Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain

Question 1

Plasticity

Answer 1

Brain’s tendency to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning.

Question 2

Functional recovery

Answer 2

Form of plasticity.
Following trauma, the brain can redistribute functions usually found in damaged area(s) to undamaged area(s).

Question 3

Danielli et al - (2013) - Hemispherectomy - (4 points)

Answer 3

• AIM :
• To study the linguistic profile and neurolinguistic organisation of a 14 year old adolescent, who underwent a left hemispherectomy to remove a left sided tumour at 2.5 years old.
• PROCEDURE :
• Adolescent had his language centres and lost all language function.
• RESULTS :
• After 2 years, fMRI’s showed his right hemisphere acted as his left, taking up language function.
• This was known as functional recovery.

Question 4

Maguire taxi driver study - (2000) - (4 points)

Answer 4

• AIM :
• To investigate whether or not the hippocampus plays a role in human spatial memory.
• PROCEDURE :
• London taxi drivers with a range of age and experience were the participants ; participants were then age and gender matched with a control group.
• Two different types of MRI scanning were used to assess how the brains of the taxi drivers differed from the control group.
• RESULTS :
• Showed more grey matter in both left and right hippocampi of the taxi drivers compared to the control group.
• Taxi drivers had better memory centres
• Changes in navigation experience.

Question 5

Grey matter

Answer 5

Contains most of the brain’s neuronal cell bodies.