Plasticity and Functional Recovery

Question 1

what does plasticity refer to

Answer 1

the brians ability to change/adapt in response to experience or learning

Question 2

what does change mean in context of functional recovery

Answer 2

neuronal re-organisation in the brain

Question 3

what are the two ways ‘change’ can occur

Answer 3

• structural - brain physically changes Eg: nerons can sprout new axons allowin new synaptic connections to be made
  nerve pathwyas frequently used are made stronger, ones infrequently used will die out via prunning
• functional - in cases of functional recovery, where after and injurt or illness, the functions of damaged brain areas are taken over by undamaged areas

Question 4

plasticity in the new born brain

Answer 4

• in infancy we experience the most rapid growth in synpatic connections
• synaptic connections peak around 15,000 at age 2-3 yrs
• that is twice the amount found in the adult brain

Question 5

example of plasticity and functional recovery

Answer 5

• hemispherectomy
• last resort treatment for severe epilepsy and it involves removing one hemisphere of the brain
• villablanca found that if a damged hemishpere is removed soon after birth, the infant can devlop into an adult with no behavioural or cognitive impairments
• Eg: if the left hemishpere is removed langauge can be transferred to the surviving hemishpere so this function is not affected

Question 6

plasticity in the adult brain

Answer 6

• plasticity is not exclusive the the developing brain - memory and learning continue to function in old age

Question 7

what was McGuire Et Al’s study

Answer 7

• london taxi drivers who know al 25,000 streets
• found from MRI scans tht the posterior hippocampi of cabbies was significantly larger in volume than that of a control group who were matched in age, gender and right handedness
• foumd a postive correlation: the longer they had been taxi drivers the more pronounced difference in their brains
• however later research showed that the anterior (front) hippocampi of the cabbies was actually porree than controls, showing they had a worse visual memory

Question 8

what is functional recovery

Answer 8

helathy brain areas can take over the functions of damged areas of the brain as a result of trauma

Question 9

what is the 3 ways the brain can re-organise itself

functional recovery

Answer 9

1. axonal sprouting - axons of surviving neurons grow new branches that makes synapses in damged areas
2. neurogenis - growth of new nerons
3. recruitment of homologous area - simular or equivelent areas in the opposite side of the brain carry out functions of a damged area

Question 10

srength: supporting evidence

Answer 10

I: supporting evidence for plasticity
E: playing video games demands complex and motot skills. grey matter in the cortext, hippocampus and cerebullum was significantly increased in pts who had been trained to play supermario for 30 minutes a day for 2 mnths (Kuhn et al)
C: synaptic connections for strategic panning, working meory and motor performance are strengthend due to expereince and learning demonstrating the braind ability to change and adapt

Question 11

stregnth: practical applications

Answer 11

I: practical applications for functional recovery
E: understanding acieved about the process involved in plasticity has lef to development if treatments for functional recovery
- stem cells can develop into differnt cell types and act as a repair system. stem cell research, in the future, could make neuronal transplantation possible, whereby stem cells are implanted into damaged areas
C: this means plasticity research has been valuable in helping the lives of brain injury patients

Question 12

Weakness: number of factors

Answer 12

I: functional recovery depends on a number of factors
E: this is becuase some research suggets there are individual differences in the extent to which the brain recovers following injury
- plasticty and functional recovery is greater in more educated people. in brain damaged patients. 40% who achieved a disability free recovery has 16+ years of education, wheras only 10% of those who had under 12 yrs education ( Schneider et al)
C: means that functinal plasticty may increae with a longer period of education

Question 13

Weakness: negative

Answer 13

I: plasticity can be negative
E: in some circumstances, the brains ability to rewire itself has maladaptive behvavioural consequences
* 60-80% of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome where they still experience sensations in missing limbs, which are often unpleasnt and painful
C: means brain plasticty is notalways an adaptive phenomenon, and in some patients can result in them needing further treatment/care