Plasticity and Functional Recovery

• Brain plasticity - the brain's ability to change and adapt (functionally and physically) as a result of experience and new learning
• Synaptogenesis - the formation of synapses between neurons as the axons and dendrites grow
• Neurogenesis - the formation of new neurons in the brain through pre-natal development and as adults
• Synaptic pruning - refines and optimizes the brain's neural connections by eliminating weaker synapses and strengthening active ones
• Experience expectant plasticity - changes in the brain that take place during infancy and childhood
• Evidence for synaptic pruning - reach approximately 15000 synaptic connections by 2-3 years old, which is twice as many as adults
• Experience dependent plasticity - brain creates new neural pathways and alters existing ones as a result of new life experiences
• Evidence of synaptogenesis - Kuhn et al (2014) - found a significant increase in the amount of grey matter after participants played a video game for 30 minutes a day over 2 months
• Evidence of synaptogenesis - Maguire (2000) - found an increased amount of grey matter found in the brains of the 16 right-handed male taxi drivers than the control group; based on MRI scans
• 3 types of functional recovery:

  • Neural regeneration
  • Neuronal unmasking
  • Neural reorganisation
• Neural regeneration - new nerve endings grow and connect with undamaged areas to compensate for damaged areas and recover any lost functioning; type of synaptogenesis
• Neuronal unmasking - dormant synapses in the brain are activated and become functional; allows the development of new structures; type of synaptogenesis or neurogenesis
• Neural reorganisation - the brain transfers functions from the damaged area to undamaged sections of the brain
• Danelli (2013) - investigated a 2 1/2 year old italian boy who had most of left hemisphere removed; with intensive therapy, his right hemisphere was able to take over almost all of the left hemisphere's functions (language, speech)