Brain Plasticity Flashcards
What is meant by brain plasticity?
The brains ability to change an adapt because of experience.
What is meant by functional recovery?
The transfer of functions from a damaged area of the brain after trauma, to other undamaged areas.
Who conducted research into brain plasticity using taxi drivers?
Maguire et al (2000)
Outline brain plasticity and Maguire et al (2000) (AO1)
> Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.
> Negative plasticity is the idea of building new neurons which contribute to maladaptive behaviour (e.g. drinking).
> The aim of Maguire et al (2000) is to examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brains of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation.
> The methodology included using structural MRI scans to look for structural changes.
> The sample included 16 right-handed male London taxi drivers who have been driving for more than 1.5 years.
> Scans of 50 healthy right-handed males who did not drive taxis were included for comparison as the control group.
> Results found an increase in grey matter found in the brains of taxi drivers compared with the controls in the 2 brain regions, the right and left hippocampi.
> A correlation was found between the amount of time spent as a taxi driver and volume in the right posterior hippocampus.
Outline functional recovery and neuronal unmasking (AO1)
> Functional recovery is the transfer of functions from a damaged region of the brain after trauma, to other undamaged areas.
1) Neuronal unmasking was discovered by Wall (1977) through what he identified as “dormant synapses” within the brain.
2) Dormant synaptic connections exists within the brain but their functions are blocked and ineffective as the rate of neural input is too low for them to be activated.
3) Damage to other pathways and structures causes these dormant pathways to become “unmasked”…
… and open the dormant synapses as new routes for neural input opening connections within the brain are not normally activated.
4) Axonal sprouting is the growth of new nerve endings to form new neuronal pathways.
5) Reformation of blood vessels
6) This lateral spread of activation leads to the development of new structures which take over the functions of damaged areas
7) Homologous (similar) areas on the opposite side of the brain are recruited to form specific tasks.
What is meant by negative plasticity?
Building new neurons contributing to maladaptive behaviour that has no survival advantage (e.g. drinking)
Who were Maguire’s participants?
16 right-handed male London taxi drivers who have been driving for more than 1.5 years.
How many taxi drivers were included in Maguire’s sample?
16
What brain scanning technique was used to look at the brain structures of the taxi drivers?
MRI
