Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain -A-Level Psychology
Plasticity-the brain’s tendency to change and adapt as a result of new experiences and learning.
Functional Recovery-a form of plasticity following damage through trauma,the brain has the ability to redistribute or transfer functions from a damaged to an undamaged part of the brain.
Synaptic pruning-when a weakened synapse dies once information is learnt,more often used synapses strengthen.
Brain Plasticity:
-Gopnik et al-during infancy the number of synaptic connections peak at 150000 at the age of 2-3 years.-As we age synaptic pruning occurs as rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened.
-Research has suggested that at any time in life existing neural connections can change or new neural connections can be formed ,as a result of learning and experience(plasticity)
Research into plasticity:Eleanor Maguire et al (2000):
She studied the brains of London taxi drivers through MRI scans and found more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in a matched control group.This part of the brain is associated with the development of spatial and navigational skills.As part of their training they have to pass a knowledge test which assesses their recall of the city and routes.Those who had been in the job longer had a more pronounced structural difference.
Positives-
-Use of control group
-The MRI scans provided scientific proof
Negatives-
-Some taxi drivers may have had existing differences which allowed them to pass the test for example IQ
Functional recovery of the brain after trauma:
Unaffected areas of the brain are able to adapt and compensate for those areas that are damaged.
Spontaneous recovery- happens quickly after trauma and then slows down after several weeks.Then rehabilitative therapy may be required.
During brain recovery these can happen:
1)axonal sprouting which is the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to produce new neural pathways.
2)reformation of blood vessels
3)recruitment of homologous areas to the opposite side of the brain to perform specific functions
Evaluation:
Practical application-the understanding of brain plasticity has contributed to the field of neurorehabilitation e.g movement therapy,electrical stimulation as spontaneous recovery tends to slow down after a few weeks.This shows that even though the brain has the ability to heal itself to a certain point further intervention is also required for it to be completely successful..
Negative plasticity-prolonged drug use leads to poorer cognitive functioning as well as increased risk of dementia later in life(Medina et al 2007).60-80% of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome where they feel the missing limb as if it was there.This is thought to be due to cortical reorganization in the somatosensory cortex.
Age and plasticity-functional plasticity decreases with age.Ladina Bezzola et al(2012) provided 40 hours of golf training to 40-60 year olds.Using fMRI the researchers observed reduced motor cortex activity in the novice golfers compared to a control group,suggesting more efficient neural representations after training.This shows that neural plasticity does continue throughout the lifespan.
The concept of cognitive reserve-Eric schneider et al(2014) discovered that the more time brain injury patients had spent in education,the greater their chance of disability free recovery was.This suggested that educational attainment may influence how well the brain adapts after injury.
Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experiences and environmental factors, such as learning, injury, or disease. This ability allows the brain to reorganize its neural connections and functions, and even develop new ones, to support new skills, behaviors, or adaptations.
Brain plasticity plays a crucial role in functional recovery, as it allows the brain to reorganize and compensate for lost or damaged functions. For example, after a stroke, the brain can rewire its connections to enable other areas to take over the lost functions, such as movement or speech. Similarly, after a traumatic brain injury, the brain can develop new neural pathways to bypass the damaged areas and restore cognitive functions.
There are several types of brain plasticity, including synaptic plasticity (changes in the strength and efficiency of synaptic connections between neurons), structural plasticity (changes in the physical structure of neurons and neural networks), and functional plasticity (changes in the function and activation of brain regions).
Environmental factors, such as sensory experiences, learning, physical exercise, and social interaction, can significantly affect brain plasticity. For example, learning a new skill, like playing a musical instrument, can increase synaptic and structural plasticity in the brain regions involved in that skill, while exercise can enhance brain plasticity and neurogenesis (the formation of new neurons) in the hippocampus, a key brain region for memory and learning.
Brain plasticity research has important implications for many fields, such as neuroscience, psychology, medicine, and education. For example, it can inform the development of new therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, or depression, that target brain plasticity mechanisms. It can also help design more effective learning and training programs, such as language learning or cognitive rehabilitation, that leverage brain plasticity.
There are several strategies that can enhance brain plasticity and functional recovery, such as staying mentally and physically active, getting enough sleep, managing stress, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding harmful substances, like drugs or alcohol. Additionally, practicing specific tasks or exercises that challenge your brain and motor skills, such as puzzles, sports, or music, can promote brain plasticity and functional recovery in targeted areas.
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