Biospychology - Plasticity And Functional Recovery Flashcards
What is plasticity?
The brain adapt to its function and structure as a result of a change in the environment. These changes could be due to damage or to meet the competitive demand of learning new skills.
What are the reasons for plasticity?
– Learning new skills.
– A result of developmental changes
– Response to direct trauma to area of the brain
– Response to indirect affects of damage such as brain swelling or bleeding
What is functional recovery?
The functions that were performed by areas of the brain that are lost or damaged are performed by undamaged areas of of the brain - functional reorganisation.
What is synaptic pruning?
Synapses that are used frequently become stronger overtime however unused synaptic connections are lost. This makes the brain a more efficient communication system overtime.
What is axonal sprouting?
Existing neurons growing new axon to connect to adjacent neurons. Neural regeneration is the growth of neuronal cells.
What factors affect functional recovery?
Age: children have the best ability to recover, then young adults.
Gender: women are more able to recover from brain damage.
Rehabilitative therapy: focused effort results in improvement.
What is constraint induced therapy?
Stopping the patient from using coping strategies like body language for communication or using undamaged limbs for tasks it makes them improve via functional reorganisation.
What was Maguire’s study?
– Structural MRI brain scans of 16 male taxi drivers were compared to the brain scans of 16 matched non-taxi driver controls.
– The posterior hippocampi in the London taxi drivers were found to be significantly larger than the controls. Also, the size of the posterior hippocampi was positively correlated with the amount of time working as a taxi driver.
– This suggests the physical structure of the brain is plastic, able to reconfigure itself to better adapt to psychological demands in this case to improve memory formation.
