Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity

The ability of the brain to change itself in response to environmental demands

Synaptic Plasticity

Neuroplasticity occurring on the level of a separate neuron, construction of new synaptic connections and elimination of the ones that are not used

Cortical Remapping

Phenomenon when brain area X assumes the function of brain area Y

Neurogenesis

The production of new nerve cells

Pruning

The elimination of neural connections (synapses)

Merzenich Study

Aim: to investigate how the sensory cortex responsible for the hand will respond to injury

Procedure: owl monkeys had their sensory inputs from all the fingers mapped in the cortex. Electrodes were attached to the part of the cortex known to be responsible for sensations from the hand the different fingers were stimulated. It was noted which of the electrodes respond to the stimulation. Fingers on the monkeys hand were amputated and a remapping of the cortex was done 62 days later.

Results: the first mapping showed that there were 5 distinct areas in the cortex each responsible for 1 digit but post amputation the unused areas of the sensory correct were occupied by adjacent intact fingers

Maguire Study

Aim: to investigate how the brain structure of London taxi drivers is different from the average brain

Procedure: 16 right-handed male taxi drivers with average 14.3 years experience used. Compared to control group of 50 right-handed male subjects who did not drive a taxi. This was a Quasi-experiment where MRI scans were compared

Results: Taxi drivers had increase volume in posterior hippocampus, compared to control group. Subjects in control group had increased grey matter in anterior hippocampus