brain plasticity and functional recovery

• What is the term used to describe the brain's ability to adapt to changes in the environment?

  Plasticity
• How does the brain adapt to new skills or traumatic events?

  By making changes to both its function and structure
• What can cause neuronal cell death in the brain?

  Direct and indirect factors such as brain swelling or hemorrhage
• What is functional reorganization in the context of brain recovery?

  Healthy areas of the brain compensating for lost or damaged areas
• What happens to neuronal pathways with repeated use?

  They become stronger
• What is synaptic pruning?

  The process where unused connections in the brain are removed
• At what stage of life is synaptic pruning most active?

  In newborns and children
• What is axonal sprouting?

  The formation of new axons from neuronal cell bodies
• What is innervation supersensitivity?

  Increased sensitivity of remaining axons in a pathway
• How does age affect functional recovery after brain damage?

  Younger individuals are more likely to recover than older individuals
• What role does gender play in recovery from brain trauma?

  Women seem to recover more easily than men
• What is constraint-induced therapy?

  A therapy that encourages patients to work on lost functions by restricting compensatory strategies
• What were the findings of McGuire's 2000 study on London taxi drivers?

  • Taxi drivers had increased volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus
  • This suggests brain plasticity due to the demands of memorizing routes
• What was the outcome of EB's hemispherectomy at age 2?

  • EB lost all language ability initially
  • He almost fully recovered his ability to talk over two years
  • His right hemisphere functioned like a typical left hemisphere in later scans
• How can understanding brain recovery help physiotherapists?

  It can assist in helping clients regain lost function and independence
• What did the meta-analysis by Matthias in 2015 reveal about cognitive reserve?

  Higher IQ and educational background correlate with better outcomes after traumatic brain injury
• What is the famous case study of Phineas P. Gage known for?

  • Demonstrates the resilience of the brain
  • Survived a severe brain injury from a tamping iron accident
  • Recovered physically and mentally, with some personality changes
• What happened to Phineas P. Gage after his accident?

  He was able to talk and walk shortly after the injury and lived for another 12 years
• What does the case of Phineas P. Gage raise questions about?

  Understanding the brain's resilience to damage