Plasticity And Functional Recovery Of The Brain After Trauma

Question 1

Plasticity

Answer 1

The brain’s ability to change and adapt perits recovery from trauma.

Question 2

Brain plasticity

Answer 2

Research suggests that neural connections can change or new connections can be formed

Question 3

Research into plasticity
(Maguire)

Answer 3

-Hippocampus in taxi drivers changes structure after learning the knowledge

Question 4

Research into plasticity
(Draganski)

Answer 4

-Changes in hippocampus and the parietal cortex before and after exams

Question 5

Plasticity evaluation points- Negative plasticity

Answer 5

LIMITATION

Drug use may cause neural changes (Medina)
Phantom limb syndrome due to reorganisation in somatosensory cortex

Question 6

Plasticity evaluation points- Age and plasticity

Answer 6

STRENGTH

plasticity reduces with age, through bezzola showed how golf training caused neural changes in over 40s

Question 7

Functional recovery

Answer 7

A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, the brain’s ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged areas to other, undamaged areas.

Question 8

After brain trauma definition

Answer 8

Healthy brain areas take over lost functions after trauma, happens quickly.

Question 9

What happens in the brain during recovery?

Answer 9

• New synaptic connections, secondary pathways ‘unmasked’
• Axonal sprouting
• Denervation supersensitivity
• Recruitment of homologous brain areas

Question 10

Functional recovery evaluation points- Real world application

Answer 10

STRENGTH

Knowledge of axonal growth leads to e.g constraint- induced movement therapy (massed practice with affected arm)

Question 11

Functional recovery evaluation points- Cognitive reserve

Answer 11

LIMITATION

40% recovery for people with 16 years education, 10% for those with less than 12 years’ education