To show that the hippocampus in the human brain is the structure associated with spatial memory and navigation
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What was the research method of this study?
Quasi-experiment, matched pairs design
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What was Maguire's IV?
Whether the ppt was a London taxi driver or a person who did not drive a taxi
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What was Maguire's DV?
The volume of the hippocampi including their anterior body, and posterior regions measured by analysing MRI scans of ppt's brains using the 2 techniques of VBM and pixel counting
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Describe Maguire's sample of taxi-drivers
16 London taxi-drivers, healthy, right-handed, male, mean age 44, mean time as licensed driver (past the knowledge) 14.3 years.
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Describe Maguire's sample in the control group
Did not drive taxis (scored 50 on VBM and 16 for pixel counting). They were matched on health, handedness, sex, mean age and age range.
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What is VBM?
An automatic procedure that normalises the scans to a template to eliminate overall brain size as a variable and then identifies differences in grey matter density in different regions of the brain.
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What happens during Pixel Counting?
Compares the volume of anterior body and posterior cross-sections of the taxi drivers' hippocampi. Allows hippocampel volume to be calculated.
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Describe the procedure used in this study
MRI scans of all ppts were analysed through VBM (Voxel-Based Morphometry) and Pixel counting. All images were analysed by one person blinded to which condition it came from.
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Describe the results of the VBM
1) Taxi drivers had significant increased grey matter volume in right & left posterior hippocampi compared to the control. 2) Control had relatively greater grey matter in right & left anterior hippocampi
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Describe the results of pixel counting
1) Taxi drivers had significantly greater posterior hippocampal volume. 2) Controls had significantly greater anterior hippocampal volume. 3) Significantly greater hippocampal body on right vs left in both groups
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What correlations were found?
Positive correlation between length of time as a taxi driver and right posterior hippocampel volume. Negative correlation for anterior hippocampal volume.
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