BP - Plasticity and function Flashcards
what is plasticity
the brain’s tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning
how long does our brain change for
until our 40s
what did Maguire et al (2000) discover
- brains of London cab drivers show an enlarged hippocampus
- the longer they had done the job, the more pronounced the structural difference was
what it Draganski et al (2004) discover
- 24 participants (21F, 3M)
- had an MRI before and after learning to juggle
- jugglers had grey matter at the end of the study compared to the control group
what did Mechelli et al (2004) discover
- larger parietal lobe in bilingual people
- suggests plasticity as the brain had adapted with learning multiple languages
research supporting brain plasticity
- Maguire et al (2000)
- Brangski et al (2004)
- Mechelli et al (2004)
what is functional recovery
after trauma, unaffected areas of the brain can adapt and compensate for damaged areas
what are structural changes of the brain that can occur in functional recovery
- axonal sprouting
- reformation of new blood vessels
- recruitment of homologous areas
what is axonal sprouting
growth of new nerve endings which connect with undamaged to create new neural pathways
what is recruitment of homologous areas
recruiting similar areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks
how is Gabby Giffords evidence for functional recovery
- she was shot in the head from point blank range in 2011 and sent into a coma
- with aid of physical rehab, she was able to walk with perfect control of her left arm and leg
how is Jodie Miller evidence for functional recovery
- had the right side of her brain removed to treat severe epilepsy
- her left hemisphere took control of her whole body while the right side of her cranium was filled with cerebral fluid
- she was able to function normally
✓ there are practical applications in the contribution…
to the field of neurohabilitation
- with assistance of movement therapy and electrical stimulation the brain can recover but needs support
X negative plasticity can occur causing…
dangerous conditions such as phantom limb syndrome (60-80% of amputees develop it)
- links to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory area
X research into this include animal studies
Hubel and Wiesel (1963) sewed the eyes of kittens shut to analyse cortical responses
- unethical and should not be applied to humans