Plasticity and Functional Recovery

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

  The brain's ability to change and adapt
• How does the brain respond to experiences according to research?

  By continuously creating new connections
• At what age does the number of synaptic connections peak?

  2 to 3 years
• How many synaptic connections does a child's brain have at its peak?

  About 15,000 connections
• What happens to rarely used synaptic connections as we age?

  They are deleted or become dormant
• What is the process called when frequently used connections are strengthened?

  Synaptic pruning
• Is synaptic pruning limited to childhood?

  No, it continues throughout life
• What video game was used in Ku Natal's 2014 research on plasticity?

  SuperMario
• What was the outcome of the video game training in Ku Natal's research?

  Increased gray matter in various brain areas
• Which brain areas showed increased gray matter due to video game training?

  Cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum
• What skills were enhanced by the video game training?

  Spatial navigation, strategic planning, working memory
• What is functional recovery in the context of brain injury?

  Adaptation of unaffected brain areas
• How does functional recovery relate to plasticity?

  It is a type of plasticity
• What happens to the brain after a physical injury?

  Unaffected areas compensate for damaged areas
• How quickly can functional recovery occur after trauma?

  Quickly, but slows down after weeks
• What is one way the brain rewires itself during functional recovery?

  By forming new synaptic connections
• What is axonal sprouting?

  Growth of new nerve endings
• What role do blood vessels play in functional recovery?

  They supply blood to damaged areas
• What happens to homologous areas during recovery?

  They take over functions of damaged areas
• What happens to functionality after recovery?

  It may shift back to the original area
• Who conducted research on London taxi drivers?

  McGuire
• What did McGuire find about London taxi drivers' brains?

  More gray matter in the posterior hippocampus
• What is the significance of the posterior hippocampus in taxi drivers?

  It is associated with spatial skills
• What does the complex test called "the knowledge" involve?


  Learning routes and landmarks in London
• How does experience affect neural connections in taxi drivers?

  More experienced drivers have pronounced connections
• What practical applications arise from understanding plasticity?

  Development of neuro rehabilitation therapies
• What is spontaneous recovery?

  Natural recovery that slows after weeks
• What types of therapy have been developed from research on plasticity?

  Movement therapy and electrical stimulation
• How does research on plasticity improve treatment outcomes?

  Increases chances of disability-free recovery
• What are the key points of functional recovery in the brain?

  • Unaffected areas adapt to compensate for damage
  • Quick recovery initially, slows after weeks
  • Requires rehabilitative therapy for further recovery
  • Involves rewiring and forming new synaptic connections
• What are the evaluation points related to plasticity and functional recovery?

  • Research supporting experience's impact on neural connections
  • Practical applications in neuro rehabilitation therapies
• What are the structural changes that support functional recovery?

  • Axonal sprouting: growth of new nerve endings
  • Reformation of blood vessels for blood supply
  • Recruitment of homologous areas for task performance