plasticity and functional recovery ao3

Question 1

Research support - maguire 2000

Answer 1

P: Supporting evidence for the impact of experience on neural connections is provided by Maguire et al.
(2000)
E; In her research it was found that London taxi drivers have significantly more grey matter in their posterior hippocampus, which is an area involved in the development of spatial and navigational skills than in a matched control group.
E:As part of their training, London cabbies must take a complex test called “The Knowledge”. The test involves them knowing streets, shortcuts, landmarks etc. within a mile radius of Charing Cross.
Furthermore, more experienced can drivers the more pronounced the neural connections were.
L:This suggests that as a result of this learning experience the brain structure of the cab drivers was altered, which provides research support for brain plasticity.

Question 2

Practical applications

Answer 2

P: Understanding the processes involved in plasticity and functional recovery has practical applications in the the field of neurorehabilitation.
E: Following illness or injury to the brain, spontaneous recovery tends to slow down after a number of weeks. Due to this, a form of physical therapy may be needed to maintain improvements in functioning
E: Techniques may include movement therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the deficits in motor and/or cognitive functioning that may be experienced following a stroke, for instance.
L: Although this shows that the brain sometimes needs help if it to “fix itself completely and successfully. it also shows that the research has been used to improve treatment for people who have suffered trauma to their brain, thereby increasing their chances of disability free recovery..

Question 3

Research support for plasticity

Answer 3

P: research support for plasticity comes from Kuhn et al 2014
E: ppts split into 2 groups, the experimental group was instructed to play Mario kart for 30 mins everyday for 2 months and the control group were instructed to not play video games in this time. Their brains were scanned before and after the study
E: it was found that the experimental group had more grey matter in the areas of the brain responsible for brain navigation, fine movement and planning
L: this shows how repeated practice of the video game acted as the change in environment which lead to plastic changes in the brain responsible for navigation and movement supporting the idea of Brain plasticity. As if this wasn’t the case their would be no difference in grey matter in these specific areas when comparing the 2 groups

Question 4

Limiting factor in the extent of brain plasticity

Answer 4

P: one factor that limits the extent of brain plasticity is age
E; whereby elbert et al wanted to study Brain plasticity. He gave a group of adults and children different learning tasks and scanned their brains before and after learning
E: he found that the Brains of children had far more plastic changes then in adult brains.
L : thus the older the adults were the less the less plastic their brain was. Therefore old age is implicated in reducing the extent of brain plasticity

Question 5

Limitation of maguire - sample

Answer 5

P - sample is androcentric
E - doesn’t include women or left handed people - there are likely to be female/left handed London taxi drivers and female navigational ability may be different to males ( stereotypes about female drivers)
C - conclusions can’t be generalised to total population and can’t generalise to all cultures (culture bias/imposed etic)
C - however, does give genera, idea of how brain plasticity works in humans

Question 6

Strength of Maguire - controlled

Answer 6

P - controlled scientific methodology used including matched pairs design
E - taxi drivers matched on age and right handedness with non-taxi driver from control group, used standardised procedures and controlled variables
C - reduces order effects and individual differences so accurate/valid causal relationship can be established + leads to objective, quantitative data (can analyse and compare easily)
C - however, small sample means valid conclusions about structural differences can’t be made

Question 7

Case study for func recovery - GG

Answer 7

Gabby Giffords case (2011) - shot in left hemisphere and placed in coma so brain could recover
- within months + some rehabilitation, she could walk and regained control of let arm/leg
- could read, understand and speak short phrases
- now has some control over right arm/leg (controlled by left hemisphere so should be impossible)
- gives support for functional recovery

Question 8

Gabby Giffords case study limitation

Answer 8

P - may not be very generalisable
E - only one idiographic case so can’t assume same successful recovery would be seen in everyone else - female (beta bias) so can’t assume males would have same level of functional recovery
C - can’t be applied to general population + ungeneralisable nature reduces external reliability
C - however, fact that she regained control over right arm/leg confirms and gives support for functional recovery in humans + has ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS (people with brain damage can potentially return to normality and go back to work to contribute to economy again after rehabilitation