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 type of study?
Quasi experiment, Matched participants
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What was the IV?
Whether the ppt was a London taxi driver or a person who didn't drive taxis (naturally occurring)
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What was the DV?
The volume of hippocampi including their anterior, body and posterior regions
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Who were the sample?
16 Male, R.H., healthy London taxi drivers. Mean: age=44 yrs, time as a taxi driver: 14.3 yrs
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Who were the control group?
50 for VBM and 16 for Pixel counting - matched for gender, R.H, health and age
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What was the procedure?
The taxi drivers had MRI scans and the scans of the control group came from the structural MRI scan database at the same unit
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How were the MRI scans analysed?
VBM-Identified differences in grey matter density. Pixel counting-Compared the volume of anterior, body and posterior cross-sections of the hippocampi
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What did the analysis allow?
The total hippocampal volume to be calculated
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Who carried out the analysis?
VBM-Automatic process. Pixel counting-experienced person who was blind to whether it was a taxi driver or not and the VBM findings
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What did the VBM findings show?
Taxi drivers had sig. increased grey amtter in right and left posterior hippocampi and controls had a greater grey matter volume in the right and left anterior campi
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What did the Pixel counting findings show?
Taxi drivers had sig. greater posterior hippocampal volume and controls had sig. greater anterior right hippocampal volume
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What was found in both the taxi drivers and the controls?
A sig. greater hippocampal body volume
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What correlations were found?
Sig. positive correlation between length of time as a taxi driver and the right posterior volume and negative correlation for the anterior hippocampal volume
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