plasticity and functional recovery

Question 1

brain plasticity

Answer 1

idea that our brain is able to change and adapt both physically and functionally, as a result of experience and new learning

Question 2

synaptic reweighting

Answer 2

strength of the synaptic connections, changes depending on how more/less often that connection is used

Question 3

synaptic pruning

Answer 3

synaptic connections that are rarely used are deleted, and the ones that are used are strengthened

Question 4

how synaptic pruning affects brain plasticity

Answer 4

enables lifelong plasticity, as new connections are formed in response to new demands

Question 5

Aim of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity

Answer 5

to investigate if structural changes in the brain could be detected in people with extensive experience of spatial navigation

Question 6

Procedure of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Findings of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Conclusion of Maguire’s (2000) study into plasticity

Answer 8

supports idea of brain plasticity as it suggests that experience can change the structure of the brain

Question 9

Functional recovery

Answer 9

The brains ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by damaged areas to other, undamaged areas

Question 10

stages of functional recovery

Answer 10

1. neuronal unmasking
2. axonal sprouting
3. recruitment of homologous
4. reformation of blood vessels

Question 11

Neuronal unmasking

Answer 11

dormant synapses are reactivated when they receive more neural input than before

Question 12

Axonal sprouting

Answer 12

the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to produce new neural pathways

Question 13

recruitment of homologous

Answer 13

recruitment of homologous areas to the opposite side of the brain to perform specific functions

Question 14

reformation of blood vessels

Answer 14

blood vessels that have been damaged are reformed to ensure it gets to damaged areas

Question 15

Outline Kuhn’s study into brain plasticity

Answer 15

found that playing video games resulted in new synaptic connections in brain areas involved in spatial recognition, strategic planning, working memory, and motor performance

Question 16

neuro rehabilitation

Answer 16

uses motor therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the negative effects in motor and cognitive functions following injuries.

Question 17

AO3

Answer 17

• practical application
• negative plasticity
• age and plasticity

Question 18

practical application (plasticity/ functional recovery)

Answer 18

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 .

Question 19

negative plasticity

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

age and plasticity

Answer 20

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