Brain Plasticity and Functional Recovery

• What does the term plasticity refer to in the context of the brain?

  Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to adapt its function and structure due to changes in the environment.
• What can cause changes in the brain's structure and function?

  Changes can be caused by learning new skills or traumatic events resulting in physical damage.
• What is functional reorganization in the brain?

  Functional reorganization is when healthy areas of the brain compensate for lost or damaged areas.
• How does plasticity work in the brain?

  Plasticity involves the formation of new neuronal pathways and the strengthening or weakening of existing connections.
• What is synaptic pruning?

  Synaptic pruning is the process where unused neuronal connections are weakened and ultimately removed.
• When is synaptic pruning most active?

  Synaptic pruning is highly active in the brains of newborns and children.
• What is axonal sprouting?

  Axonal sprouting is the process where new axons form from neuronal cell bodies to compensate for damaged areas.
• What is innervation supersensitivity?

  Innervation supersensitivity is when remaining axons in a pathway become more sensitive after the loss of other axons.
• How does age affect functional recovery after brain damage?

  Children are far more likely to recover function after brain damage compared to adults.
• What role does gender play in recovery from brain trauma?

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

  Constraint-induced therapy involves stopping patients from using coping strategies to encourage conscious work on lost functions.
• What were the findings of McGuire's 2000 study on London taxi drivers?

  • Taxi drivers had a significant increase in grey matter in the posterior hippocampus.
  • This suggests brain plasticity due to the demands of memorizing routes.
• What happened to EB after his 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 aids in helping clients regain lost function.
  • It may improve independence and economic productivity.
• What did Matthias's 2015 meta-analysis reveal about cognitive reserve?

  • Higher IQ and educational background correlate with better outcomes after traumatic brain injury.
• What is the significance of Phineas P. Gage's case?

  • It demonstrates the brain's resilience to damage.
  • Gage survived a severe brain injury and recovered significantly.
• In what year did Phineas P. Gage's accident occur?

  1848
• What was the nature of Phineas P. Gage's injury?

  He had a tamping iron shot through his skull, damaging his frontal lobe.
• What were the long-term effects of Gage's injury?

  He experienced slight memory loss and developed a temper but lived for another 12 years.
• What does the case of Phineas P. Gage raise questions about?

  It raises questions about our understanding of the brain's resilience to damage.