Plasticity/Functional Recovery

Question 1

Plasticity

Answer 1

Ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function in response to learning and experience
. Strongest during childhood
. Loss of plasticity linked to: Depression, Alzherimers

Question 2

Functional Recovery

Answer 2

Brain having the ability to move functions from a damaged area after trauma to undamaged areas
. Regenerative developments in brain function arise from brains plasticity ability to change structurally/functionally following trauma

Question 3

Neuronal Unmasking

Answer 3

‘Dormat’ synapses (not received enough input to be active) open connections to compensate for nearby damaged area.
^ Allows new connections in brain to be activated, recovering any damage occuring in specific regions

Question 4

Axonal Sprouting

Answer 4

Undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect the neurons as the links were severed through damage

Question 5

Plastcity Evaluation

Answer 5

Meditation - Support
. Using MRI scans, demonstrated how experienced mediators had a thicker cortex, particularly in areas related to attention and sensory processing
^ brain adapting due to experience

London taxi drivers - Support
. Maguire = role of hippocampus is to facilitate spatial memory in form of navigation
. Taxi drivers undergo ‘the knowledge’ - did MRI of their brains
^ increased grey matter and volume in hippocampus

Question 6

Functional Recovery Evaluation

Answer 6

Research Support
. Bach - Y - Rita’s research involved tongue of blind people with devices to indicate shape of items picked up by hand held device
^ able to ‘see’ via sense of touch produced by devices - visual cortex stimulated

Case Study Support
. Pedro had stroke, paralysed on right side
. Son made him pro-active - recovered his actions
. 2yrs later able to return to work as college professor