Plasticity and functional recovery

Neuroplasticity is...

• The brain's tendency to change and adapt as a result of experience and new learning.

• The brain's ability to recover after trauma.

• The brain is squigy and can be moulded like plasticine.

• The growth of new nerve endings to connect undamaged nerve cells to form new pathways after injury.

Rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used ones are strengthened. This is known as...

• Succulent re-potting

• Synaptic pruning

• Reformation of blood vessels

• Recruitment of homologous areas

As we age...

• Adult brains are more plastic than children's.

• Our adult brains stop being plastic by the age of 25.

• Although children's brains are more plastic, adult ones can form new connections.

• We get wiser.

Maguire studied...

• Deliveroo cyclists

• Tube drivers

• Taxi drivers

• Bus drivers

Maguire concluded that...

• Knowledge of the city streets had displaced memories of childhood.

• Female taxi drivers were more competent than males.

• Taxi drivers are the masters of all wisdom.

• Learning the routes around London altered the structure of taxi drivers' brains.

Maguire concluded that...

• Bus drivers had significantly more grey matter in the anterior hippocampus than matched controls.

• Taxi drivers had significantly more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than matched controls.

• Taxi drivers had significantly more white matter in the posterior hypothalamus than matched controls.

• Bus drivers had significantly more white matter in the posterior hypothalamus than matched controls.

Draganski found learning induced changes in medical students' brains when comparing brain images from 3 months before and just after their final exams. This...

• Supports Maguire's findings.

• Contradicts Maguire's findings.

• Supports Gopnick's findings.

• Contradicts Gopnick's findings.

Functional recovery of the brain is...

• Where you rehydrate after a party to avoid a hangover.

• The brain's ability to adapt as a result of new learning.

• Deleting rarely used synaptic connections.

• The brain's ability to redistribute or transfer functions to undamaged areas after trauma.

Functional recovery after trauma can include...

• Axonal pruning, reformation of blood vessels and recruitment of new workers.

• Recruitment of homologous areas, hippocampal sprouting and axonal pruning.

• Axonal sprouting, reformation of blood vessels and recruitment of homologous areas

• Hippocampal birthing, axonal sprouting and renewal of spiritual wellbeing.

Axonal sprouting is...

• Growing new blood vessels to replace lost blood supply

• Recruiting areas on the opposite side of the brain to perform specific tasks.

• Deleting unused connections.

• Growing new nerve endings that connect with undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways.