Brain Plasticity + Functional Recovery

• What is the definition of brain plasticity?

  The brain's tendency to change and adapt
• When does the brain experience rapid growth in synaptic connections?

  During infancy, peaking at ages 2-3
• How many synaptic connections does the brain peak at around age 2-3?

  15,000 connections
• What happens to unused synaptic connections as we age?

  They are deleted through synaptic pruning
• What is synaptic pruning?

  Deleting unused connections and strengthening used ones
• Do adult brains continue to change and develop?

  Yes, due to learning and experience
• What did Maguire et al. (2000) study?

  London taxi drivers' grey matter volume
• What was found in the study by Maguire et al. (2000)?

  Greater grey matter in taxi drivers' hippocampus
• What did Kuhn et al. (2014) compare in their study?

  A control group and a game training group
• What was the outcome of Kuhn et al. (2014) study?

  Increased grey matter in various brain areas
• What is functional recovery?

  Brain's ability to adapt after injury
• What happens in the brain during recovery from injury?

  New synaptic connections are formed
• What is axonal sprouting?

  Formation of new synaptic connections
• What structural changes support brain recovery?

  Axonal sprouting and reformation of blood vessels
• Who investigated a boy with a removed hemisphere?

  Laura Danelli et al. (2013)
• What was the outcome of Danelli et al. (2013) study?

  Minimal impairments despite severe trauma
• What are the practical applications of understanding brain plasticity?

  • Contributes to neurorehabilitation
  • Physical therapy may be required after injury
  • Techniques include movement therapy and electrical stimulation
  • Aids in recovery of motor and cognitive functions
• What is negative plasticity?

  Maladaptive consequences of brain rewiring
• What can prolonged drug use lead to?

  Poor cognitive functioning and dementia risk
• What percentage of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome?

  60-80%
• What causes phantom limb syndrome?

  Cortical reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex
• How does age affect functional plasticity?

  It tends to reduce with age
• What did Bezzola et al. (2012) demonstrate?

  Golf training changes neural representation
• What did Schneider et al. (2014) find about education and recovery?

  More education leads to better recovery chances
• What did Hubel and Wiesel (1963) study?

  Neuroplasticity in kittens' visual cortex
• What was the finding of Hubel and Wiesel (1963) study?

  Visual cortex processed information from the open eye