plasticity and functional recovery ao1

Question 1

Define plasticity

Answer 1

The brain adapts its structure and function as a result of the change in the environment/new learning/expirences

Question 2

Reasons for plasticity

Answer 2

Learning new skills
A result of developmental changes
Response to direct trauma to brain
Response to indirect effects of damage eg swelling or leading due to stroke

Question 3

Define functional recovery

Answer 3

Healthy areas of the brain compensate for areas that have been lost or damaged
Form of plasticity

Question 4

How does functional recovery work?

Answer 4

Info travels between neurons connected by synapses close to areas of damage
Causes new secondary neuronal pathways to be unmasked
(Doidge 2007)

Question 5

What is synaptic pruning
*hint - neural pathways becoming weaker when not in use

Answer 5

Synapses that are used frequently become stronger overtime, unused synaptic connections are lost. This makes the brain a more efficient communication systems overtime.

Question 6

What is axonal sprouting and neural regeneration (support for functional recovery)
*processes which help to compensate for damaged areas of the brain

Answer 6

Existing neurons growing new axons to connect to adjacent neurones - in undamaged parts
Neural regeneration is the growth of new neuronal cells

Question 7

What process occurs to compensate for loss of axons in a pathway

Answer 7

Denervation supersensitivity

Question 8

What is denervation supersensitivity

Answer 8

To compensate for loss of axons in a pathway the remaining axons become more sensitive (more likely to fire) and can result in side effects like pain

Question 9

List 3 factors affecting functional recovery, then describe them

Answer 9

Age: children have the best ability to recover then young adults
Gender: women are more able to recover from brain damage then men
Rehabilitative therapy: focused effort results in improvement

Question 10

What is constraint induced therapy

Answer 10

Stopping patients from using coping strategies like relying on body language for communication or undamaged limbs for tasks instead patients are constantly working on thier lost function.

Question 11

Who and when investigated plasticity
*hint - Mario kart

Answer 11

Kuhn et al 2014

Question 12

Describe Kuhn et al procedure

Answer 12

2 groups
Experimental - instructed to play Mario kart 30 minutes everyday day for 2 months
Control - instructed to not play video games in this time
Before and after expiriment she scanned their brain to assess change in brain volum

Question 13

Findings Kuhn et al

Answer 13

Expirimental group had increased brain volume in multiple areas compared to control group
These areas were responsible for brain navigation, fine movement and planning

Question 14

Conclusions of Kuhn et al

Answer 14

Repeated practice of video game lead to plastic changes in experimental group
specifically areas involved in planning, fine movement and spacial navigation had been rewired forming new neuronal connections

Question 15

What is pos neuroplasticity

Answer 15

Adding in to change form or strengthen connections between neurons or synapses to improve response or function

Question 16

-ve neuroplasticity

Answer 16

Brains ability to atrophy - death of cels
Weakening neuron/synaptic connections
Decreasing the brains ability to tackle problems or novel situations

Question 17

Maladaptive neuroplasticity

Answer 17

Unhelpful
Plasticity leads to distruption of function and may be considered a diseased state

Question 18

Plasticity in children

Answer 18

Eg during infancy 15 000 connections 2-3 years
Adulthood -undergoes synaptic pruning
Eg atrophy of pathways that helped us learn how to crawl
Also decline in cog function bc of atrophy eg dementia

Question 19

Psychology and economy

Answer 19

Funding research into different areas of
Could cause people to benefit from CBT and then go back into their job
Psycho education in families of sufferers with neurodegenerative disorders to help them cope and understand its not their fault

Question 20

Recruitment of homologous areas

Answer 20

Using existing structure/neural pathways on opposite hemispheres to enable a route to be used
Without having to build new networks