6.5.3 Evaluation of Plasticity and Recovery

• What is neural plasticity?

  Brain's ability to change
• Functional recovery is the process by which the brain compensates for damaged areas.
• After a stroke, the brain may rewire itself to compensate for damaged areas.
• Functional recovery is the brain's ability to compensate for damaged areas by remapping functions to undamaged regions.
• Order the reasons why evaluating plasticity and recovery is crucial:

  1️⃣ Assessing the extent of recovery

  2️⃣ Identifying factors that influence recovery

  3️⃣ Developing interventions to enhance recovery

  4️⃣ Measuring the impact of treatments

  5️⃣ Improving patient outcomes
• Match the researcher with their study and key finding:

  Merzenich et al. (1984) ↔️ Brain maps can reorganize after sensory input changes

  Kolb (1999) ↔️ Smaller lesions have better recovery outcomes

  Gauthier et al. (2000) ↔️ Expertise leads to enhanced brain activity
• What does neural plasticity involve at the synaptic level?

  Strengthening or weakening connections
• Learning a new language is an example of neural plasticity.
• Evaluating plasticity and recovery is unnecessary for improving patient outcomes.

  False
• What is neural plasticity?

  Brain's ability to adapt
• Functional recovery refers to the brain's ability to compensate for damaged areas
• Evaluating plasticity is crucial for assessing recovery after brain injury.
• Match the researcher with their key finding:

  Merzenich et al. (1984) ↔️ Brain maps can reorganize after sensory input changes

  Kolb (1999) ↔️ Smaller lesions lead to better recovery outcomes

  Gauthier et al. (2000) ↔️ Expertise enhances brain activity in specific areas
• Which researcher demonstrated that sensory input changes can reshape brain maps?

  Merzenich
• Research on plasticity often uses real-life scenarios to increase ecological validity.
• Brain imaging techniques like fMRI provide evidence of brain activity and plasticity
• What is one potential bias in plasticity research that affects generalizability?

  Experimenter bias
• Functional recovery involves the brain compensating for damage by reassigning tasks to unaffected regions.
• What is an example of neural plasticity in real life?

  Learning a new language
• Relearning speech after a stroke is an example of functional recovery
• Order the key reasons for evaluating plasticity and recovery:

  1️⃣ Assessing recovery extent

  2️⃣ Identifying influential factors

  3️⃣ Developing interventions

  4️⃣ Measuring treatment impact

  5️⃣ Improving patient outcomes
• Evaluating plasticity is essential for understanding how much brain function has been restored after an injury.
• What did Merzenich et al.'s (1984) study on monkey finger mapping demonstrate about the brain?

  Brain maps can reorganize
• Kolb's (1999) research showed that smaller lesions result in better recovery
• What did Gauthier et al.'s (2000) study on face recognition experts find?

  Expertise enhances brain activity
• Merzenich's research highlights the brain's adaptability to sensory input changes.
• Research on plasticity and recovery often uses real-life scenarios to achieve high ecological validity
• What do longitudinal studies in plasticity research track over time?

  Changes in brain activity
• Brain imaging techniques like fMRI provide direct evidence of brain activity during learning.
• Match the weakness of research with its explanation:

  Potential Biases ↔️ Selection or experimenter bias affects results

  Small Sample Sizes ↔️ Limits statistical power and reliability

  Generalization Limitations ↔️ Results may not apply broadly
• What is informed consent in plasticity research?

  Understanding study purpose and risks
• Special care must be taken to protect vulnerable populations, such as cognitively impaired individuals
• Participants in plasticity research have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.