Lesson 9 - Plasticity & Functional Recovery Of The Brain After Trauma

Question 1

Plasticity

Answer 1

The ability of the brain to change and adapt synapses, pathways and structures in light of various experiences.

Question 2

Positive Experiences That Cause Plasticity

Answer 2

Learning and memory, plasticity is more common for positive experiences.

Question 3

Negative Experiences That Cause Plasticity

Answer 3

The ability of the brain to adapt to damage caused by trauma - it’s recovery of function lost due to brain damage which is called functional recovery.

Question 4

Plasticity In A New Born

Answer 4

A baby’s brain has more neurons/synapses than a fully matured brain because it’s developing and continuously learning and experiencing new things.

Question 5

Extreme Example Of Baby Brain Plasticity

Answer 5

If a baby born with a severely damaged hemisphere is removed after birth, the person as an adult shows very few impairments.

Question 6

Plasticity Due To Life Experience

Answer 6

Researchers have studied to try and remove the effects of decreased cognitive functioning with age.

Question 7

Plasticity Due To Life Experience Study

Answer 7

Boyle Et Al found brain plasticity in 60 year olds that were taught a new skill (juggling) had increased grey matter in their visual cortex but this stopped when they stopped juggling.

Question 8

Plasticity With Meditation Study

Answer 8

Davidson Et Al compared 8 Tibetan meditators to 10 student volunteers, both groups were fitted with electrical sensors and asked to meditate, the monks had increased gamma waves whereas the students only had a slight increase in gamma waves.

Question 9

Davidson Et Al Conclusion

Answer 9

Meditation makes permanent changes based on the monk’s gamma activity but also short term changes.

Question 10

Plasticity Strengths

Answer 10

Animal Study Support
Human Study Support

Question 11

Animal Study Support (+)

Answer 11

Kempermann Et Al found an increased amount of new neurons in rats in complexed environments, they also had increased neurons in the hippocampus.

Question 12

Animal Study Support 2 (+)

Answer 12

Blakemore & Mitchell found visual neurons would permanently change in cats by being in a specific environment, kittens reared in an environment with vertical stripes didn’t respond to horizontal stripes showing how exposure affects brain development.

Question 13

Human Study Support (+)

Answer 13

Maguire Et Al found London taxi drivers have a larger front part of the hippocampus which was positively correlated with how long they’d been driving taxis.

Question 14

Plasticity Weaknesses

Answer 14

Can’t Be Generalised
Ethical Issues

Question 15

Can’t Be Generalised (-)

Answer 15

Studies on animals can’t be generalised to humans and kittens were only exposed to one environment whereas babies aren’t.

Question 16

Ethical Issues (-)

Answer 16

Consent and harm with babies.

Question 17

Age Differences In Plasticity

Answer 17

Plasticised reduces with age but Bezzo Et Al showed 40 hours of golf training showed changes in 40-60 years, their motor cortex activity increased after the training.

Question 18

Functional Recovery

Answer 18

The transfer of functions from a damaged area of the brain to an undamaged area.

Question 19

Effects Of Traumatic Brain Damage

Answer 19

Can lead to paralysis, language problems and cognitive impairment. Blood supply is lateralised so damage is likely to be to a single hemisphere.

Question 20

Hippocampus

Answer 20

Where new memories and the ability to navigate to different locations came from.

Question 21

What Happens To The Brain During Recovery?

Answer 21

The brain rewires and reorganises by forming new synaptic connections. Secondary neural pathways that aren’t usually used are unmarked to enable normal functioning.

Question 22

Functions Supporting Recovery

Answer 22

Axonal Sprouting
Denervation Supersensitivity
Recruitment To Homologous Areas

Question 23

Axonal Sprouting

Answer 23

The growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways.

Question 24

Denervation Supersensitivity

Answer 24

When axons that do similar jobs become aroused, to a higher level to compensate for lost ones, however it can make you oversensitive.

Question 25

Recruitment Of Homologous Areas

Answer 25

Recruiting areas on the opposite side e.g. if the Broca’s area was damaged on the left, the right-sided equivalent would carry out it’s functions.

Question 26

Homologous

Answer 26

Similar

Question 27

Strengths Functional Recovery

Answer 27

Practical Applications
Age Differences In Recovery
Educational Attainment With Functional Recovery

Question 28

Practical Applications (+)

Answer 28

Understanding functional recovery has helped with neurohabilitation which helps doctors provide therapy and electrical stimulation to speed up brain recovery.

Question 29

Age Differences In Recovery (+)

Answer 29

Functional recovery reduces with age - Huttenlocher stated after childhood the only way to recover is to develop behavioural strategies however it’s shown that with retraining functional recovery can happen in adulthood.

Question 30

Educational Attainment With Functional Recovery (+)

Answer 30

Schneider Et Al - patients with the equivalent of a college education are 7 times more likely to recover within a year fully, making cognitive reserve a factor in functional recovery, helping us encourage lutes to study.