(Plasticity and) Functional Recovery after Trauma Flashcards
What is functional recovery an example of?
Plasticity.
What is functional recovery?
how your brain repairs itself after damage.
Is it a quick or slow process?
It takes a long time, but unlike plasticity, it happens due. to a sudden event.
What are the two ways that functional recovery happens?
1 - Neuronal unmasking.
2 - Stem cells.
Does neuronal unmasking happen on its own or does it need help?
The body does it on its own.
What sort of nerves are used in neuronal unmasking?
Uses dormant nerves.
What are the two ways that the body can use dormant nerves during neuronal unmasking?
1 - Axon sprouting - new nerve endings grow and connect with undamaged areas.
2 - Reformation of blood vessels.
The example of functional recovery stem cells, does it happen on its own or does it need help to do this?
Need help to do this.
What are stem cells?
Unspecialised cells that can take on the characteristics and become different cells, including nerve cells.
What could stem cells provide treatment for?
Brain damage.
Who provided evidence for the role of stem cells in recovery from brain injury?
What did they do?
What were the findings?
Tajiri.
They randomly split rats with traumatic brain injury into two group, one received transplants of stem cells and the other recited a solution infused into the brain that had no stem cells in.
Three months after the injury, the stem cell rats showed clear development of neutron-like cells in the area, the control group did not.
What are the evaluation points for the stem cell evidence research, one good one bad?
Bad = Animal studies are hard to generalise.
Good = Because it was an animal study, ethical issues that would be present with humans are not there.
