A03

• What is one limitation of plasticity?

  Negative behavioural consequences
• How does prolonged drug use affect cognitive functioning?

  It leads to poorer cognitive functioning later in life
• What percentage of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome?

  60-80%
• What is phantom limb syndrome?

  Experience of sensations in a missing limb
• What are the sensations associated with phantom limb syndrome typically described as?

  Unpleasant and painful
• What causes phantom limb syndrome according to Ramachandran and Hirstein?

  Cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex
• What does the evidence suggest about the brain's ability to adapt to damage?

  It is not always beneficial
• What is one strength of brain plasticity?

  It may be a life-long ability
• How does plasticity generally change with age?

  It reduces with age
• What did Ladina Bezzola et al. (2012) demonstrate about golf training?

  It produced changes in neural representations
• What age group did Bezzola et al. study for golf training effects?

  Participants aged 40-60
• What method did Bezzola et al. use to observe brain activity?

  fMRI
• What was observed in novice golfers compared to the control group?

  Increased motor cortex activity
• What does the increased motor cortex activity suggest?

  More efficient neural representations after training
• What are the implications of brain plasticity throughout the lifespan?

  • Brain plasticity may continue throughout life
  • Changes in neural representations can occur at any age
  • Training can enhance motor skills in older adults