Biopsychology - Plasticity & Functional Recovery

Question 1

Define brain plasticity

Answer 1

The ability of the brain to make new neural connections and amend existing connections, because of experience. Research has demonstrated that the brain continues to create new neural pathways and alter existing ones in response to changing experiences.

Question 2

Describe the London taxi driver case study

Answer 2

Maguire et al (2000) studied London taxi drivers. They found that their brains had a much larger posterior hippocampus than a matched control group. This is possibly due to the fact that the drivers need to pass ‘The Knowledge’- a comprehensive test of London’s streets and traffic routes. The posterior hippocampus is involved in spatial navigational skills. The longer the participant had been a London taxi driver, the bigger this area of their brains. This suggests that parts of the brain will develop according to experience.

Question 3

What is functional recovery?

Answer 3

Functional recovery is the transfer of
functions from a damaged area of the brain after trauma to other undamaged areas.
It can do this through a process termed neuronal unmasking where ‘dormant’ synapses (which have not received enough input to be active) open connections to compensate
for a nearby damaged area of the brain. This allows new connections in the brain to be
activated, thus recovering any damage occurring in specific regions.

Question 4

Evaluate brain plasticity - golf

Answer 4

Bezzola et al (2012) found that when given 40 hours of golf training, participants aged 40-60 showed evidence of changes to the neural representation of movement in the motor cortex. This supports neural plasticity, and that it can happen at potentially any age.

Question 5

Evaluate brain plasticity - real life appliction

Answer 5

A strength of research examining plasticity and functional recovery is the application of the findings to the field of neurorehabilitation. Understanding the processes of plasticity and functional recovery led to the development of neurorehabilitation, which uses motor therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the negative effects in motor and cognitive functions following accidents, injuries or strokes. This demonstrates the positive application of research in this area to help improve the cognitive functions of people suffering from injuries.

Question 6

Evaluate brain plasticity - Buddhists

Answer 6

Davidson et al. demonstrated the permanent change in the brain
generated by prolonged meditation: Buddhist monks who meditated frequently
had a much greater activation of gamma waves (which coordinate neural activity)
than did students with no experience of meditation.

Question 7

Evaluate functional recovery - rats

Answer 7

Taijiri et al. (2013) found that stem cells provided to rats after brain trauma showed a clear development of neuron-like cells in the area of injury. This demonstrates the ability of the brain to create new connections using neurons manufactured by stem cells.

Question 8

Evaluate functional recovery - age

Answer 8

Study concluded that the capacity for neural reorganisation is much greater in children than in adults, meaning that neural regeneration is less effective in older brains. This may explain why adults find change more demanding than do young people. Therefore, we must consider individual differences when assessing the likelihood of functional recovery in the brain after trauma.