Plasticity & Functional Recovery

• Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt because of experience.
• Research has demonstrated that the brain continues to create new neural pathways and alter existing ones in response to changing experiences.
• The brain appears to show evidence of functional recovery which is the transfer of functions from a damaged area of the brain after trauma to an undamaged area.
• Functional recovery can be done by neuronal unmasking where ‘dormant’ synapses, open connections to compensate for a nearby damaged area of the brain.
• Following neuronal unmasking, new connections in the brain can be activated, recovering any damage occurring in specific regions.
• Kuhn et al (2014) found a significant increase in grey matter in various regions of the brain after participants played video games for 30 minutes a day over a two-month period.
• Brain plasticity, also known as neuroplasticity, is the brain’s biological, chemical, and physical capacity to reorganise its structure and function.
• Learning and having new experiences causes new neural pathways to strengthen, whereas neural pathways used infrequently become weak and eventually die. This process is called synaptic pruning.
• According to Herholtz & Zatorre (2012) learning music or a second language can increase neuroplasticity in the brain.
• Davidson et al (2004) demonstrated a permanent change in the brain can be generated by prolonged meditation. They found Buddhist monks who meditated frequently had a much greater activation of gamma waves.
• The brain possesses a remarkable ability to rewire itself. These changes range from individual neuron pathways making new connections to systematic adjustments like cortical remapping.
• Functional recovery can be helped by rehabilitation following injury or trauma.
• Functional plasticity can occur through axonal sprouting, where undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect the neurons, whose links were severed through damage.
• According to Purcell & Zukerman (2011) as we mature, the neural connections we do not use are deleted, and the ones we use frequently are strengthened, this is called neural pruning.
• Maguire et al (2000) demonstrates brain plasticity using London taxi drivers and found an increase in the volume of grey matter in their posterior hippocampus compared to a control group.
• A child has almost twice as many neural connections than adults (Gopnik et al, 1999).
• Maguire et al (2000) studied London taxi drivers who had passed 'the knowledge' test.
• Maguire et al (2000) found more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus of the taxi driver group. This areas is associated with better spatial and navigation skills.
• Maguire et al (2000) also found a positive correlation between the time spent as a taxi driver and the volume of grey matter.
• Draganski et al (2006) observed changes in the brains of medical students before and after sitting their exams.
• One limitation of plasticity is there could be negative behavioural consequences as seen in dementia patients.
• Medina et al (2007) found the brain's adaptation to prolonged drug use led to poorer cognitive functioning.
• Bezzola et al (2012) demonstrated how 40 hours of golf training produced physical changes in the brain's neurology.
• Functional recovery can occur following trauma such as brain injury or a stroke.
• Axonal sprouting is the growth of new nerve endings which connect to damaged ones to form new pathways.
• Denervation supersensitivity occurs when axons that do a similar job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for ones that are lost.
• Recruitment of homologous areas (similar) in the opposite side of the brain can help brain damaged patients regain functioning.
• Research into brain plasticity and functional recovery has useful practical applications for people who have suffered brain injuries.
• Many of the research studies have limited sample sizes making generalisations more difficult.
• Individual differences also play a part in limiting the generalisations from research with brain-damaged individuals.
• Brain injury can change a person's life, previous skills and abilities can be lost, as can aspects of their personality. This can be overcome through the brains ability to rewire itself.
• Neural plasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganise its structure and function in response to changing experiences and learning.
• Functional recovery can occur following brain injury or trauma, and it can be aided by rehabilitation.
• Neurogenesis is the process of generating new neurons in the brain, which can contribute to learning and memory.
• The phenomenon of long-term potentiation (LTP) is a form of synaptic plasticity that involves the strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons, leading to enhanced communication and learning.
• Long-term potentiation is a process in which the strength of synaptic connections between neurons is increased, leading to enhanced communication and learning.
• Synaptic plasticity refers to the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, which is crucial for learning and memory processes.
• Rosenweig et al (1962) demonstrated that rats raised in an enriched, stimulating environment had increased cortical volume showing evidence of a greater number of synapses compared to rats raised in wire cages without any enrichment.
• Age has been associated with the ability to show brain plasticity, younger brains appear to show greater responses to treatment and rehabilitation.
• Marquez de la Plata et al (2008) found that patients older than 40 years regained less function after treatment than younger patients. This could be due to younger brains having more plasticity than older brains.