Brain and behaviour: Neuroplasticity

Question 1

Neuroplasticity

Answer 1

Refers to the brains ability to alter its own structure following changes within the body or external environment, such as learning or experience

Question 2

What is functional neuroplasticity?

Answer 2

Brains functions move from a damaged area to an undamaged area

Question 3

Structural neuroplasticity

Answer 3

The brains ability to change it’s neuronal connections and adapt

Question 4

What are some examples of neuroplasticity?

Answer 4

• Someone who is blind: Their brain may adapt to being blind by using other senses more
• As they do this there sensory skills become more sensitive, so that their touch or hearing senses are far more practised than someone who is sighted

Question 5

Dendritic branching

Answer 5

Connection of neurons which create a new trace in the brain every-time we learn something new

Question 6

Arborisation

Answer 6

The growth of dendritic branches, which gains information from other neurons and form new dendrites which grow to gather more information

Question 7

Hippocampus

Answer 7

Part of the brain that is responsible for consolidation of memory from the short-term to the long-term

Question 8

Dendritic pruning

Answer 8

Where synaptic connections are removed, this could be due to irrelevant information or stress/trauma which is considered ‘unimportant’

Question 9

Action potential

Answer 9

A change in electric potential that travels through a neuron during the release of a neurotransmitter into the synapse

Question 10

What is long-term potentiation?

Answer 10

(LTP) is where the synapses become stronger over repeated use
Over a longer time of practice/use there is more potential