Plasticity and functional recovery after trauma

Question 1

What are the factors that affect Plasticity ?

Answer 1

. Life experiences
. Video games
. Meditation

Question 2

How is the plasticity affected by life experiences?

clue : 60 yr old

Answer 2

.Boyke et al (2008) - 60 yr old taught a new skills , juggling.
- They found increases in grey matter in the visual cortex - when practice stopped the changes were reversed

Question 3

How is the plasticity affected by video games ?

Answer 3

. Kuhn et al (2014)
- compared a control group with a video game trained group.

• Trained for 2months for at least 30mins per day on the game Super Mario.
• Increase in grey matter in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. (not evident in the control group that didn’t pay Super Mario)
• video game training results in new synaptic connections in brain areas involved in spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory and motor performance.

Question 4

How is the plasticity affected by meditation ?

monks

Answer 4

. Davidson et al (2004)
- Tibetan monks demonstrate that meditation can change the inner workings of the brain.

• compared 8 practitioners with 10 student volunteers with no previous meditation experience
• both groups fitted with electrical sensors - the students showed only a slight increase in gamma wave activity whilst the Tibetan monks had far more gamma activity even before they started meditating
• produces permanent changes in the working of the brain