Plasticity And Functional Recovery Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is plasticity
Is the brains tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning. This generally involves the growth of new connections.
Happens to everyone
What happens when humans age (plasticity)
Rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections used connections are strengthened. This is known as synaptic pruning
What can happen at any time (plasticity)
Existing neural connections can change or new connections can be formed due to experience
Evidence to show plasticity
Maguire argued the role of hippocampus to facilitate spatial memory. In the form of navigation.
He wanted to see if the brain is susceptible to plastic changes in response to environmental stimulus
In this case driving a taxi
What did maguire 2000 found
Increase in gray matter was found in brains of taxi drivers. This was found near the hippocampus
Changes with navigation experience. A correlation between amount of time spent as a taxi driver and the volume in the right posterior hippocampus
What did Kuhn 2014 find
Significance increase in gray matter in numerous brain areas for the indivuals who played super Mario. These brain areas were associated with planning, working memory and motor.
What is functional recovery
Is a form of plasticity. Following damage though trauma the brain has the ability to redistribute functions usually performed by damage area to in damaged area.
Describe the process of FR.
The process is quickly and than slow after several weeks or months. At this point the individual may require rehabilitation therapy to further recover.
How does the brains tendency require and reorganise itself? FR
By forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage. Secondary pathways that would not usually be able to carry out certain functions are activated to enable functioning to continue .
What is one structural change in the brain.
Denervation super sensitivity : this occurs when axons that do similar jobs become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the one that are lose. Negative consequences of over sensitivity to messages such as pain
Factors affecting functional recovery?
FR after brain trauma is dependant on perseverance. Sometimes a function may appear lost.
Age - old age impacts speed of recovery
Education- more time in education the less likely to be permanently disabled
Gender- woman greater at recovery
3 evaluations of placidity and functional recovery
SU- plasticity reduces with age. More editions support for functional recovery to take place.
SE/LU- research suggest that they maybe seasonal opacity in the brain in response to the environment changes. SCN regulates the sleep wake cycle shrinks in animals during the spring and expands during the autumn/ however much of this work has been done on animals
SU SE- individual differences in functional recovery. Research discovered that the more time brain injury patients spent in education the greater change of disabled free recovery. 40% of those achieved DFT had more than 16 years of eduction compared to 10% who had less than 12. Suggest educations affects functional recovery. Can be used to promote education
