Core Studies: Maguire

• What does it study?

  Contemporary study of the hippocampi and brain plasticity.
• Maguire's background part 1?

  1. B&C studied functional brain plasticity- how the neurones in cats' eyes strengthened or weakened in response to environmental experiences (e.e) so M wanted to study structural b.p, where the brain changes shape, size or volume due to e.e.
  2. the hippocampus is one of the major structures in the limbic system, which involves beh to satisfy some navigational and learning needs
• Maguire's background part 2?

  3. Prev research shows that high hippocampal volume relative to brain and body size of smaller mammals/birds shows they require spatial memory

  4. what isn't shown in the precise role of the hippocampi in humans. Maguire wanted to show the hippocampus in humans is associated with spatial memory and navigation.
• What was the aim?

  To investigate the differences in the brains (hippocampi) of London taxi drivers and a control group who weren't taxi drivers.
• Sample?

  two groups of 16 right-handed, healthy men aged 32-62, one of taxi drivers other control group (matched particpants)
• what was the research method?

  quasi experiment
• What were the features of the correlational analysis conducted?


  size of the hippocampus and length of time as a taxi driver in months
• What was Maguire's procedure?

  She conducted MRI scans of the group at a structural scan data base. They were analysed by one experienced individual who was blind to whether the scan was of a taxi driver or not (blind procedure). Used pixel counting to compare volume of anterior and posterior cross-sections of taxi drivers hippocampi (anterior=new navigation, posterior= old navigation). Also used VBM to identify differences in grey matter density in different regions of the brain.
• What were Maguire's findings?

  There were no significant differences in the overall volume of the two groups' hippocampi but there were differences in the volume of regions- taxi drivers had sig greater posterior hippocampi volume than control, on both sides. Non taxi drivers had reasonably greater anterior hippocampi volume than taxi drivers, on both sides. The correlational analysis found that as months spent as a taxi driver increased, so did the volume of the posterior hippocampus, while in correlational the volume of the anterior hippocampus decreased.
• What were Maguire's conclusions?

  1. there are regionally specific structural differences between the hippocampi of London taxi drivers compared to that of non taxi drivers.
  2. shows evidence for structural brain plasticity- the idea there are changes in the volume of the hippocampal brain grey matter acquired
  3. evidences the possibility of local brain plasticity in human brain which allows it to adapt in response to prolonged environmental stimuli