Functional Recovery Flashcards
What is meant by functional recovery?
A form of plasticity which refers to the brain’s ability to redistribute functions to undamaged areas after an area of the brain has been damaged.
What are the ways functional recovery can happen?
Neuronal unmasking
.
Use of stem cells.
Secondary neural pathways.
What is meant by neuronal masking?
-Where the brain makes dormant synapses active again.
-By increasing rate of neural input to these synapses so they’re unmasked.
What is meant by stem cells, and what is their role in functional recovery?
-Unspecialised cells that can develop into cells with different functions.
-May replace dead cells or, may rescue damaged cells or, may form neural network where they link damaged region with uninjured site.
What is meant by secondary neural pathways, and what are the structural changes which support it?
-When existing pathways that aren’t used for certain functions are activated to allow functioning to continue.
-Axonal sprouting.
-Recruitment of homologous areas.
-Reformation of blood vessels.
What is meant by axonal sprouting?
The growth of new nerve endings which connect to undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways.
What is meant by the recruitment of homologous areas?
-Where areas on the opposite side of the brain are recruited.
-Neural pathways on the opposite hemisphere are used to enable a route to be used without having to build new networks.
What is meant by the reformation of blood vessels?
Where neural pathways support and reinforce new neural pathways with blood vessels.
Ensures more blood is sent to the damaged area.
What are 2 strengths of functional recovery?
Practical application
-Research has contributed to ‘neurorehabilitation’.
-Physical therapy can be used to continue to counter deficits in functioning after trauma .
-Improves quality of life + benefits economy.
-Real world application.
Research support
Tajiri et al: gave rats stem cells for a traumatic injury - after 3 months, they showed a clear development opposed to the control group.
Shows important role of stem cells in recovery + brain can undergo functional recovery.
CP: questionable whether results can be generalised.
What is one limitation of functional recovery?
Effectiveness of FR reduces with age
Elbert et al: neural regeneration less effective in adults due to having less capacity for neural reorganisation.
Adults have less of an ability to adapt and recover after an accident.
Individual differences need to be considered.
