Plasticity & Functional Recovery

Question 1

Define brain plasticity

Answer 1

The brain’s ability to modify its own structure and function as a result of experience

Question 2

What is synaptic pruning?

Answer 2

The process where rarely used synaptic connections are deleted and frequently used ones are strengthened

Question 3

Describe research which supports the idea of brain plasticity

Answer 3

Kuhn —> compared group who played video games for 30+ mins a day to control group over 2 months
- found significant difference in grey matter particularly cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum
Maguire —> studied brains of taxi drivers and found significantly higher volume of grey matter in posterior hippocampus than control
- positive correlation between size of post. hippocampus and time spent being taxi driver

Question 4

Define functional recovery

Answer 4

Form of plasticity, the brains ability to redistribute/ transfer functions following damage through trauma

Question 5

Outline research support into functional recovery

Answer 5

• Draganski et al —> imaged brains of medical students before and after final exams; found changes in posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex
  Mechelli et al —> found larger parietal cortex in brains of bilinguals compared to monolingual controls

Question 6

Define neural unmasking

Answer 6

Where ‘dormant’ synapses (not enough input to be active) open connections to compensate for a damaged are of the brain

Question 7

Define axonal sprouting

Answer 7

Growth of a new nerve ending to connect with other un damaged nerve cells to form new neural pathways

Question 8

Define neural reorganisation

Answer 8

When homologous (similar) areas of the brain on opposite sides of the brain is used to perform a specific task

Question 9

Give strengths of brain plasticity and functional recovery theory

Answer 9

Practical application —> can predict affects of brain damage or surgery
Scientific evidence —> use of brain scans and controlled experiments have high internal validity
Case studies —> EB underwent hemispherectomy on L hemisphere; immediately after surgery lost all language ability but recovered this after 2 years

Question 10

Give weaknesses of brain plasticity and functional recovery theory

Answer 10

Correlational research —> could be up to another variable (e.g. taxi drivers may already have these differences and be more likely to become taxi drivers)
Biologically reductionist —> Maguire only examines one biological factor (hippocampus)
Individual differences —> functional plasticity reduces with age; capacity for neural reorganisation is greater for younger ppl
- women also tend to recover more than men
- ppl with higher education level often have better outcomes after brain inkury