Biopsychology: Plasticity & Functional Recovery 2024 - 2025

Question 1

Key Term Focus

What is meant by plasticity?

Answer 1

The brains ability to change and adapt it’s structures and processes

Question 2

AO1 Focus

What is meant by synaptic pruning?

Answer 2

Where weaker or unused synaptic connections are ‘deleted’

Question 3

AO1 Focus

What causes synaptic pruning to occur?

Answer 3

Not using synaptic connections

Question 4

AO1 Focus

When can synaptic pruning occur?

Answer 4

At any point in life

Question 5

AO1 Focus

What happens to neural pathways which are used often

Answer 5

They are strengthened

Question 6

AO1 Focus

What happens to neural pathways which are not used?

Answer 6

They are ‘deleted’

Question 7

AO1 Focus

What is meant by functional recovery

Answer 7

The brain recovering abilities and mental processes after damage

Question 8

AO1 Focus

What are two types of functional recovery?

Answer 8

• Axonal sprouting
• Recruitment of homologous

Question 9

AO1 Focus

Which type of plasticity refers to the brain ‘deleting’ neural pathways?

Answer 9

Synaptic pruning

Question 10

AO1 Focus

Which type of plasticity refers to the brain recovering abilities after loss due to damage?

Answer 10

Functional recovery

Question 11

AO1 Focus

What is meant by axonal sprouting?

Answer 11

Where axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect damaged neurons

Question 12

AO2 Focus

What 5 factors affect recovery from trauma?

Answer 12

• Perserverance
• Age
• Gender
• Education
• Stress (& Alcohol)

Question 13

AO1 Focus

What is meant by recruitment of homologous areas?

Answer 13

Where areas of the opposite side of the brain take over the function from the damaged area

Question 14

AO2 Focus

How can perserverance affect recovery?

Answer 14

More perseverance (effort) a person shows, the more likely they are to recover

Question 15

AO2 Focus

How can age affect recovery from trauma?

Answer 15

Younger people more likely to recover from trauma than older people

Question 16

AO2 Focus

How can gender affect recovery from trauma?

Answer 16

Females are more likely to recover than males

Question 17

AO2 Focus

How can education affect recovery?

Answer 17

More time spent in education, more likely to recover from trauma

Question 18

AO2 Focus

How can stress (& alcohol) affect recovery?

Answer 18

More stress, less likely to recover

Question 19

AO3 Focus

What was done to Patient EB?

This will form the first E of your PEEL

Answer 19

His left hemisphere was removed - so therefore his language centres

This will form the first E of your PEEL

Question 20

AO3 Focus

After some time, what happened to Patient EB?

This will form the second E of your PEEL

Answer 20

He regained some language abilities

This will form the second E of your PEEL

Question 21

AO3 Focus

What type of plasticity did EB experience?

Answer 21

Recruitment of homologous areas

Question 22

AO3 Focus

Why does EB support plasticity and functional recovery?

Answer 22

His brain could produce langauge without his left hemisphere

Question 23

DISCUSSION Focus

How can the research on Patient EB be criticised?

Answer 23

Low population validity

Question 24

DISCUSSION Focus

Why does the study of EB lack population validity?

This will be the first E of your discussion PEEL

Answer 24

Case study - only involves one person

This will be the first E of your discussion PEEL

Question 25

DISCUSSION Focus

As EB was a study of one person, what does it make it more difficult to do? Why?

This will be part of your second E of your PEEL

Answer 25

• Generalise to the target population
• As different genders or age groups may experience different levels of plasticity

This will be part of your second E of your PEEL

Question 26

AO3 Focus

What practical applications have been developed because of research into plasticity of the brain?

Answer 26

Neurorehabilitation

Question 27

AO3 Focus

What ideas / concepts from research into plasticity have been used to develop neurorehabilitation as a practical application?

This will form the first E of your PEEL

Answer 27

It is possible for an individuals brain to recover from damage

Question 28

AO3 Focus

How does neurorehabilitation work?

This will form part of your second E of your PEEL

Answer 28

The patient repeatedly uses the affected side of their body so they can regain function

Question 29

AO3 Focus

What did Maguire’s do?

This will form the first E of your PEEL

Answer 29

Studied the brains of London taxi drivers

This will form the first E of your PEEL

Question 30

AO3 Focus

What did Magurie find in the brains of London taxi drivers?

This will form the second E of your PEEL

Answer 30

Those who had been a taxi driver for a long time had a greater volume of grey matter in areas linked to spatial and navigation tasks (posterior hippocampus)

This will form the second E of your PEEL

Question 31

AO3 Focus

In which area of the brain did Maguire find greater volume of grey matter in London taxi drivers?

Answer 31

Posterior hippocampus

Question 32

AO3 Focus

Why does Maguire support the concept of plasticity?

This will form the Link of your PEEL

Answer 32

Suggests change in the structure of the brain was altered by experience

This will form the Link of your PEEL

Question 33

AO1 Focus

What are two examples of plasticity in the brain?

Answer 33

• Synaptic pruning
• Functional recovery