plasticity + functional recovery Flashcards
what is a simple definition of plasticity?
the brain’s ability to change as a result of new experience/learning
what is synaptic pruning?
weaker/rarely-used connections are deleted whilst frequently-used connections are kept/strengthened
what is axon sprouting?
growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to produce new neural pathways
what did Maguire et.al. study?
the brains of London taxi drivers
what did Maguire find in the brains of London cab drivers?
more volume of grey matter in posterior hippocampus
what is the posterior hippocampus associated with?
development of spatial/navigational skills
what is the correlation between age of taxi drivers + structural differences in the brain?
positive correlation - the longer taxi drivers had been in the job, the more pronounced was the structural differences in brain
name one strength of plasticity
plasticity may continue throughout life
name one weakness of plasticity
plasticity may have negative behavioural consequences
true or false?
plasticity is a lifelong ability
true
how does Bezzola’s research support the strength of ‘age + plasticity’?
~ demonstrated how 40hrs of golf training produced changes in neural representations of movement in participants aged 40-60
~ researchers observed increased motor cortex activity in the golfers compared to a control group, suggesting more brain efficiency after training
why could the brain’s ability to adapt be negative?
may adapt to produce negative behaviour
what can the brain’s adaptation to drug use lead to?
leads to poorer cognitive functioning in later life + an increased risk of dementia
how has plasticity negatively impacted amputees?
somatosensory cortex has adapted to work as if a limb is still there, leading to phantom limb syndrome in amputees (which can be painful/uncomfortable)
what is functional recovery an example of?
neural plasticity
what is a simple definition of functional recovery?
following physical injuries/brain trauma, unaffected areas of the brain are often able to adapt/compensate for those areas that are damaged
what is the speed of functional recovery?
can occur quickly after trauma (spontaneous recovery) + then slow down after several weeks
how is the brain able to recover?
brain reorganises itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage
why are secondary neural pathways activated?
in order to enable functioning to continue, often in the same way as before
what 3 structural changes occur during functional recovery?
~ axonal sprouting
~ denervation supersensitivity
~ recruitment of homologous areas on opposite side of the brain
true or false?
during recruitment of homologous areas, after some time, functionality may shift back to the other hemisphere
true
for example, if Broca’s area was damaged, how would the brain adapt to compensate for this?
right hemisphere would carry out its functions instead
name one strength of functional recovery
it has a practical application
name one weakness of functional recovery
level of education could influence recovery rates
how has functional recovery had a practical application in movement therapy?
patients use their affected body part for tasks while the unaffected body part is restrained
what has research revealed about the correlation between education + recovery rates?
the more time people with a brain injury have spent in education, the greater their chances of a disability-free recovery
