Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain after trauma Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

what is brain plasticity?

A
  • ability to change throughout life
  • infancy the brain has rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections
  • has double the amount that the adult brain
  • new neural connections are made due to new demands on the brain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is synaptic pruning?

A
  • rarely used connections are deleted
  • frequently used connections are strengthened
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

research into plasticity: London taxi drivers

A
  • Maguire et al. found more grey matter in posterior hippocampus in taxi drivers than control group
  • area of the brain is in control of spatial and navigational skills
  • the longer they had had the job, the more pronounced the structural difference
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

research into plasticity evaluation limitation: Negative plasticity

A

-brains adaptation due to prolonged drug use, led to worse cognitive functioning and increased risk of dementia
- 60-80% of amputees have phantom limb syndrome, due to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

research into plasticity evaluation: strength age and plasticity

A
  • general plasticity reduces with age
  • Bezzola et al. showed 40 hours of golf training produced changes in the neural representations of movements in participants aged 40-60
  • using fMRI observed increase in motor activity cortex in novice golfers rather than control group
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Functional recovery

A
  • plasticity following damage through trauma
  • brain ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area to a non damaged area
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

functional recovery: after brain trauma

A
  • healthy brain areas take over the functions of areas that were damaged or missing
  • this process can occur quickly then slow down after weeks or months
  • may then need rehab therapy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what happens in the brain during recovery?

A
  • forms new synaptic connections close to the area of damage
  • secondary neural pathways are activated or unmasked to enable functioning to continue, in the same way as before
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

structural changes in the brain

A
  • axonal sprouting
  • denervation supersensitivity
  • recruitment of the homologous
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is axonal sprouting?

A
  • the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what is denervation supersensitivity ?

A
  • occurs when the axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that were lost
  • Although can be negative when they become oversensitive to pain
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what is the recruitment of the homologous?

A
  • areas on the opposite side of the brain
  • specific tasks can still be performed
  • if brocas area was damaged on the left the right side would carry out its equivalent functions
  • after a while functionality may shift back to the left side
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Functional recover evaluation: strength real-world application

A
  • understanding plasticity has contributed to the field of neurorehabilitation
  • encourages new therapies
  • research into functional recovery is useful as it helps medical professionals know when interventions need to be made
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Functional recovery evaluation: limitation cognitive reserve

A
  • the level of education may affect recovery rates
  • Schneider et al. said the more time people with brain injuries had spent in education the greater their chances of disability free recovery (DFR)
  • 40% who had DFR had 16 years + of education compared to 10% who had less than 12 years of education
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly