Platicity And Functional Recovery Of The Brain Flashcards
What is brain plasticity
Refers to the brain’s ability to modify its own structure and function as a result of experience and new learning
What is functional recovery
A form of plasticity. Refers to the recovery of abilities and mental processes that have been compromised as a result of brain injury and disease
What is synaptic pruning
With age rarely used synaptic connections in the brain are deleted and frequently used connections strengthened= example of plasticity of brain
What are 3 structural changes the brain undergoes to help it recover after trauma
- Atonal sprouting
- Reformation of blood vessels
- Recruitment of homologous areas
State two examples which show support for neural plasticity
Maguire et al. (2000)- London cabbie drivers
Davidson et al. (2004)- Tibetan monks meditating
State an example which shows support for functional recovery after trauma
Patient J.W.
How does patient J.W. Show evidence for functional recovery of the brain
He developed the capacity to speak out of the right hemisphere with the result that he can now speak about information present to the left or right brain
Describe the study of Maguire et al. (2000)
- cabbie drivers required to learn all city streets and possible routes in London for a test called ‘the knowledge’
- their brains were scanned using MRI
- found cabbie drivers had more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus that control group
- this part of the brain is associated with development of spatial and navigational skills
Describe the study of Davidson et al. (2004)
- compared Tibetan monks with student volunteers
- both fitted with electrical sensors during meditation
- greater activation of gamma waves in monks
Study which shows support for synaptic pruning
Gopkick et al. (1999)
- the brain experiences growth in the number of synaptic connections it has, peaking at around 15,000 at age 2-3.
Functional recovery after trauma
-following physical injury or other forms of trauma, unaffected areas are sometimes able to adapt or compensate for those areas that are damaged.
-the brain is able to rewire and reorganise itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage. Secondary neural pathways that would not be typically used to carry out certain functions are ‘unmasked’ to enable functioning to continue (this process is supported by a number of structural changes: atonal sprouting…)
