brain plasticity and functional recovery

• Plasticity


  The brain adapts in both its function and structure as a result of a change in the environment. These changes could be due to damage, or to meet the cognitive demands of learning new skills.
• Four reasons for plasticity

  • Learning new skills
  • A result of developmental changes
  • Response to direct trauma to area of the brain
  • Response to indirect effects of damage such as brain swelling or bleeding
• Functional recovery


  The functions that were performed by areas of the brain that are lost or damaged are performed by undamaged areas of the brain - functional reorganisation.
• Neural unmasking


  Where dormant synapses open connections to compensate for a damaged area of the brain.
• Axonal sprouting


  Undamaged nerve cells grow new nerve endings to reconnect the neurons whose links were severed. Makes new links and new neural pathways to accomplish what was a damaged function.
• Factors affecting functional recovery

  Age: children have the best ability to recover, then young adults.

  Gender: women are more able to recover from brain damage.

  Access to rehabilitative therapy: focused efforts in improvement.
• + Supporting evidence for plasticity


  E - Maguire et al: studied brains of London taxi drivers and found more grey matter in hippocampus of taxi-drivers, compared to control group (hippocampus is associated with spatial and navigational skills).

  E - Supports plasticity as it suggests that spatial learning alters the structure of the brain.

  L - However, his study only tested a correlation, so no cause and effect can be established.
• + Supporting evidence for functional recovery


  E - Gabby Gifford suffered a traumatic brain injury after being shot - her Broca's area was damaged so she struggled to verbally express herself. With therapy, she could recover some of her skills.

  E - This supports functional recovery as it suggests that the brain can recover from injuries.

  L - Therefore, this provides validity for the explanation on functional recovery.
• + Practical applications


  E - Plasticity research has practical applications to neurorehabilitation which uses motor therapy and electrical stimulation to counter the negative effects in motor and cognitive functioning.

  E - The development of therapies and interventions which are successful can help people return to their lives and productive work

  L - Therefore, the development of these therapies can benefit the wider economy greatly.
• / Individual differences


  E - Factors may affect how some individuals recover from brain trauma such as age differences - ability can deteriorate with age.

  E - Research done into functional recovery may not represent all individuals since everyone's brain damage and recovery process may be different.

  L - Therefore, most research is not generalisable to every individual who might experience brain damage.