L8.1 - Plasticity Flashcards
Define brain plasticity
Brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience and allows coping with indirect effects of brain damage
3 factors
Life experience
Video games
Meditation
Describe meditation study procedure
8 monks who meditate
10 students with no meditation experience
Meditation results
Monks had greater gamma wave activity before they even stared meditation
Role of gamma waves
Coordinate neural activity
Video game study procedure?
Control group vs. Super Mario video game training at least 30 mins for 2 months
Video game study results
Game players had more grey matter in visual cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum
Playing video games results in
New synaptic connections in brain areas involved in spatial navigation, WM, and motor performance
Nerve pathways which are used often
Develop stronger connections and those which are rarely used die to adapt to a changing environment
Relationship between age and cognitive function
The older means a decline in cognitive function
Teaching 60 year olds juggling changed the brain in what way
Increased grey matter in the visual cortex
+ related to rat neurons
More neurons in rats in complex environments compared to lab cage rats
Most formed in hippocampus (memory and spatial nav.)
+ related to London taxi drivers
Hippocampus was significantly larger than control group
Correlated with life experience (time spent as a driver)
- related to neurorehabilitation
Recovery slows down after a few weeks after injury/trauma
Need further intervention if it’s to be successful
Cost of resources?
