Plasticity and Functional Recovery of the brain after trauma

Preparatory work due today

What do the images suggest

3 months before and after

What is being described here ? After trauma, unaffected areas of the brain are often able to adapt and compensate for the areas that are damaged, destroyed or even missing. When this process begins to slow down what could you recommend to the patient?

Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/jocelyne_bloch_the_brain_may_be_able_to_repair_itself_with_help https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain

Glossary Define and/or link the following terms to the plasticity topic Plasticity Parietal cortex Functional recovery Rehabilitative therapy Synaptic pruning Axonal sprouting Posterior hippocampus Homologous areas of the brain

Plasticity research: Eleanor Maguire et al (2000) studied the brains of London taxi drivers using an MRI and found significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in the matched control group. This part of the brain is associated with the development of spatial and navigational skills in humans and other animals. As part of their training London Cabbies must take a complex test called ‘the knowledge’, which assesses their recall of the city streets and possible routes. It is also noteworthy that the longer they had been doing the job the more pronounced was the structural difference (a positive correlation).

strengths weaknesses Plasticity research: Elanor Maguire et al (2000) studied the brains of London taxi drivers using an MRI and found significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in the matched control group. This part of the brain is associated with the development of spatial and navigational skills in humans and other animals. As part of their training London Cabbies must take a complex test called ‘the knowledge’, which assesses their recall of the city streets and possible routes. It is also noteworthy that the longer they had been doing the job the more pronounced was the structural difference (a positive correlation).   Evaluating research into Plasticity of the brain  The conclusion that we drew from this study is that it seems to support the idea that experience changes the brain. As ever, there are strengths of the research that makes it good support for the idea and weaknesses which detract from it’s value as evidence. Can you spot them?   strengths weaknesses

Evaluation of Maguire et al Control group allows us to say that there is a significant difference between taxi drivers and others. (good design). Use of scientific, objective measurements (MRI) An attempt to study a real world phenomena. We can’t be sure that the difference is due to the ‘knowledge’, they weren’t tested before. They could have been taxi drivers because of their already existing difference. (although the positive correlation between experience and structure makes this less likely)

A03 Points – group them as How does functional plasticity change with age? Outline the maladaptive consequences of the brain rewiring e.g. phantom limb syndrome What therapy can be offered when spontaneous recovery slows down? What's involved? Outline animal research into neuroplasticity – does it support plasticity or refute it? How does a persons education affect their brain recovery?