Neuroplasticity Flashcards
1
Q
what is neuroplasticity
A
- the ability to change the mapping of neural function to neural structure
- the brain must develop and maintain a calibrated relationship with the body to which it is neutrally connected and the environment in which it lives
2
Q
neuroplasticity is necessary because
A
- the brain has to calibrate its interaction with the body because sexual reproduction prevents accurate prediction of phenotypic variation
- the brain has to recalibrate its interaction with the body during development following injury etc.
3
Q
Dynamic reorganization
A
- occurs throughout the lifespan due to
- changing sensory inputs
- changing motor outputs
4
Q
neuroplasticity and sensitive periods
A
- brain plasticity varies as a function of a number of factors
- not all brain regions are equally plastic … most show maximum plasticity in limited time frames
- like imprinting
5
Q
mandel’s second law
A
- the law if independent assortment
- during gamete formation the segregation of the alleles of one allelic pair is independent of the segregation of the alleles of another allelic pair
6
Q
Merzenich
A
- experimental amputation
- somatomotor cortical representations of digits adjacent to amputated digits invade the latter’s cortical area
- comptometer cortical representations of digits mechanically coupled also fuse into a single area
7
Q
humans following surgery to separate webbed fingers
A
- prior to surgery the cortical representation of the webbed fingers was a single area controlling both
- following the surgery the fused cortical area divided into two
8
Q
neuroplasticity isn’t always adaptive
A
- focal hand dystonia: loss of independent control of one or more of the fingers on a hand
9
Q
neuroplasticity for experience
A
- relationship between the complexity of dendritic arborization and the occupation of whos brains were studies
- hypothesized that neuronal complexity is related to the computational demands placed on the cell
