brain plasticity and functional recovery

• At what age did Jodie Miller start having terrible seizures?

  Three years old
• What was the frequency of Jodie Miller's seizures?

  Sometimes every 3 minutes
• What was the doctors' option to stop Jodie Miller's seizures?

  Completely removing the right hemisphere of her brain
• What happened to Jodie Miller's right hemisphere after the surgery?

  It was replaced by fluid
• What was the outcome of Jodie Miller's surgery?

  It successfully stopped the seizures
• What is brain plasticity?

  • The ability of the brain to modify its structure and function based on experience
  • More pronounced in children during early development
  • Allows for rapid growth in synaptic connections
• Why is it easier for children to learn new languages?

  Because their brains are more plastic
• What did researchers previously believe about brain plasticity?

  It only occurred during childhood
• What recent findings have shown about brain plasticity?

  It can continue throughout our lifetime, including older age
• What happens to nerve pathways in the brain when experiences are repeated?

  The connections become stronger
• What is the effect of not using certain nerve pathways?

  They are more likely to be pruned away
• What were the findings of Kerman et al. (1997) regarding rats in different environments?

  • Rats in complex environments showed an increase in new neurons
  • Notably in the hippocampus
  • Supports the idea that brain structure can change due to life experiences
• What was the control condition in Kerman et al.'s study?

  Rats placed in laboratory cages
• What was the experimental condition in Kerman et al.'s study?

  Rats placed in a complex environment with various stimuli
• What is a limitation of Kerman et al.'s research?

  It is based on rats, which may not fully represent human behavior
• What did the research on London taxi drivers reveal about brain plasticity?

  • Taxi drivers showed a larger posterior hippocampus compared to non-taxi drivers
  • Suggests local plastic change in response to environmental demands
  • Positive correlation between experience and hippocampus size
• What is "the knowledge" that London taxi drivers must complete?

  A test about navigating around London
• How did researchers study the brains of London taxi drivers?

  Using an MRI machine
• What were the findings of Kunal's (2014) research on video games?

  • Participants who played Super Mario showed increased gray matter
  • Areas involved in spatial navigation, strategic planning, and working memory were affected
  • Control group showed no significant changes
• What cognitive skills are enhanced by playing video games like Super Mario?

  Spatial navigation, strategic planning, and working memory
• What did Bol Ral's (2012) study on golf practice reveal?

  • Novices showed reduced activity in the motor cortex after practice
  • Indicates that the brain became more efficient in its neural pathways
  • Suggests structural changes due to learning a new skill
• What does reduced activity in the motor cortex after learning a skill suggest?

  That the brain has become more efficient in its neural pathways
• What is functional recovery after trauma?

  • Recovery of abilities previously lost due to brain injury
  • Involves moving functions from damaged areas to undamaged areas
  • Can occur through various processes like axonal sprouting and neuronal unmasking
• What is a lesion in the brain?

  An area of the brain that has suffered damage
• What happens to the brain after a stroke?

  Parts of the brain become damaged and can lose some functions
• What are the three processes involved in functional recovery after trauma?

  1. Axonal sprouting
  2. Neuronal unmasking
  3. Recruitment of homologous areas
• What is axonal sprouting?

  When undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect with other neurons
• What is neuronal unmasking?

  Activation of dormant synapses to take on lost functions
• What does recruitment of homologous areas involve?

  Using similar areas in the other hemisphere to take over lost functions
• What did the case of Jodie Miller demonstrate about brain plasticity?

  • Her left hemisphere took over functions after the right hemisphere was removed
  • She is now a fully grown adult with a normal life
  • Illustrates the brain's ability to reorganize itself
• What did the case study of EB show about brain plasticity?

  • EB recovered most of his language skills after left hemisphere removal
  • Language functions were taken over by the right hemisphere
  • Demonstrates the brain's ability to adapt after trauma
• What factors can affect recovery of brain function after trauma?

  1. Age: Younger individuals tend to recover better
  2. Education: Higher education correlates with better recovery
  3. Gender: Females may perform better in certain cognitive tasks post-recovery
• How does age affect brain recovery after trauma?

  Younger individuals are more likely to recover functions
• How does education influence brain recovery after trauma?

  More advanced education leads to greater recovery
• What did RLI FAL's (2007) study find about gender and cognitive recovery?

  Females performed better than males in attention and working memory