Plasticity And Functional Recovery Of The Brain After Trauma Flashcards
Define plasticity
Refers to the brains ability to physically and functionally adapt and change in response to trauma, learning and experiences
The idea of plasticity opposes what ?
The previous theory that there is a ‘critical window’ for synaptic and neuronal connection formation, which occurred during the first 3 years of life, after which no new neuronal connections would be formed
What does learning and new experiences cause ?
New neural pathways to strengthen
What happens to neural pathways which are used infrequently
They become weak and eventually die
What did Boyke find out about plasticity ?
Even at 60+ learning of a new skill ( juggling) resulted in increased neural growth in the visual cortex
What did Kuhn find out about plasticity
- that playing video games for 30+ minutes per day resulted in increased brain matter in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum
- Thus, the complex cognitive demands involved in mastering a video game caused the formation of new synaptic connections in brain sites controlling spatial navigation, planing, decision making etc
What did Kempermann find out about plasticity
- found that rats housed in more complex environments showed an increase in neurones compared to a control group living in simple cages
- changes were particularly clear in the hippocampus which is associated with memory and spatial navigation
Define functional recovery
The ability of the brain to transfer the functions of areas damaged through trauma to other healthy parts of the brain, thus allowing for normal function to carry on
In what three ways does functional recovery happen ?
- equipotentiality
- axon sprouting
- stem cells
Explain how equipotentiality enables functional recovery
Where secondary neural circuits surrounding the damaged area become active
Explain how axon sprouting enables functional recovery
The formation of new synapses and strengthening of axonal connections between damaged and healthy areas
Explain how the use of stem cells enables functional recovery
- stem cells are specialised cels which can become specialised to carry out different types of task
What are the two factors that affect functional recovery ?
- age. Young people have a high ability to recover which declines as we age
- level of education is positively correlated with speed of recovery from traumatic brain injuries
- Researcher round that patients with a college education were 7 times more likely to recover from their disability after 1 year compared to those who didn’t finish college
Explain the limits to spontaneous and functional recovery
- although the after trauma the brain activated secondary neural circuits which contribute towards reinstating normal function the brain can only repair itself up to a specific point, after which motor therapy or electrical stimulation is needed to increase recovery rates
A strength of research examining plasticity and functional recovery is the application of the findings to the field of neurorehabilitation. Explain this
- understanding the process of plasticity and functional recovery led to the development of neurorehabilitation
- this used motor therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter the negative effects in motor / cognitive functions following accidents.
