfer of functions to undamaged areas
may involve the recruitement of similar areas in the opposite hemisphere
Which 2 people provide supporting evidence for brain plasticity?
describe the findings and what they suggest
Maguire et al 2000-compared hippocampal volume in 16 London taxi drivers who had completed the knowledge test to 50 controls
F : hippocampal volume was significantly larger in the drivers
S:the brain can be moulded through experience and is therefore plastic
Draganski et al 2006-scanned the brains of German med students 3 months before and after their final exams
F:changes were observed in the hippopcampus and parietal cortex
S:that learning had induced changes in their brain structure , supports idea of plasticity
Give a weakness of the plasticity of the brain theory , provide a however point for this
What does all this evidence suggest?
-individual differences
research has suggested that functional plasticity tends to reduce with age which challenges the idea
HOWEVER… research has still found neural changes in ppts aged 40-60 suggesting plasticity does occur across whole lifespan and research has also found women tend to recover more effectively than men
evidence suggests that there are different factors involved in determining the plasticity of the brain
Give a further weakness of functional plasticity
-the brains ability to rewire can also have negative consequences
-Phantom limb syndrome-due to the reorganisation of the somatosensory cortex
-Prolonged drug use-results in poor cognitive function and greater risk of dementia
Give a final strength of research into functional plasticity
+practical applications
understanding the processes involved in plasticity has massively contributed to the field of neurorehabilitation
this shows that research in this area has very important implications in the real world , enhancing its external validity
