Brain Plasticity And Functional Recovery Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is plasticity?
The brain adapts in both its function and structure as a result of a change in environment
Changes could be due to damage, or to meet the cognitive demands of learning new skills
What are the 4 reasons for plasticity?
• Learning new skills
• A result of developmental changes
• Response to direct trauma to area of the brain
• Response to indirect effects of damage such as brain swelling or bleeding (from stroke)
What is functional recovery?
The functions that were performed by areas of the brain that are lost (nuronal cell death) or damaged are performed by undamaged areas of the brain
What is synaptic pruning?
Synapses that are used frequently become stronger over time, however unused synaptic connections are lost
What does synaptic pruning cause?
The brain to develop a more efficient communication system over time
What is axonal sprouting?
Existing neurons growing new axons to connect to ajacent neurons
Neural regeneration is the growth of new nuronal cells
What is denervation supersensitivity?
To compensate for the loss of axons in a pathway the remaining axons become more sensitive
Can result in side effects such as pain
What 3 factors affect functional recovery?
Age, Gender, Rehabilitative Therapy
How does age affect functional recovery?
Children have the best ability to recover, then young adults
How does gender affect functiona recovery?
Women are more able to recover from brain damage
How does rehabilitative therapy affect functional recovery?
Focussed effort results in improvement
What is constraint induced therapy?
Stopping patients from using coping strageties (like nody language for communication or using undamaged limbs for tasks)
Makes people improve via functional reorganisation
What was Maquire et al’s procedure?
Structural MRI brain scans of 16 male taxi drivers were compared to the brain scans of 16 matched (age and gender) non taxi driver control group
What did Maguire et al find?
The posterior hippocampi in the Lodon taxi drivers were found to be significantly larger than the control group
The size of the posterior hippocampi was positively correlated with the ammount of time working as a taxi driver
What does Maquire et al’s study suggest?
The physical structure of the brain is plastic, able to reconfigure itself to better adapt to psychological demands (in this case improve memory formation)
What is an issue with Maquire et al’s study?
Uses correlations.
Does not establish cause-and-effect, there could be other factors affecting
Case study EB: what happened to EB?
At the age of 2 and a half, EB had a hemispherectomy of the left side of his brain to remove a tumour
This removed the language centres of both Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas
Immediately after surgery, EB lost all language ability (aphasia)
What was discovered about EB after 2 years of recovery?
EB recovered his language ability
Developed normally as he aged apart from dyslexia like symptoms
Researchers found through fMRI that the right hemisphere followed a ‘left-like blueprint’ for language
What does the case study of EB suggest?
The brain can adapt and recover after significant damage, especially early in life
With the right hemisphere taking roles usually performed by the left
What practical applications are there?
Research has been useful in rehabilitative therapy, helping people return to their lives and productive work, ultimately benefitting the wider economy
How can research lead to a deeper understanding of the brain?
Research on individuals recovering lost function can help psychologists understand more about the functions of regions of the brain that were intially damaged
What study showed that there are individual differences?
Mathias
Metanalysis demonstrated IQ and educational background are positively correlated with better outcomes after traumatic brain injury, suggesting some individuals have a greater cognitive reserve, helping in recovery
