13397606
Description
Flashcards by Sophie Wembridge, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Sophie Wembridge
about 7 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| When does the brain experience a rapid growth in it's number of synaptic transmissions? | During infancy - peaking at around 15,000 at age 2-3 years. (around 2x as many as the adult brain) |
| What is synaptic pruning? | When rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened. |
| Is synaptic pruning fixed to a certain stage in life? | It used to be thought that these changed were restricted to childhood but this thought has changed. |
| What is plasticity? | The idea that neural connections can be changed or formed through learning and experience at any time in life |
| Maguire et al. Study | Maguire studied London taxi drivers brain, finding lots more (than matched control group) grey matter, in posterior hippocampus - associated with development of spatial and navigational skills. Cabbies must complete 'the knowledge' test of street recall and routes which appears to have altered the struture of their brain |
| In Maguire's study, why was the amount of time they had the job significant? | There was a positive correlation, as the longer they had the job the more prnounced the structural difference was in the brain |
| Draganski et al. Study | Imaged the brains of medical students 3 months before and after final exams. Learning-induced changes seen in posterior hippocampus and parietal cortex as result. |
| Michelli found larger parietal cortex in ... | bilingual people |
| What is functional recovery? | After trauma (e.g. stroke) , unaffected brain areas adapt to compensate for damaged areas. (another example of neural plasticity) |
| What is spontaneous recovery? | when functional recovery occurs straight after trauma, then slows down after several weeks or months. |
| When is someone most likely to need rehabilitative therapy? | after spontaneous recovery slows down |
| What happens during recovery? | the brain forms new synaptic connections close to the damaged area (like avoiding roadworks to find a new route) Secondary neural pathways not normally used are now used to enable functioning to continue. |
| The process of recovery is supported by structural changes in the brain. What are these? | 1) Axonal sprouting 2) reformation of blood vessels 3) recruitment of homologous areas on the opposite side of the brain for certain tasks. |
| What is axonal sprouting? | forming new neuronal pathways by growing new nerve endings and connecting them to undamaged nerve cells. |
| Give an example of the recruitment of homologous (similar) areas | If the broca's area was damaged on the left side of the brain, the right side would carry out it's functions (it may eventually switch back to the left) |
| Practical application of plasticity and functional recovery after trauma (Evaluation) | understanding plasticity has led to neurorehabilitation, following trauma, spontaneous recovery slows down after no. of weeks. Physical therapy may be needed to maintain improvements in functioning. May include movement therapy and electrical brain stimulation to counter defecits after trauma (e.g. stroke) brain can fix itself but needs some intervention to completely work. |
| Negative plasticity in plasticity and functional recovery (Evaluation) | Brain's rewiring can have maladaptive consequences. prolonged drug use = (Medina et al) poorer cognitive functioning/ dementia risk. (Ramachandran and Hirstein) 60-80% amputees suffer phantom limb syndrome experiencing sensation in the limb despite it not being there - usually unpleasant, painful and due to cortical reorginisation in the somatosensory cortex as result of limb loss |
| The concept of cognitive reserve in plasticity and functional recovery (Evaluation) | Evidence suggests educational attainment may influence ability of brain to adapt after injury. Schneider et al - more time brain injury patients had been in education (indication of 'cognitive reserve') greater the chance of disability free recovery. 2/5 DFR had more than 16 years education compared to 1/10 who had less than 12 years. |
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