Plasticity and Functional Recovery of the Brain After Trauma Flashcards
What is plasticity?
The apparent ability of the brain to change and adapt its structures and processes as a result of experience and new learning.
Researchers used to believe that changes in the brain only happen in infancy/childhood, but more recent research has demonstrated that the brain continues to create new neural pathways and alter existing ones to adapt to new experiences as a result of learning.
Outline Machin’s study from 2018.
(Supports the idea that the brain can change in adulthood)
Supports the idea that the brain can change in adulthood.
This is because they found that when men become fathers, their brain changes as a result.
The areas associated with planning and problem solving (in the cortex) become more active, and in the unconscious brain we see changes in areas related to risk-assessment and nurturing.
This suggests that brain plasticity can change as a result of paternity.
How does plasticity link to functional recovery?
The way certain abilities of the brain may be moved or redistributed rather than lost following damage or trauma to the brain.
State 3 ways in which the brain can be injured?
Traffic accidents, assaults, or falls.
Do all recover from brain injuries?
Almost all people who suffer brain injury can make some recovery but the extent of this depends on the trauma itself and subsequent care of the patient.
How does the brain recover from injury?
New branches of axons and dendrites need to grow within neurons, but in some cases the brain adapts to the trauma and finds another way to complete a function.
Recovery is not always complete and depends on the level and type of damage.
E.g. the size of the stroke/the part of the brain infarcted - deprived of oxygen - therefore resulting in tissue death.
Outline Maguire et al’s study from 2000.
(Supports the idea of brain plasticity)
(AO3 Brain Plasticity Research)
Supports the idea of brain plasticity.
This is because they found that there was a significantly greater volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus of taxi drivers, than in a matched control group.
Drivers have to undertake intense training and take a test called “The Knowledge” which assesses their recall of city streets and possible routes; this learning experience may have altered the structure of the taxi drivers’ brains.
There was also a positive correlation between time in job and the pronouncement of the structural differences (denser grey matter in hippocampus).
This suggests that brain plasticity can occur, even in adulthood.
Outline Draganski et al’s study from 2006.
(Supports the idea of brain plasticity)
(AO3 Brain Plasticity Research)
Supports the idea of brain plasticity.
This is because they imaged the brains of medical students 3 months prior to and after their final exams.
Learning-induced changes were seen to have occurred in the same location (posterior hippocampus) and also the parietal cortex, presumable as a result of learning for their exams.
This reinforces Maguire et al’s taxi study.
Outline Mechelli et al’s study from 2004.
(Supports the idea of brain plasticity)
(AO3 Brain Plasticity Research)
Supports the idea of brain plasticity.
This is because they found a larger parietal cortex in the brains of people who were bilingual compared to matched monolingual controls.
This suggests that greater linguistical knowledge can alter brain structure.
Outline Kuhn et al’s study from 2014.
(Supports the idea of brain plasticity)
(AO3 Brain Plasticity Research)
Supports the idea of brain plasticity.
This is because they found that when PPs played Super Mario for at least 30 minutes per day over a 2-month period, (compared their brain development to a control group who were not playing video games), there were significant differences in grey matter of the video-gaming participants, particularly in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum.
These improved spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory and motor performance.
This suggests that by engaging in video games, the brain can positively develop.
This study also has wider implications, as it suggests video games as a form of rehab.
It could be used to counteract known risk factors for mental disease such as smaller hippocampus and prefrontal cortex - in e.g. schizophrenics.
What is functional recovery?
Much recovery after trauma is due to anatomical compensation, brought about by intensive rehabilitation.
The brain learns to compensate for function.
The brain can be taught how to use the working areas, to compensate the ones that are potentially lost forever.
Outline the case study of Scotty Cranmer.
BMX rider who suffered a major brain and spinal cord injury.
He managed to recover as:
Rehab was quick intensive.
Motivated to get back to his past position in life.
Passionate about what he did with his life, so taking that way meant that we did have a focus to have a goal to get back to where he was.
What happens in the brain during recovery?
Our brain is able to rewire and reorganise itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage.
What did Doidge state in 2007.
State that secondary neural pathways that would not typically be used to carry out a function are activated or “unmasked” to enable functioning to continue, often in the same way as before.
There are 3 main processes that happen in the brain during recovery. What are they?
Axonal sprouting
Reformation of blood vessels, nourishing brain and strengthening connections.
Recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks.
