simplified weaknesses

• • Neuroplasticity and functional recovery do not always happen when needed e.g.
  • The case of H.M. who had his hippocampus removed at the age of 27
  • H.M. suffered from catastrophic anterograde amnesia
  • He never recovered any functionality: his memory (particularly short-term memory) was affected permanently
  • This casts doubt as to the universality of plasticity - it does not apply in every case
• • Research in this field is correlational only
  • This means that cause-effect cannot be established
  • This is a limitation as it leaves too many unanswered questions e.g.
  • why does grey matter build up in specific brain regions?
  • what other possible factors could account for the grey matter?
  • how can cause-effect be found when the sample sizes used in the research are generally so small (e.g. Maguire only used 16 taxi driver participants)?