Maguire (2000)

Question 1

What is…

Neuroplasticity

Answer 1

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change shape and grow gray matter in accordance with its environmental demands and practices.

Question 2

Aim of Maguire

Aim

Answer 2

To see whether neuroplasticity could be seen in the brains of London black cab taxi drivers due to the number of hours they spend driving the streets of London and the ‘Knowledge’ they require.

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

• The brains of the taxi drivers were MRI scanned and compared with 50 right-handed non-taxi drivers males (the control group).
• Participants included 16 right-handed male who were licensed black cab drivers for a minimum of 1.5 years
• Maguire compared the black cab drivers to a control group of 50 healthy right-handed males (of many ages) who were not taxi drivers
• An MRI was used to detect changes in the structure of the brain

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

• The posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were larger than those of control subjects
• The anterior hippocampus of taxi drivers was smaller than those of control subjects
• The volume of the right posterior hippocampus correlated with the number of years spent as a taxi driver

Question 5

Link

Answer 5

Since the posterior hippocampus of the taxi drivers was larger than those of the control subjects, it shows that the brain can change shape and grow gray matter in accordance with its environmental demands which in this case would be the requirement of “The Knowledge”

The correlation between the volume of the right posterior hippocampus and the number of years spent as a taxi driver shows that the right posterior hippocampus plays a role in storing the knowledge through gray matter through the newly formed synaptic connections.