Plasticity

Question 1

What are the 4 types of glial cells?

Answer 1

ependymal cells
oligodendrocytes
microglia
astrocytes

Question 2

What do ependymal cells do?

Answer 2

lining of ventricles (CSF)

Question 3

What do oligodendrocytes do?

Answer 3

Creates myelin sheath

Question 4

What do microglia do?

Answer 4

“policemen”
clean up the debris

Question 5

What do astrocytes do?

Answer 5

Scaffolding for brain
Most abundant

Question 6

What are the 5 kinds of neurons?

Answer 6

pyramidal
purkinje
granule
spindle
interneuron

Question 7

What are pyramidal neurons?

Answer 7

Found in the cortex – usually associated with initiation of movement and thought

Question 8

What are purkinje neurons?

Answer 8

Found in the cerebellum – multiple feedbacks for precise movements

Question 9

What are granule neurons?

Answer 9

Found throughout the brain, cerebellum, olfactory, and hippocampus

Question 10

What are spindle neurons?

Answer 10

Connections to different parts of the brain

*May be involved in some psych disorders

Question 11

What are interneuron neurons?

Answer 11

connections between to help regulation, usually inhibitory

Question 12

What is plasticity?

Answer 12

The ability for neurons to adapt and perfect the flow of information with inflow or outflow.

Question 13

What the 2 main points of plasticity

Answer 13

Arborization
De-arborization

Question 14

What is Arborization?

Answer 14

The process in which connections are made including dentrites, axons, and/or telodendrites. (synaptogenesis)

Can enhance a skill/memory

The point is to allow better ease of depolarization

Question 15

Over-arborization can lead to problems including:

Answer 15

increased reflexes, pain, or the inability to process information

Question 16

Arborization can be performed through:

Answer 16

Increase in the amount of neurotransmitters

Increased connections from the pre-synaptic neuron

Increased connections from the post-synaptic neuron

BOTH

Question 17

What is De-arborization?

Answer 17

The loss of connections

Also known as pruning

Question 18

De-arborization occurs for a few reasons:

Answer 18

Natural development
Loss of represented structures
Loss of a skill
Brain insult or infarction

Question 19

Synapse formation timeline:

Answer 19

36 weeks gestation to 2 years

Question 20

Synapse pruning timeline:

Answer 20

4 years to 6 years

Question 21

What are the 4 types of learning?

Answer 21

Hebbian learning
Retrograde signaling
Mirror Neuron signaling
Anti-Hebbian learning

Question 22

What is Hebbian learning?

Answer 22

Neurons that fire together, wire together
Pre-synaptic neuron strengthens connection

Question 23

What is Retrograde signaling?

Answer 23

Neurons surrounding the pre-synaptic neuron get stronger with the post-synaptic neuron

Increased neurotransmitters or Nitrous Oxide

Question 24

What is Mirror Neuron signaling?

Answer 24

Neurons that fire during active and observation of activity

Increases connectivity and lateralization

Question 25

What is Anti-Hebbian learning?

Answer 25

The post-synaptic neuron mediates the connection

Mediates the response when two types of inputs may enter the cell

Thought to occur in cerebellum

Question 26

What are the principles of Neuroplasticity?

Answer 26

Use it or lose it
Specificity of practice
Intensity matters
Time matters
Transference

Use it and improve it
Repetitions or dosage matters
Salience matters
Age matters
Interference

Question 27

Use it or lose it =

Answer 27

Plasticity is always occurring

The brain will take over different regions if lost or unused

Question 28

Is the old phrase “Pick it back up like riding a bike true”?

Answer 28

Time is key

In primate experiments:
> A digit was amputated
> The brain lost representation
> The brain grew the surrounding representation

Question 29

Use it and improve it =

Answer 29

This makes sense

The use of a skill improves the acquisition of the task

Certain types of settings or specific circumstances can increase the acquisition of skills

Question 30

Specificity of practice/Transference =

Answer 30

Training is usually task specific

It’s very hard to improve one thing and it carry over to another skill UNLESS the skills are linked

Complex may improve simple

Like training strengthens like
> Strengthen one limb may help the other
> Performing task and watching may help (mirror neurons)

Question 31

Repetitions or dosage matters =

Answer 31

Dr. Lang (Wash U. St. Louis)

Dosage is extremely important

~1,000-10,000 repetitions to relearn and master a skill

Under-dosing patient’s is a systemic problem

Question 32

Intensity matters =

Answer 32

Can be identified as:
> Power
> Time to completion
> Obstacle avoidance
> Increased speed of movement
> Target distance
> Variability of support

Question 33

Time Matters =

Answer 33

Usually the easiest time to affect change after a neurological insult, <6 months

Too early can cause problems because the person needs to start to heal

However, people can still regain tasks years after insult

Question 34

Salience matters =

Answer 34

One of the most important parts

Person must be engaged in the activity

If you find something the person likes, they are more likely to attend to the task and continue with it
Increases belief in the themselves AND you

Question 35

Age matters =

Answer 35

Younger tends to be easier

Healthy older adults can learn to

Declining in cognition or extreme advanced age may play a role (but not always)

Question 36

Interference =

Answer 36

Some plasticity may interact and impede other plasticity

Learning a secondary task may initial impede performance on primary task

Question 37

Other factors for plasticity =

Answer 37

Experience with tasks
Mood and willingness to engage
Sleep or lack of
Fitness
Pharmaceuticals
Underlying disease or comorbidities