Neuroplasticity study: Maguire

Question 1

What was the aim of this study

Answer 1

To see whether brains of London taxi drivers would be somehow different as a result of their exceptional knowledge of the city

Question 2

What was the procedure of this study?

Answer 2

• 16 male right-handed London taxi drivers
• Brains were MRI and compared with another 50 MRI scans of right-handed males who did NOT drive taxis (control group)
• Participants had to fill out a the ‘knowledge test’ and had their license for 1.5 years

Question 3

What were the findings of this study?

Answer 3

• The posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers was significantly larger to those of control subjects, the anterior was significantly smaller

Question 4

What was the conclusion from this study?

Answer 4

The hippocampus may change in response to environmental demands