BP - Plasticity and function

Question 1

what is plasticity

Answer 1

the brain’s tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning

Question 2

how long does our brain change for

Answer 2

until our 40s

Question 3

what did Maguire et al (2000) discover

Answer 3

• brains of London cab drivers show an enlarged hippocampus
• the longer they had done the job, the more pronounced the structural difference was

Question 4

what it Draganski et al (2004) discover

Answer 4

• 24 participants (21F, 3M)
• had an MRI before and after learning to juggle
• jugglers had grey matter at the end of the study compared to the control group

Question 5

what did Mechelli et al (2004) discover

Answer 5

• larger parietal lobe in bilingual people
• suggests plasticity as the brain had adapted with learning multiple languages

Question 6

research supporting brain plasticity

Answer 6

• Maguire et al (2000)
• Drangski et al (2004)
• Mechelli et al (2004)

Question 7

what is functional recovery

Answer 7

after trauma, unaffected areas of the brain can adapt and compensate for damaged areas

Question 8

what are structural changes of the brain that can occur in functional recovery

Answer 8

• axonal sprouting
• reformation of new blood vessels
• recruitment of homologous areas

Question 9

what is axonal sprouting

Answer 9

growth of new nerve endings which connect with undamaged to create new neural pathways

Question 10

what is recruitment of homologous areas

Answer 10

recruiting similar areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks

Question 11

how is Gabby Giffords evidence for functional recovery

Answer 11

• she was shot in the head from point blank range in 2011 and sent into a coma
• with aid of physical rehab, she was able to walk with perfect control of her left arm and leg

Question 12

how is Jodie Miller evidence for functional recovery

Answer 12

• had the right side of her brain removed to treat severe epilepsy
• her left hemisphere took control of her whole body while the right side of her cranium was filled with cerebral fluid
• she was able to function normally

Question 13

✓ there are practical applications in the contribution…

Answer 13

to the field of neurohabilitation
- with assistance of movement therapy and electrical stimulation the brain can recover but needs support

Question 14

X negative plasticity can occur causing…

Answer 14

dangerous conditions such as phantom limb syndrome (60-80% of amputees develop it)
- links to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory area

Question 15

X research into this include animal studies

Answer 15

Hubel and Wiesel (1963) sewed the eyes of kittens shut to analyse cortical responses
- unethical and should not be applied to humans