Functional Recovery Of The Brain After Trauma

Question 1

What is functional recovery in the brain?

Answer 1

It is a form of plasticity where, after trauma, undamaged areas of the brain take over functions of damaged areas.

Question 2

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 2

A quick, initial period of functional recovery that slows down after weeks or months and may require rehabilitation therapy.

Question 3

What is axonal sprouting?

Answer 3

The growth of new nerve endings that connect with undamaged neurons to form new neural pathways.

Question 4

What is denervation supersensitivity?

Answer 4

When remaining axons become more sensitive to compensate for lost axons—can cause issues like chronic pain.

Question 5

What are two other structural changes supporting recovery?

Answer 5

Reformation of blood vessels and recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the brain.

Question 6

Name two factors that affect the success of functional recovery.

Answer 6

Age (younger brains recover better) and perseverance (effort can influence whether function is regained).

Question 7

How does education influence recovery from brain trauma?

Answer 7

Higher cognitive reserve from more education increases the likelihood of regaining function after injury.

Question 8

What did Schneider et al. (2014) find about education and brain injury recovery?

Answer 8

People with more years in education were more likely to recover and less likely to be disabled after a head injury.