Plasticity^

Question 1

Brain Plasticity

Answer 1

brain can change through a life

Gopnik et al

• infancy: rapid growth in lots of synaptic connections (15000)
• ageing: the connections rarely used are deleted
  : most used are strengthened
  Synaptic pruning
• allows for lifelong brain plasticity

Question 2

Maguire et al

Answer 2

Brain studies on two groups with MRIs
- 16 Lon taxi drivers
- control group of 50
Findings
- more grey matter in posterior hippocampus of drivers
- the area of the development of spatial and navigational skills
Drivers did a knowledge test
- learning it changed the structure of their brain
- the longer the job = more diff structure

Question 3

Supporting Research

Answer 3

Draganski et al
- similar results to Maguire
- studied the brains of medical students before and after exam
- their posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex had changed

Question 4

Negative Plasticity

Answer 4

Medina et al
- brain adapting to long drug use
- leads to poor cognitive functioning and maybe dementia

Ramachandran & Hirstein- 60-80% of amputees develop phantom limb syndron
: sensantion in the missing limb
- the result of cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex after losing limb

Question 5

Supporting Research

Answer 5

Draganski et al

• similar results to Maguire
• study the brains of medical students before and after an exam
• their posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex had changed
  : due to learning

Question 6

Negative Plasticity

Answer 6

Medina et al
- brain adapting to long drug abuse leads to poor cognitive functioning and maybe dementia
Ramachandran & Hirstein
- 60 to 80% of amputes develop phantom limb syndrome
- result of cartical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex after losing limb

Question 7

Age & Plasticity

Answer 7

Lifelong ability

Bezzola et al

• 40 hours of gold training
• change in neural representations of movement of participant
• fMRIs results show there are more efficient neural representations after gold training
  : scans show a reduced activity of motor cortex in novice golfers VS control group

Question 7

Seasonal Brain Changes

Answer 7

Tramontin & Brenowitz

• the suprachiasmatic nucleus regulates the sleep wake cycle
• found to shrink during spring
• expand in autumn
  : due to seasonal changes in all animals, the studies are usually conducted on animals