The brain's tendency to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning
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What's Functional recovery?
A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, it's the brain's ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area to other undamaged areas
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Research study 1 - Maguire - London taxi drivers (pos correlation!)
Significantly more volume of grey matter in their posterior hippocampus than in a matched control group. This area of the brain is associated w/ spatial and navigational skills.
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Research study 1- maguire - london taxi drivers - method
Drivers take a test called 'The Knowledge' - assesses recall of city streets and possible routes. This learning experience can alter the structure of the drivers' brain. The longer they had he job, the more 'pronounced' the structural difference was
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Research study 2 - Draganski - medical students brains
Examined med students brains 3 months before&after their exams. Learning induced changes occurred in the posterior hippocampus&parietal cortex, presumably as a result of the exam
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What happens to the brain during recovery, eg. after trauma
The brain is able to rewire and reorganise itself. Unaffected areas of the brain are able to compensate and adapt for the damaged area(s).
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What did Doige say about functional recovery?
Secondary neutral pathways that wouldn't typically be used to carry out certain functions are 'unmasked' which enable functioning
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What are the 3 structual changes that occur?
Axonal sprouting, Reformation of blood vessels and Recruitment
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Develop upon Axonal sprouting
Growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve endings
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Develop upon recruitment
recruitment of homologus (singular) areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks.
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Evaluation - Practical application +
'spontaneous recovery' following illness/injury, tends to slow down after a # of weeks. Understanding plasticity has helped to develop techniques such as movement therapy and electrical stimulation to help 'neurorehabilitation'
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Evaluation - Support from animal studies +
Hubel&Wiesel - sewed a kitten's eye shut! Found visual cortex associated with shut eye wasn't idle and continued to process information from the open eye
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Evaluation - The concept of cognitive reserve (time in education) +
Person's educational attainment may affect how well their brain functionally adapts after injury. 'Cognitive reserve' resulted in greater chances of disability-free recovery.
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Evaluation - Age and plasticity
Functional plasticity reduces with age, however, still occurs. Bezzola - 40hrs of golf training produced changes in brains of 40-60 yr olds, therefore, p continues through lifespan
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Evaluation - Negative plasticity -
Brain's ability to rewire itself can sometimes be negative. Medina - prolonged drug use results in poorer cognitive functioning&increased risk of dementia
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
What's Functional recovery?
Back
A form of plasticity. Following damage through trauma, it's the brain's ability to redistribute or transfer functions usually performed by a damaged area to other undamaged areas
Card 3
Front
Research study 1 - Maguire - London taxi drivers (pos correlation!)
Back
Card 4
Front
Research study 1- maguire - london taxi drivers - method
Back
Card 5
Front
Research study 2 - Draganski - medical students brains
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