Neuroplasticity and the Brain - Lecture Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts of neuroplasticity, brain structure and function, stroke recovery, and personalized learning based on Dr. Laura Boyd's lecture.

Doctor Laura Boyd

A brain researcher at the University of British Columbia who studies neuroplasticity and stroke recovery.

Neuroplasticity

The capacity of the brain to change its chemical signaling, physical structure, and overall function in response to learning, behavior, and experience.

Neurons

Brain cells that function by transferring chemical signals between each other to trigger actions and reactions.

Chemical Changes in the Brain

Rapid adjustments in the concentration of chemical signaling between neurons that support short-term memory and short-term motor skill performance.

Structural Changes in the Brain

Physical alterations in the connections between neurons that take time to develop and support long-term memory and long-term motor skill performance.

Functional Changes in the Brain

Changes where brain regions become more excitable through use, causing whole networks of brain activity to shift and change with learning.

London Taxi Cab Drivers

A group of drivers shown through research to have larger brain regions devoted to spatial or mapping memories as a result of memorizing a map of London.

Stroke

The leading cause of long-term disability in adults worldwide, which recently dropped from the third to the fourth leading cause of death in The United States.

Behavior

The primary and best driver of neuroplastic change in the human brain.

Priming Therapies

Interventions designed to prepare the brain to learn, which include brain stimulation, exercise, and robotics.

Negative Neuroplasticity

Detrimental brain changes shaped by what you do or do not do, which can lead to outcomes such as forgetting, drug addiction, or chronic pain.

Ten Thousand Hours

A popular belief regarding the amount of practice time required to master a new motor skill, which is overly simplistic due to individual neuroplastic variability.

Personalized Medicine

An approach originating from cancer treatment where individual characteristics are used to tailor specific interventions to specific patients.

Biomarkers

Measures of specific characteristics of brain structure and function that help predict neuroplastic change and match specific therapies to individual stroke patients.

Personalized Learning

The concept of customizing educational approaches based on the unique neuroplastic structure and function of an individual's brain.