Ch 26 - neuroplasticity

Question 1

what is plasticity?

Answer 1

ability to change

Question 2

what is neuroplasticity?

Answer 2

any observable change in neuron structure or function

Question 3

why are behavioral measurement and measurement of plasticity interdependent?

Answer 3

because behavioral changes are mediated by neural plasticity indirectly.

Question 4

what are the structural factors for individual neurons?

Answer 4

dendritic arbor, spine density, synapse number, synpase size, axonal arbor, receptor density

Question 5

functional factors for individual neurons?

Answer 5

EPSPs, neural activity, intrinsic excitability

Question 6

structural factors for populations of neurons

Answer 6

structure thickness, gray matter density

Question 7

functional factors for populations of neurons

Answer 7

sensory map, motor map, EEG, fMRI, PET, MEG, MEPs, EPSPs

Question 8

what are common measures of neuroplasticity?

Answer 8

individual neurons - changes in morphological characteristics
populations of neurons - removing a defined piece of CNS, volume or thickness of a particular area, changes in synpatic potential
spinal cord segments - measure changes in rate depression following injury

Question 9

what is the difference between recovery and compensation?

Answer 9

recovery is restoring function in residual neural tissue that was initially lost due to injury or disease.

compensation is when residual neural tissue takes over function of tissue lost due to injury or disease

Question 10

how does plasticity reflect changes in neural circuitry?

Answer 10

multiple overlapping mechanisms are operating together over time to impart changes in neural circuitry that can both occur in seconds or over years. neural plasticity occurs continuously. its responsible for our ability to learn and occurs in response to a variety of internal and external signals.

Question 11

provide a few examples of structural and functional changes that occur due to neural plasiticity.

Answer 11

increased strength of existing synapses; addition of new synapses; motor map reorganization

Question 12

how does experience-dependent neural plasticity support learning?

Answer 12

use it or lose it
use it and improve it
specificity; repetition matters; intensity matters; time maters; salience matters; age matters; transference; interference

Question 13

how can neuroplasticity be applied to neurorehabilitation?

Answer 13

the capacity to acquire, retain and use novel behaviors is maintained throughout life and these capacities are the same ones used to relearn abilities lost after injury