plasticity and recovery Flashcards
(15 cards)
during infancy what does the brain experience
rapid growth in terms of how many synaptic transmissions it has
how many synaptic transmissions are there between the ages of 2-3
15,000
what is synaptic pruning
as we get older connections which are rarely used get deleted and ones we use regularly are strengthened
what is plasticity
the adult bran can develop as a result of learning and experience
how did maguire et al research the brains of london taxi drivers and what did they find
they found that there was significantly more volume of grey matter than in the matched pairs control group. this part is associated with spatial and navigational skills. the longer they had been in the job the more pronounced it was (positive correlation)
how did draganski et al research the brains of medical students and what did they find
imaged the brains of medical students three months before and after their final exams. learning induced changes occurred in the hippocampus and parietal cortex
what can happen very quickly after trauma
the brain compensates for damaged or missing areas
what happens after a few weeks of brain recovery
slows down, may need to have rehabilitation therapy
how does the brain rewire and reorganise itself after trauma
forms new synaptic connections close to the damaged area
list the 3 structural changes in the brain after trauma
axonal sprouting, reformation of blood vessels, recruitment of homologous areas
what is recruitment of homologous areas
assumption of a particular cognitive function to the opposite hemisphere of the damaged area
describe axonal sprouting
the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways. this can strengthen existing connections or repair damaged parts of the ns
how is practical application a strength of plasticity and recovery
understanding how the brain reacts to trauma has contributed to neuro-rehabilitation research. doctors may use physical therapy or electrical stimulation to maintain improvements and encourage the brain to carry on healing after a few weeks
how is negative plasticity and phantom limb syndrome a weakness of plasticity and recovery
60-80% of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome. this is incredibly unpleasant and painful. thought to occur because of the reorganisation of the somatosensory cortex as a result of limb loss
how is age a weakness of plasticity and recovery
functional plasticity tends to reduce with age, the brain is much better at recovering during childhood because it is already used to adapting to the new experiences and learning.
