Lesson 9 - Plasticity and Functional recovery Flashcards
What does Brain plasticity refer too ?
Brain Plasticity refers to the brains ability to change and adapt as a result of experience.
How can plasticity be seen with life experience ?
Boyke (2008) taught 60 year olds too juggle, this led to an increase in grey matter in the visual cortex. By developing new connections and reducing old ones the brain adapts to a changing environment
How can plasticity be seen with video games ?
Kuhn (2014) compared a control group to a group that received video game training for at least 30 minutes a day for two months. Playing the video games caused a significant increase in grey matter in the visual cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. Thus playing video games leads to new synaptic connections in the brain.
What’s a strength of plasticity ?
Kempermann found far more neurone in brains of rats in complex environments compared to those in basic cages. Most prominent in the hippocampus which is responsible for ability to navigate.
What’s a strength of plasticity ? (Maguire)
Maguire measured grey matter in the brains of London taxi drivers. Hippocampus in taxi drivers was larger than a control group and it positively correlated with amount of time they had as a taxi driver.
What is functional recovery?
Its a form of plasticity. After damage caused by trauma the brain reallocate functions usually performed by damaged area to undamaged areas.
What is a strength of functional recovery ?
Phantom Limb Syndrome can be used as evidence of neural reorganisation. It is when one feels sensation in a missing limb. Its thought to be caused by neural reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex.
What is a strength of functional recovery ?(kitten)
Hubel and Torten sewed one eye of a kitten shut and analysed the brains cortical response. They found visual cortex for shut eye continued to process information from the open eye. This is further evidence that brain areas can reorganise themselves and adapt their functions.
