Merzenich et al 1984

Aim

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

Participants

8 owl monkeys

Methods

experiment, repeated measure design

Procedure

Sensory inputs for the fingers were mapped in the cortex using electrodes attached to the cortex responsible for sensations in the hand and fingers were simulated and electrode responses were noted. One or several digits were removed and remapping of the cortex was done 62 days later to investigate the adaptation of the cortex.

Results

first mapping showed there were 5 distinct areas in the cortex for each digit. Adjacent areas represented adjacent fingers. Post amputation areas that became redundant were occupied by other digits spreading e.g digit 2 is lost so 1 and 3 spread to use up digit 2

Conclusion

the sensory cortex of adult owl monkeys adapt to injury by cortical remapping

Background

• Neuroplasticity

• Sensory cortex

CA

• The sensory cortex, associated with the hand, will change shape and make new neural connections for the sake of the lost fingers

Further implications

• Enables us to treat/understand patients who’ve been severely injured → improves medical treatment

• Enables more understanding for how the brain changes shape

Link back to question

Demonstrates neuroplasticity in relation to injury

• The area for the lost finger was made useful for the other fingers, through the connections of new neural connections

• The brain changed to adapt to circumstances

Evaluation

Strengths

• able to establish conclusion, observed exact time period that allowed for cortial remapping

• Established cause-effect relationship

• Replicable for reliability

Weaknesses

• ethical considerations regarding amputated fingers of an owl monkey

• can't generalize to other animals or humans