Plasticity Flashcards
What is plasticity
When brain cells are damaged/ destroyed the brain can rewire itself overtime so function can be regained
What can happen to undamaged parts of the brain
It can take over damaged areas and again functions lost
What is neural unmasking
When dormant synapses open up the connection is no longer lost
What are stem cells
Unspecialised cells that take on many functions
How can stem cells help the brain recover after trauma
Implant into brain and replace dead cells/ promote growth to rescue injured cells
What is axon sprouting
When new nerve endings connect with undamaged cells to form new neural pathways
What is the recruitment of homologous areas
Opposite side of the Brain is used to preform specific tasks
Eg Brocas damaged on the left but the right will carry out function and eventually shift to the left
Evaluate brain plasticity
+ practical app- neurorehab- movement therapy/ electrical stimulation after strokes
- negative consequences- maladaptive behaviour- Melina found drug use= dementia- Hirstein found 80% amputees have phantom limb syndrome- functional recovery not always beneficial
- animal- Hubel & Wisel sewed kittens eyes shut but they still processed info- shows compensatory activity
- age & plasticity- plasticity decreases with age- however Bezzola found 40 years of golf training changed neural representation
What did maguires research find
Taxi drivers had larger hippocampus
More grey matter due to learning more about
What did Draganski find about medical students
3 months before and after exams
Imagery showed increase in hippocampus/ parietal lobe
What did West find about supermario
Gaming group had increased grey matter than control group
