Plasticity

• What happens in the brain during recovery after trauma?

  The brain rewires and reorganizes itself by forming new synaptic connections near the damage.
• What is the term for the activation of secondary neural pathways to enable functioning after brain damage?

  Functional recovery
• What is functional recovery of the brain after trauma?

  • Unaffected areas adapt to compensate for damaged areas
  • Healthy brain areas take over functions of damaged regions
  • Can occur quickly after trauma (spontaneous recovery)
  • Slows down after several weeks or months
• What are some structural changes in the brain that support functional recovery?

  Axonal sprouting, reformation of blood vessels, recruitment of homologous areas
• What is axonal sprouting?

  The growth of new nerve endings that connect with undamaged nerve cells.
• How do homologous areas in the brain contribute to recovery?

  They take over specific tasks if the corresponding area is damaged.
• What happens to functionality after a period of time when homologous areas take over?

  Functionality may shift back to the original side of the brain.
• How does age affect functional plasticity in the brain?

  Functional plasticity tends to reduce with age.
• What did Maguire et al. (2000) find in their study of London taxi drivers?

  • More grey matter in the posterior hippocampus
  • Associated with spatial and navigational skills
  • Indicates that grey matter grows with new knowledge
• What is cross-modal reassignment in the context of neuroplasticity?

  When a brain region repurposes itself for another sense due to lack of expected sensory data.
• How can blind individuals use cross-modal reassignment?

  They can use their touch to read Braille or repurpose visual centers for hearing.
• What evidence supports the recruitment of homologous areas in the brain?

  • Grafman (2000) reported a case study of a youth with a right parietal lobe injury
  • The left parietal lobe took over some functions of the right side
  • Demonstrates neuroplasticity following brain trauma
• How does educational attainment influence brain recovery after injury?

  Higher educational attainment is linked to better chances of disability-free recovery.
• What is cognitive reserve in relation to brain recovery?

  Cognitive reserve refers to the brain's ability to adapt functionally after injury, influenced by education.
• What can be learned from research on brain plasticity and cognitive reserve?

  • Stimulation and exercise of the brain can positively impact recovery
  • Particularly important during developing years
  • Brain plasticity can be beneficial throughout life