Plasticity and Functional recovery Flashcards
what is plasticity?
the brains ability to change throughout a persons lifespan as a result of LEARNING and EXPERIENCE. Previously this ability was thought to be restricted to INFANCY.
what is the time of greatest growth of synaptic connections?
INFANCY. Brain experiences rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections it has, peaking at 15,000 by the age of 3 years old.
what is cognitive pruning?
When connections that are RARELY used are deleted through ‘cognitive pruning.’ In addition new neural connections can be formed and existing ones CHANGED.
Who did research into plasticity?
Maguire et al.
What was maguire’s procedure studying plasticity?
studied brains of LONDON taxi drivers and compared them against a CONTROL group. Rhis is because taxi drivers have to REMEMBER the map of londons streets.
What did Maguire find in his study of plstiicy?
Significantly MORE volume of GREY matter in the posterior hippocampus in the taxi drivers than in the matched control group. This part of the brain is associated with the DEVELOPMENT of spatial and navigational skills in humans.
This difference shows plasticity as the taxi brains have changed and adapted to their learning and experience.
What is functional recovering?
When unaffected areas of the brain are able to ADAPT and COMPENSATE for those areas damaged, after injury. This is an EXAMPLE o fplsaticity.
what is axonal sprouting?
NEW nerve endings gowing adn CONNECTING with undamaged nerve cells to form new NUERAL pathways.
How does the brain form new synaptic connections?
Froms new synaptic connections close to the area of damage, secondary nueral pathways that would NOT typically be used to carry out certain functions are UNMASKED to enable functioning to continue.
Who did reserach into fucntional recovery?
Tajiri provided EVIDENCE for the tole of STEM cells in PRODUCING functional recovery.
What was Tajiris procedure when studying functional recovery?
Randomly assigned RATS with traumatic brain injury into one of 2 groups. One group recieved transplants of stem cells into the region of the brain affected by traumatic injury. THhe CONTROL group receieved a solution contaning NO stem cells.
What was Tajiris findings of his study on functional recovery?
3 MONTHS after the brain injury, the brains of stem cell rats showed CLEAR development of neuron-like cells in the area of injury. The control group DIDN’T.
This is STRONG evidence of F.R as the stem cells produced new cells in the damaged area of the brain.
