Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain Flashcards
What is brain plasticity?
The brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of experience
What happens as people gain new experices?
Nerve pathways that are used frequently develop stronger connections
What happens to neurons that aren’t used?
Eventually die
What happens as we get older?
A natural decline in cognitive functions caused by changes in the brain
What did Boyke et al. (2008) find evidence for?
Brain plasticity in 60 year olds taught a new skill
- Juggling
What does playing video games make?
Many different complex cognitive and motor demands
What did Kuhn et al. (2014) compare?
A control gorup with a video game training group
How long had the video game group been trained for?
2 months for at least 30 min a day
- on super mario
What did Kuhn et al. (2014) find?
A significant increase in grey matter in various brain areas including the cortex, hippocampus and cerebrum
- This wasn’t see in the control group
What did the Kuhn et al. conclude?
Video game training had resulted in new synaptic connection in brain areas involved in spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory and motor performance
What have researchers working with Tibetan monks found?
Meditation can change the inner workings of the brain
What did Davidson et al. (2004) compare?
Eight Tibetan meditators with 10 volunteer students
What did Davidson et al. do?
Fitted both groups with electrical sensors and asked to meditate for short periods
What did the electrodes pick up in Davidsons study?
Greater activation of gamma waves in the minks
What did researchers conclude?
Meditations doesn’t just change the workings of the rain in the short term, but may also produce permanent changes
what did researchers discover after studying cases of stroke victims regaining functioning?
When brain cells are damaged and destroyed the brain re-wires itself over time so some level of function can be regained
What are two ways in which the brain is able to change structurally and functionally?
- Neuronal unmasking
- Stem cells
What is neuronal unmasking?
Where ‘dormant synapses’ (which have not received enough input to be active) open connections to compensate for nearby damaged area of the brain
What is stem cell?
Unspecialised cells that have the potential to give rise to different functions, including taking on the characteristics of nerve cells
