Unit 4: The Neural Basis Of Learning

Question 1

What is adaptive plasticity?

Answer 1

Adaptive plasticity is the ability of the brain to change, adapt and grow throughout life (but does diminish with age)

Question 2

What is circuit formation?

Answer 2

Circuit formation is when axons of new neurons grow out towards target cells and form synapses with them, causing a circuit to be completed (synaptogenesis)

Question 3

What is circuit pruning?

Answer 3

Circuit pruning is the elimination of excess neurons and synapses. Pruning occurs in childhood and a second phase during adolescence. Far more neurons are created than will eventually needed so these extra neurons are removed.

Question 4

What is developmental plasticity?

Answer 4

Developmental plasticity is the ability of synapses to be modified as an infant or child

Question 5

What is experience-dependent learning?

Answer 5

Experience-dependent learning is learning which occurs at any time during an individual’s life as a result of experience

Question 6

What is experience-expected learning?

Answer 6

Experience-expectant learning occurs during sensitive periods and refers to experiences necessary for learning to occur

Question 7

What is migration?

Answer 7

Migration occurs during developmental plasticity and refers to the movement of newly formed neurons. The locations determine what their function will become.

Question 8

What is myelination?

Answer 8

Myelination is a process in the brain whereby that axons of the neurons in a child’s brain become covered in myelin, a white, fatty covering that insulates a neuron’s axon and speeds transmission. This process continues until the early 20s.

Question 9

What is a neural pathway?

Answer 9

A neural pathway is bundles of neurons which provide connections between one part of the nervous system and another.

Question 10

What is a neurotransmitter?

Answer 10

A neurotransmitter is a chemical that helps the communication across nerve synapses

Question 11

What is proliferation?

Answer 11

Proliferation is the first stage in the development of the nervous system, where cells destined to become neurons multiply. Foetal neurons divide and multiply, creating about 250000 cells per minute

Question 12

What is reorganisation?

Answer 12

Reorganisation is a reordering of neural connections so that an existing part of the brain adopts a new function

Question 13

What is a sensitive period?

Answer 13

Sensitive periods are periods in time which are particularly suited to learning things due to the nature of the growing brain.

Question 14

What is synaptogenesis?

Answer 14

Synaptogenesis is the process of moulding or forming new synapses

Question 15

What is the hippocampus responsible for?

Answer 15

The hippocampus is responsible for consolidation of explicit (declarative) memories and acts to transfer these to other parts of the brain for storage as long-term memory

Question 16

What is the amygdala responsible for?

Answer 16

The amygdala is vital in initiating and processing emotional responses and in forming emotional memories

Question 17

What is the ventral tegemental area (VTA) responsible for?

Answer 17

The VTA is located in the midbrain and has a role on learning through operant conditioning. It is part of the reward pathway in the brain.

Question 18

What is the role of the cerebral cortex in learning?

Answer 18

• One key area is the basal ganglia (frontal lobes) which works with the cerebellum in order to learn new smooth motor skills
• LTMs are stored in the relevant parts of the cerebral cortex (ie. Memories of sounds are stored in the temporal lobes)

Question 19

What is the cerebellums role in learning?

Answer 19

The cerebellum is necessary for learning motors skills. It does so with the assistance of the basal ganglia so that sequences of movements can be learned and carried out together.

Question 20

Which parts of the brain are still developing during adolescence?

Answer 20

Cerebellum
Amygdala
Corpus callosum
Frontal lobe

Question 21

What happens to the cerebellum during adolescence?

Answer 21

There is an increase in the number of neurons and synapses in the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for balance, muscle tone, and the performance of motor skills

Question 22

What happens to the amygdala during adolescence?

Answer 22

The amygdala becomes more active

Question 23

What happens to the corpus callosum during adolescence?

Answer 23

The corpus callosum thickens and there is an increase in the number of connections between the two hemispheres

Question 24

What happens to the frontal lobe during adolescence?

Answer 24

Development of the frontal lobe improves motor movement and higher-order thinking

Question 25

What is the key neurotransmitter responsible for learning?

Answer 25

Glutamate

Question 26

What happens when neural pathways are not activated frequently enough?

Answer 26

When particular neural pathways are not activated, the learning may be forgotten if the synapses become weakened through infrequent use.

Question 27

What happens to neurons when learning takes place?

Answer 27

• Glutamate is released from the presynaptic neuron, causing long-lasting modifications to the synapse
• Glutamate also prompts dopamine to be released increasing the number of dendritic spines which makes the postsynaptic neuron more sensitive to future firing by neighbouring neurons

Question 28

What are the five stages of developmental plasticity?

Answer 28

Proliferation
Migration
Circuit formation
Circuit pruning
Myelination

Question 29

What are the stages of adaptive plasticity?

Answer 29

Sprouting

Rerouting

Question 30

What is sprouting?

Answer 30

Sprouting occurs as a result of damage or experience.
Damage: the growth of new neural fibres with more branches to make connections
Experience: brain areas can increase in size as a result of extensive use (ie taxi drivers with larger hippocampi)

Question 31

What is Rerouting?

Answer 31

Rerouting is when an undamaged neuron that has lost connection with an active neuron may seek a new active neuron to connect with instead