brain plasticity and functional recovery

Question 1

what is plasticity

Answer 1

the ability for the brain to change

Question 2

what is bridging

Answer 2

new synapses are made as neurons grow new axons to connect to other neurons. The more connections, the more abilities the brain has.

Question 3

what is pruning

Answer 3

unused connections are destroyed to make the brain more efficient.

Question 4

what is functional recovery

Answer 4

regaining a lost ability

Question 5

what is neuronal unmasking

Answer 5

after damage to an area, the function may be regained by activating a previously dormant area. For example, recruitment of homologous areas in the opposite hemisphere, meaning that the undamaged equivalent in the other half of the brain becomes activated.

Question 6

what are stem cells

Answer 6

a medical treatment where unspecialised cells can be transplanted to the area and become the type of cell needed (e.g. brain cell)

Question 7

strengths

Answer 7

• Maguire – London black cab drivers had significantly greater density in their posterior hippocampus, compared to non-taxi driver controls. Thought to be due to their practice with spatial navigation and memory.
• Patient JW – a split-brain patient who was able to gain the ability to speak from his right hemisphere. Supports plasticity and demonstrates recruitment of homologous areas in the opposite hemisphere.

Question 8

limitations

Answer 8

• Individual differences – Schneider found that participants with university-level education were significantly more likely (7x) to experience functional recovery than participants with high school-level education. Suggests functional recovery doesn’t work the same for everybody.
• Difficult to establish causality – for example, in Maguire’s taxi driver study. For example, perhaps their greater posterior hippocampus volume (and associated benefit to their spatial navigation) is what made them well-suited to be taxi drivers.