Lecture 12 - Map Plasticity and Pathologies - The Dark Side of Plasticity Flashcards
(16 cards)
What did Elbert et al. (1995) discover about the somatosensory cortex in string musicians?
String musicians exhibited increased cortical representation of their left-hand fingers, correlating with the age they began practicing
How does Elbert et al.’s (1995) study exemplify ‘good’ plasticity?
It demonstrates use-dependent cortical reorganisation enhancing sensory-motor functions through practice
Who first documented phantom limb phenomena?
Ambroise Pare (16th century) and S. Weir Mitchell (19th century)
What types of sensations are reported in phantom limb pain (PLP)?
Sensations include burning, crushing, or stretching in the absent limb
What did Ramachandran (2000) find regarding referred sensations?
Touching specific areas like the cheek or stump could elicit sensations in the phantom hand, indicating cortical remapping
What characterises focal hand dystonia?
Involuntary co-contraction of agonist and antagonist muscles, leading to impaired motor control
What did Meunier et al. (2001) observe in dystonia patients?
Disorganised somatotopic representation of finges in the sensorimotor cortex
Can rehabilitation restore normal cortical maps in dystonia?
Yes, studies like Bleton et al. (2011) showed reorganisation towarss normal somatotopy after rehabilitation
What is mirror therapy>
A technique where patients use mirror reflections of their intact limb to alleviate phanto limb pain
How effective is mirror therapy for PLP?
Clinical trials have shown significant pain reduction in patients undergoing mirror therapy
Who is Ian Waterman, and why is his case significant?
Ian Waterman lost proprioception due to an autoimmune response but relearned movement through visual cues, highlighting the brain’s plasticity
What is the ‘body schema’?
An internal representation of the body’s position and movement, continuously updated by sensory inputs
What is the rubber hand illusion?
A phenomenon where synchronised visual and tactile stimulation leads individuals to perceive a rubber hand as part of their body
What neural responses are associated with the rubber hand illusion? This indicates?
Activation in areas like the pre-supplementary motor area and anterior cingulate cortex, indicating integration of multisensor information
What are ‘top-down’ influences in body perception?
Internal predictions and motor commands that modulate sensory experiences, such as efference copiesH
How do forward models contribute to movement?
They predict sensory outcomes of motor commands, aiding in the coordination and adjustment of movements
