Brain Plasticity

Question 1

What is brain plasticity?

Answer 1

The brains malleable nature and its ability to adapt its structure and processes, in response to learning and experiences or trauma (functional recovery).

Question 2

What is synaptic pruning?

Answer 2

The brain has its maximum number of synaptic connections by age 3, and it reduces to half of these by adult life. Connections we don’t use are deleted and connections we do use are strengthened which is the process of synaptic pruning.

Question 3

What has research shown that contradicts synaptic pruning?

Answer 3

Existing neural connections continue to alter and new connections can form through out life in response to experiences and skills

Question 4

Describe 2 research studies into brain plasticity through experiences and learning.

Answer 4

• taxi drivers have to take the knowledge - test of all routes in London. Pps had more grey matter (axon bodies) in hippocampus than in a control group. Longer they’d been taxi driver = more grey matter. (But not tested before)
• 30 mins a day for 2 months on supermario had more grey matter in cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum than control - associated with navigation planning working memory and motor performance.

Question 5

Define functional recovery.

Answer 5

When a part of the brain becomes damaged the undamaged parts take over the role of the affected part.

Question 6

What processes are involved in functional recovery?

Answer 6

Neural unmasking
Axonal sprouting
New blood vessels forming

Question 7

What is neural unmasking?

Answer 7

Neural pathways that normally wouldn’t be involved in a process become activated so the lost function can continue. Dormant synapses in the brain are inactive, poss bc the rate of neural transmission is too low. When the area around becomes damaged the neural impulse diverts through them, unblocking then and making new connections.

Question 8

What is axonal sprouting and why do new blood vessels form?

Answer 8

Neurons grow additional axons to compensate for the loss of the neighbouring neuron and its axons. New blood vessels support the development of neuronal structures.

Question 9

Evaluate functional recovery (SSIP)

Answer 9

S - US politician shot at blank range w critically injured brain. Showed extraordinary progress - learning to walk, control of left side of body, write w her left hand, read, understand and speak in short sentences
S - rats w stem cells following trauma showed clear development of neuron like cells
I - women might recover better than men. 325 people following trauma a year after rehab - women performed better than men on tasks. Alpha bias
P - 40+ yrs not as good at recovering as young patient and declined more over 5 years after - more plastic during childhood. Health professionals consider individual differences assessing likelihood of FR.