Plasticity And Functional Recovery Of The Brain Flashcards
What is plasticity?
The brain can change throughout life
What is synaptic pruning?
As we get older synaptic connections that we don’t need shrink and the ones we use frequently are strengthened
How does Maguire et el (2000) show plasticity?
- Studied the brains of London taxi drivers who took a knowledge test which showed they had more neurons in the posterior hippocampus.
- This was the part of the brain associated with the development of spatial and navigational.
- Those who were taxi drivers for longer the more pronounced the structural difference was
How does Draganski et al (2006) show plasticity?
- Imaged the brains of medical students 3 months before and after their final exams
- Learning-induced changes were seen to have occurred in posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex
How does Mechelli et al (2004) show plasticity?
- Found larger parietal cortex in the brains of people who were bilingual compared to matched monolingual controls
How does Lazar et al (2005) show plasticity?
Using MRI scans showed that experienced meditators had a thicker cortex than non-meditators, in areas related to attention and sensory processing
What is the functional recovery of the brain after trauma?
Healthy brain areas take over the functions of the damaged/destroyed areas
How do Synaptic Connections help the brain recover?
The brain forms new synaptic connections close to the area of damage.
How does Axonal Sprouting help the brain recover?
Growth of new nerve endings which connect to other undamaged nerve cells to form new pathways.
How does Reformation Of Blood Vessels help the brain recover?
New blood vessels grow.
How does Recruitment Of Homologous Areas help the brain recover?
On the opposite side of the brain after a period of time,function may switch to the original side.
How is Practical Application a strength of plasticity?
- Research has helped in the area of neurorehabilitation
- Spontaneous recovery slows down after a while so physical therapy may be necessary
- Techniques such as movement therapy and electrical stimulation can be used to counter the deficits in motor and cognitive functioning after a stroke (example)
How is Negative Plasticity a weakness of plasticity?
When the brain rewires itself it can have negative consequences. For example, prolonged drug use has been shown to result in poorer cognitive functioning and an increased risk of dementia.
60%-80% of amputees experience phantom limb syndrome sensations in the missing limb which can be painful. This is thought to be due to cortical reorganization in the somatosensory area as a result of limb loss.
How are Age and Plasticity a weakness of plasticity?
Functional plasticity reduces with age. As we get older we don’t need to adapt to new experiences as much.
How does Bezzola et al 2012 as Age and Plasticity as a strength?
It showed that 40 hours of golf training produced changes in the motor cortex of ppts aged 40-60, it used MRI scans to show that neutral plasticity does continue throughout life.
