plasticity and functional recovery Flashcards
brain plasticity
idea that our brain is able to change and adapt both physically and functionally, as a result of experience and new learning
synaptic reweighting
strength of the synaptic connections, changes depending on how more/less often that connection is used
synaptic pruning
synaptic connections that are rarely used are deleted, and the ones that are used are strengthened
how synaptic pruning affects brain plasticity
enables lifelong plasticity, as new connections are formed in response to new demands
Aim of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity
to investigate if structural changes in the brain could be detected in people with extensive experience of spatial navigation
Procedure of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity
- Group 1: 15 experienced, right handed London taxi drivers
- Group 2: 50 right handed males with no taxi driver experience
- Both groups received structural MRI scans
Findings of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity
- Increased grey matter in hippocampus of taxi drivers
- correlation found between the amount of time spent as a taxi driver and the increase in volume of grey matter
Conclusion of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity
supports idea of brain plasticity as it suggests that experience can change the structure of the brain
Functional recovery
The brains ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by damaged areas to other, undamaged areas
stages of functional recovery
- neuronal unmasking
- axonal sprouting
- recruitment of homologous
- reformation of blood vessels
Neuronal unmasking
dormant synapses are reactivated when they receive more neural input than before
Axonal sprouting
the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to produce new neural pathways
recruitment of homologous
recruitment of homologous areas to the opposite side of the brain to perform specific functions
reformation of blood vessels
blood vessels that have been damaged are reformed to ensure it gets to damaged areas
Outline Kuhn’s study into brain plasticity
found that playing video games resulted in new synaptic connections in brain areas involved in spatial recognition, strategic planning, working memory, and motor performance
neuro rehabilitation
uses motor therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the negative effects in motor and cognitive functions following injuries.
AO3
- practical application
- negative plasticity
- age and plasticity
practical application (plasticity/ functional recovery)
understanding the process of recovery has contributed to neurorehabilitation
spontaneous recovery slows down after several weeks.
techniques eg movement therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the deficits in motor and/or cognitive function .
negative plasticity
- prolonged drug use has been shown to result in poorer cognitive functions and increase the risk of dementia in later life.
-60-80% amputees have experienced phantom limb syndrome- painful & unpleasant
could be due to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex that occurs as a result of limb loss
age and plasticity
functional plasticity tends to reduce with age
Bezzola
40 hours of golf training produced changes in the neural representation of movement in participants aged 40-60.
fmri showed reduced motor cortex activity in novice golfers compared to a control group, suggesting more efficient neural representations after training.
neural plasticity does continue throughout life
