Plasticity

Question 1

what is plasticity

Answer 1

being easily shaped or moulded - able to adapt

Question 2

what is functional recovery

Answer 2

brain can redistribute or transfer functions across the its hemispheres

Question 3

evidence for plasticity (Maguire 2000)

Answer 3

compared MRI scans of taxi drivers / non
- positive correlation between posterior hippocampus size and the time spent as a taxi driver

Question 4

evidence for plasticity (Kuhn et al 2014)

Answer 4

compared control group to a group of people trained 30min a day for 2 months - super mario
- increase in grey matter in Front L/ Hip/ Cere.
- motor / plan/ spatial

Question 5

development of brain plasticity

Answer 5

infants find it the easiest to develop / adapt the brain
- 15,000 neural pathways aged 2-3 (Gopnik)

Question 6

what is synaptic pruning

Answer 6

unused pathways become dormant
connections cut - used pathways are prioritised
adults = more dormant

Question 7

Functional Recovery

Answer 7

trauma = stroke etc.
- brain able to compensate for areas unable to function

Question 8

when is functional recovery most efficient

Answer 8

immediately after trauma - spontaneous recovery

Question 9

what is axonal sprouting

Answer 9

growth of new nerve in order to develop new pathways

Question 10

what is neuronal unmasking

Answer 10

dormant synapses become opened up and used

Question 11

reformation of blood cells

Answer 11

in order to tend to damaged areas

Question 12

recruitment of homologous areas

Answer 12

opposite corresponding areas of brain compensate for damaged areas

Question 13

Danielli et al (2013)

Answer 13

EB lost virtually half of his Left Hem
recovered language
right Hem compensated

Question 14

applications of functional recovery

Answer 14

neurorehabilitation spon rec slows
physical therapies used - aid recovery
- elec stim
- movement therapy