Unit 4: The Neural Basis Of Learning Flashcards
What is adaptive plasticity?
Adaptive plasticity is the ability of the brain to change, adapt and grow throughout life (but does diminish with age)
What is circuit formation?
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)
What is circuit pruning?
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.
What is developmental plasticity?
Developmental plasticity is the ability of synapses to be modified as an infant or child
What is experience-dependent learning?
Experience-dependent learning is learning which occurs at any time during an individual’s life as a result of experience
What is experience-expected learning?
Experience-expectant learning occurs during sensitive periods and refers to experiences necessary for learning to occur
What is migration?
Migration occurs during developmental plasticity and refers to the movement of newly formed neurons. The locations determine what their function will become.
What is myelination?
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.
What is a neural pathway?
A neural pathway is bundles of neurons which provide connections between one part of the nervous system and another.
What is a neurotransmitter?
A neurotransmitter is a chemical that helps the communication across nerve synapses
What is proliferation?
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
What is reorganisation?
Reorganisation is a reordering of neural connections so that an existing part of the brain adopts a new function
What is a sensitive period?
Sensitive periods are periods in time which are particularly suited to learning things due to the nature of the growing brain.
What is synaptogenesis?
Synaptogenesis is the process of moulding or forming new synapses
What is the hippocampus responsible for?
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
What is the amygdala responsible for?
The amygdala is vital in initiating and processing emotional responses and in forming emotional memories
What is the ventral tegemental area (VTA) responsible for?
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.
What is the role of the cerebral cortex in learning?
- 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)
What is the cerebellums role in learning?
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.
Which parts of the brain are still developing during adolescence?
Cerebellum
Amygdala
Corpus callosum
Frontal lobe
What happens to the cerebellum during adolescence?
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
What happens to the amygdala during adolescence?
The amygdala becomes more active
What happens to the corpus callosum during adolescence?
The corpus callosum thickens and there is an increase in the number of connections between the two hemispheres
What happens to the frontal lobe during adolescence?
Development of the frontal lobe improves motor movement and higher-order thinking
What is the key neurotransmitter responsible for learning?
Glutamate
What happens when neural pathways are not activated frequently enough?
When particular neural pathways are not activated, the learning may be forgotten if the synapses become weakened through infrequent use.
What happens to neurons when learning takes place?
- 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
What are the five stages of developmental plasticity?
Proliferation Migration Circuit formation Circuit pruning Myelination
What are the stages of adaptive plasticity?
Sprouting
Rerouting
What is sprouting?
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)
What is Rerouting?
Rerouting is when an undamaged neuron that has lost connection with an active neuron may seek a new active neuron to connect with instead
