Plasticity, Theories, and Basic Variables Flashcards
What is plasticity
The ability to show neural modifiability from short term changes in efficiency/strength of synaptic connections to long term structural changes in organization/number of connection of neurons
True or False:
Plasticity is experience dependent reorganization
True
What are the fundamentals of plasticity (5)
- Plasticity involves a variety of processes and structures that take place throughout lifetime
- Plasticity has a clear age dependent determinant
- Plasticity occurs under two conditions
- Plasticity is influenced by environment
- Plasticity is a two way street
What are the 2 conditions under which plasticity occurs
- Typical brain development
2. Adaptive mechanism to injury
What does it mean that plasticity is a two way street
If you don’t use it you lose it
When does plasticity occur (3)
- Beginning of life (critical period)
- Throughout adulthood (following critical period)
- Damage (compensations and relearning
How does plasticity lead to learning (2)
- Changes in internal structures of neurons at synapses
2. Increased number of synapses between neurons
Where do short term changes usually occur
At the level of the synpase
What are the 2 types of plasticity
- Functional plasticity
2. Structural plasticity
What is functional plasticity
The ability of the brain to change a functional task to another area following damage
What is structural plasticity
The ability of a structure to change over time
Characteristics of acquisition of skills occur in infants during critical periods (3)
- Info is unregulated
- The brain is always on
- Synaptic formation is constantly occurring
Why is the info unregulated and the brain always being on
The infant does not know what to pay attention to so they take everything in leading too mass synapse formation
When do critical periods occur
Birth to 2 years
Characteristics of acquisition of skills occur in older children/adults (3)
- Generation of reliable/coordinated responses
- Increase power of off
- Synaptic pruning
True or False:
Learning and recovery of function is a continuum
True
What is function
Complex activity directed at performance of a task
What is recovery
Re-acquisition of movement skills lost through injury
What is recovery of function impacted by (5)
- Age
- Characteristics of lesion
- Pre-injury factors
- Post-injury factors
- Neurotrophic factors
What are neurotrophic factors
Proteins that are responsible for growth in the nervous system
What levels can plasticity occur at (6)
- Brain level
- Network level
- Intercellular level
- Intracellular level
- Biochemical level
- Genetic level
Following injury we may see what (4)
- Denervation supersensitivity
- Unmasking of silent synapses
- Neural regeneration
- Collateral sprouting
What is denervation supersensitivity
Increased sensitivity after denervation (demyelination)
What is unmasking of silent synapses
Immediate reorganization secondary to “unmasking” of previously non functional, nearby synaptic connections
When you talk about cortical maps should you think short term or long term changes
Long term changes
True or False:
In healthy adults cortical representation of body changes in response to skill acquisition
True
True or False:
Neural injury opens a “window” of increased plasticity in CNS
True
What happens with peripheral lesions (2)
- Cortical maps in nearby areas increase responsiveness of previously weak connections
- Reactivation/new connections can form in larger insulted areas
What happens with central lesions (2)
- New regions (secondary motor regions or adjacent cortex) or redundant pathways take over function
- Cerebellum activitation
True or False:
Neural plasticity is the foundation for motor learning and recovery of function
True
What is motor learning
The study of the acquisition and/or modification of movement
What is performance
Measured from a short term perspective, just because they can perform the task doesn’t mean they have learned it
What is learning
Has to be done after a period of no practice and in different environments
Performance characteristics (3)
- Observable behavior
- In part attributed and sensitive to “state” variables
- Variable
What are “state” variables (4)
- Fatigue
- Motivation
- Hunger
- Arousal
Learning characteristics (4)
- Acquiring (re-acquiring ) capacity to perform motor skills
- Internal mental process
- Observed through repeated performance (acquisition) and under different circumstances (generalized)
- Relatively permanent (retained)
What level does motor learning occur at
The cortical level
True or False:
Motor learning is a set of processes
True
True or False:
Motor learning produces a habit
True
True or False:
Motor learning is not directly observable
True
True or False:
Motor learning is permanent
True
What are the 2 types of learning
- Implicit (non-declarative)
2. Explicit (declarative)
What is implicit learning
Reflexive, automatic, habitual in nature due to repetition
What are the types of implicit learning (3)
- Non-associative learning
- Associative learning
- Procedural learning
What is explicit learning
Requires attention, awareness, and reflection (deals with facts and events)
What is non-associative learning
Response to repeated stimulus
What can occur with non-associative learning (2)
- Habituation
2. Sensitization
What is habituation
Decreased responsiveness
What is sensitization
Increased responsiveness
True or False:
Habituation is the premise behind vestibular rehab
True
What is associative learning
Prediction of relationships
What are the types of associative learning (2)
- Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning
When a stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus (pavlov’s dog)
What is operant conditioning
The strength of the behavior is modified by the consequences of the task
What is procedural learning
“Habit” learning tasks that can be performed without attention (done automatically)
What does procedural learning allow for
Attention to be used for other environmental demands
True or False:
Explicit learning is factual knowledge that is consciously recalled
True
What does explicit learning require (3)
- Awareness
- Attention
- Reflection
True or False:
Explicit learning can be transformed to implicit learning
True
How is explicit learning able to be transformed to implicit learning
With repetition and practiced in other ways than it was learned
True or False:
Explicit learning uses recall from past learning and experiences
True
Explicit learning involves what (4)
- Encoding
- Consolidation
- Storage
- Retrieval
Should therapy focus on implicit or explicit forms of learning
It depends on where you are in the stage of learning
Example of explicit learning given by Priore
Imagine yourself getting in and out of the chair and how it used to feel
Example of implicit learning given by Priore
You are setting up the environment without them consciously thinking about how to do the task resulting in them just performing it
What is Schmidt’s Schema Theory
Motor programs contain generalized rules for a specific class of movements
What are the 2 sub-schema in Schmidt’s Schema Theory
- Recall schema
2. Recognition schema
What is the recall schema
Select a specific response among past movement outcomes
What is recognition schema
Evaluate response against past movement outcomes
True or False:
A schema is I have the general idea of what I am supposed to do and can make it fit the environment
True
True or False:
Schmidt’s schema theory viewed learning as an ongoing process of updating recall and recognition schemas
True
What are the clinical implications of Schmidt’s schema theory
Practice the task under different conditions to form accurate recall and recognition schemas
What are the limitations to Schmidt’s schema theory (3)
- Evidence based research is mixed among adult populations (strong evidence in kids)
- Lacks specificity
- Cannot account for immediate acquisition of motor skills
What are the 3 stages of Fitts and Posner’s three stage model
- Cognitive
- Associative
- Autonomous
What is the cognitive stage
Learner assess task demands and develop strategies to carry out the taks
What is the associative stage
Refinement of motor patterns
What is the autonomous stage
Movements are highly organized
True or False:
In Fitts and Posner’s three stage model we would clinically expect attentional demand to decrease as stages progress
True
What stage of Fitts and Posner’s three stage model is the how to do it best
Associative stage
What stage of Fitts and Posner’s three stage model is the what has to be done stage
Cognitive stage
What stage of Fitts and Posner’s three stage model is the how to succeed stage
Autonomous stage
What does the systems three stage model emphasis
Emphasis on controlling degrees of freedom of segments involved in movement when learning (how body segments move in relation to one another)
What are the 3 stages of the systems three stage model
- Novice stage
- Advanced stage
- Expert stage
What is the novice stage
Control degrees of freedom
What is the advanced stage
Releasing additional degrees of freedom
What is the expert stage
All degrees of freedom are released
Clinically with the systems three stage model what constrains the degrees of freedom
Co-activation of muscles that stiffens joints
What does Gentile’s two stage model focus on
Goal of the learner
What is the first stage of Gentile’s two stage model
Getting the idea
What is the second stage of Gentile’s two stage model
Fixation/diversification
What is fixation
Closed skill
What is diversification
Open skill
What occurs during the getting the idea stage of Gentile’s two stage model (2)
- Discrimination between regulatory and non-regulatory conditions
- Development of basic movement patterns
What is able to occur during the second stage of Gentile’s two stage model when fixation occurs
Refinement of movement pattern
What is able to occur during the second stage of Gentile’s two stage model when diversification occurs
Adaption of movement to changing environment
