Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain Flashcards
What is plasticity?
the ability of the brain to change and adapt functionally and physically in
response to experience.
what happens to brain during infancy?
the brain experiences rapid growth in the number of neurons and synaptic
connections; by the age of 2-3 an infant brain has more neurons and connections than in a mature adult brain.
What can the decline of neurons and connections in an adult brain from an infant brain be explained by?
by the process of synaptic pruning, where frequently used connections are strengthened and rarely used connections are weakened.
what was originally thought about brain plasticity in adult hood?
that brain plasticity was not present in adulthood after the brain reached the critical period of maturity at age 20
What has recent research suggested about plasticity in adulthood?
that although plasticity is less evident in the later life, new neural connections can be formed as a result of learning and experience.
What can the research about plasticity in in infants vs adults be explained by?
-different functional demands at different ages- In infancy, the range of new experiences means the brain has to adapt drastically, whereas in adulthood there may be more specific demands requiring only certain areas of the brain to adapt.
What is functional recovery?
a form of plasticity whereby, following damage to the brain through trauma, the brain is able to regain some or all of the functions that were initially impaired.
What are common types of brain trauma?
physical trauma, cerebral haemorrhage, cerebral schaemia (e.g. stroke) and infections
What can such trauma result in?
a physical loss of brain tissue or a loss of functionality within the affected area
What happens in the brain in response to damage caused by trauma?
other undamaged areas of the brain may compensate in different ways
What are the different ways the brain responds to trauma?
-Neural reorganisation
-Axonal Sprouting
-Neural regeneration
-Reformation of blood girls
What is neural reorganisation?
involves a different area of the brain adopting the functions of the damaged area e.g. if Broca’s area is damaged in the left hemisphere, the right hemisphere equivalent area may adopt its functions.
What is Axonal sprouting?
involves the growth of new nerve endings from surviving neurons which then connect to areas of the brain the damaged neurons used to connect to.
what is neural regeneration?
involves the growth of completely new neurons
What is reformation of blood vessels?
may result if cerebral haemorrhage or cerebral ischaemia has damaged the blood supply to the affected areas
