plasticity and functional recovery Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is ‘brain plasticity’?
the brains ability to change and adapt because of experience
what is ‘experience’?
everything outside the body such as driving a car or learning a new instrument
what is the brain in relation to its ability and structure?
the brain is plastic and not a static organ: synaptic connections/neural pathways are continually formed and altered.
what happens during infancy?
the brain experiences a rapid growth in synaptic connections peaking at about 15,000 age 2-3
do all these connections remain forever?
no - as we age rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened - known as cognitive pruning
what does recent research suggest?
neural connections can change or be formed at any time due to learning and experience
what is the main study for plasticity and functional recovery?
maguire et al (2000)
what did maguire suggest?
the role of the hippocampus is to facilitate spatial memory in form of navigation
what do taxi drivers undergo?
extensive training known as ‘the knowledge’ and therefore make an ideal group for the study of spatial navigation
what is the aim of maguire’s study?
to examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brains of people with extensive experience of spatial navigation
what was the method?
- structural mri scans were obtained
- 16 right-handed male london taxi drivers participated all had been driving for more than 1.5 years
- scans of 50 healthy right-handed males who did not drive taxis were included for comparison (control)
results
- increased grey matter in left and right hippocampi in taxi drivers brain - found in the posterior hippocampus
- correlation found between amount of time spent as a taxi driver and volume the right posterior hippocampus
conclusion
results provide support for the idea of brain plasticity and suggest that experience (driving taxi) can change the structure of the brain (enlarged hippocampi)
what is functional recovery?
the transfer of functions from a damaged area of the brain after trauma to other undamaged areas
what is functional recovery an example of?
an important example of neural plasticity
what do neuroscientists suggest?
this process occurs quickly after trauma (spontaneous recovery) and then slows down - at which point the person may require rehabilitative therapy
how does the brain recover?
the brain ‘rewires’ and reorganizes itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage - it can do this through a process called neuronal unmasking where dormant synapses open connections to compensate for a nearby damaged area of the brain
evaluation - supporting evidence for FR
danelli et al - case study of 14 year old EB. at 2.5 yo EB had a hemispherectomy of left side of his brain to remove a tumor - this removed language centers (broca/wernicke)
after 2 years of recovery had recovered his language ability, developed normally as he aged besides from dyslexia like symptoms. fmri scans showed his remaining right hemisphere functioned like the left. suggests that the brain can adapt and recover after significant change.
evaluation - practical application
research on brain plasticity and functional recovery has practical benefits. it has been useful in rehabilitative therapy, helping people return to their lives and productive work, ultimately benefitting the wider economy.
evaluation - deeper understanding of the brain
research on individuals recovering lost function can help psychologists understand more about the functions of regions of the brain that were initially damaged
evaluation - individual differences in recovery
mathias - metanalysis demonstrated IQ and educational background are positively correlated with better outcomes after traumatic brain injury, suggesting that some individuals have a greater cognitive reserve, helping in recovery.
