Neuroplasticity - SAQ Flashcards
Neuroplasticity
The ability of the brain to change through the making and breaking of synaptic connections between neurons.
The different scales of neuroplasticity
Synaptic plasticity
Cortical remapping
Synaptic plasticity
The ability of the neuron to form new synaptic connections and break up the old ones.
Cortical remapping
The phenomenon where a certain brain area assumes the functions of another brain area due injury for example.
How does synaptic plasticity work?
Depends on the activity of neurons.
If two nearby neurons are frequently activated at the same time, a synaptic connection between them may gradually form.
Similarly, if two neurons are rarely activated together, the existing connection may gradually fall apart.
When neurons fire continually as a result of stimulation in the environment, the neurons sprout new dendrites – known as dendritic branching.
This increases the number of synapses available for the behaviour.
Study used for neuroplasticity
Maguire
When was Maguire?
2000
Aim of Maguire (2000)
to see whether the brains of London taxi drivers would be somehow different as a result of their exceptional knowledge of the city and the many hours that they spend behind the wheel navigating the streets of London.
What was the sample?
16 right-handed male London taxi drivers.
How were the participants chosen?
Had to have completed the “Knowledge” test and have their license for at least 1.5 years
To who were the taxi drivers compared to?
50 right-handed males who did not drive taxis
How were they compared?
Compared using MRI scans
From where were the control participants taken from?
Were taken from an MRI database
What were the 2 different techniques used to analyse the MRI scans?
Voxel-based morphometry (VBM)
Pixel counting
Results from the pixel counting
The pixel counting showed that the posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to those of control subjects and the anterior hippocampi were significantly smaller.
