Plasticity and Functional Recovery

• :) RTS patient EB

  > suffered from brain damage that resulted in the removal of his left hemisphere and therefore his language centres, but after some time he regained some language ability - would not be possible if the brain was completely lateralised

  > suggests that EB's brain experienced recruitment of homologous areas - the brain can adapt to produce language without the left hemisphere

  > supports plasticity and functional recovery

  discussion - lacks population validity
• :) practical applications

  > the principles of the theory, that it is possible for an individual's brain to recover from damage through axonal sprouting, has led to the development of neurorehabilitation

  > patient repeatedly practices using the affected side of their body e.g. an arm, whilst restraining the unaffected arm (constraint induced movement therapy)

  > important part of applied psychology

  discussion - economic implications
• Plasticity:

  :) RTS Maguire

  > studied the brains of London taxi drivers

  > those who had been a taxi drivers for a long time had a greater volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus (responsible for spatial and navigational skills) compared to those who had only been a taxi driver for a short time

  > greater knowledge of the roads affected the structure of their brains = plasticity