A03

• What are the strengths of brain plasticity?

  1. Research support from animal studies for neural plasticity
  2. Research support from humans for neural plasticity
• What are the limitations of brain plasticity?

  1. Negative plasticity
  2. Plasticity changes with age
• Strength = animal studies

  • Kempermann et al. (1998) found evidence of an increased number of new neurons in the brains of rats houses in complex environments compared to rats houses in laboratory cages
  • The rats houses in complex environment = an increase of neurons in the hippocampus (associated with ability to navigate from one location to another)
• Strength = support from humans

  • Maguire et al. (2000) - London cabbies
  • Davidson et al. (2004) - Tibetan monks
  • Both used a control group - allows us to conclude there is significant difference
  • Use of scientific, objective measurements (MRI and electrodes fitted to brain)
  • Both attempted to study a real world phenomena - high ecological validity
• Limitation = negative plasticity

  • The brain’s ability to rewire itself can sometimes have maladaptive behavioural consequences
  • Found that prolonged use of marijuana resulted in poorer cognitive functioning as well as an increased risk of dementia later in life
  • Phantom limb syndrome - 60-80% of amputees known to develop this
  • Means that they continue to experience sensations in the missing limbs as if it were still there
  • Thought to be due to cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex
• Limitation = plasticity changes with age 


  • Age is a confounding variable which affects the plasticity of the brain
  • Functional plasticity tends to reduce with age
  • According to this view the only option following traumatic brain injury beyond childhood is to develop compensatory behavioural strategies to work around the deficit
  • e.g. seeking social support for developing strategies to deal with cognitive deficits
• What are the strengths of functional recovery?

  1. Support from animal studies for functional recovery
• Strength = support from animal studies for functional recovery

  • Hubel and Wiesel (1963) sewed one eye of a kitten shut and analysed the brain‘s cortical responses
  • Found that area of the visual cortex associated with the shut eye was not idle but continued to process information from the open eye
• What are the limitations of functional recovery?

  1. Level of education may influence functional recovery
• Limitation = level of education may influence functional recovery

  • Level of education may influence recovery rates
  • Schneider et al. (2014) - the more time people with a brain injury spent in education the greater their chances of a disability-free recovery
  • 40% of those who achieved DFR had more than 16 years education compared to 10% of those who had less than 12 years education
  • People with brain damage who have insufficient DFR are less likely to achieve full recovery