Studied by 0 people
What is neuroplsaticity?
Refers to the brain’s ability to change and reorganise itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning, environment, experience or injury.
It allows the brain to adapt throughout life, supporting learning, memory, and recovery from brain damage.
What types of neuroplasticity exist?
Synaptic plasticity (short-term)
Neurons form new synaptic connections or strengthen existing ones based on use.
If two neurons are frequently active together, they form a connection.
If two neurons are rarely active together, the connection weakens (synaptic pruning)
Cortical remapping (long-term)
When one brain are takes over the functions of another due to injury or loss.
What are key processes in neuroplasticity?
Neural networks.
Neural pruning.
LTP.
Dendritic branching.
What are neural networks?
Interconnected groups of neurons that work together to process information and generate responses. These networks are the foundation of learning, memory, and cognitive function.
How are neural networks formed?
When we repeatedly perform a task or learn new information, neurons fire together, strengthening their connection.
Over time, these synaptic connections become stronger, leading to faster and more efficient communication between neurons.
What is neural pruning?
It is the elimination of weak or unused synaptic connections in the brain. This process enhances efficiency by removing unnecessary pathways and strengthening important ones.
How does neural pruning work?
If a connection is not frequently used, the brain removes it to optimise cognitive resources.
This is crucial during childhood and adolescence, when the brain refines itself based on experience.
What are some factors affecting neural pruning?
Lack of use → connections that are not activated are removed.
Experience-dependent plasticity → the brain adapts to what is frequently used.
Hormonal changes → especially during adolescence, where synaptic refinement occurs.
What is LTP?
LTP or Long Term Potentiation is the process of how synapses strengthen.
LTP argues that repetition of a task results in neuroplasticity.
LTP leads to dendritic branching.
What is dendritic branching?
It is also called synaptogenesis, and it refers to the growth of new dendrites on neurons, increasing the number of synaptic connections.
How deos dendritic branching work?
when we learn or experience something new, neurons grow more dendritic branches, allowing more connections with other neurons.
This leads to stronger neural pathways and improved cognitive abilities.
What studies support neuroplasticity?
Maguire
Draganski
Tell me about the study of Maguire.
When: 2000
Aim: to see whether the brains of London taxi drivers would somehow be different as a result of their knowledge of te city and the many hours that they spend behind the wheel.
Sample: 16 male taxi drivers
Condition: take a “”Knowledge” test and to have their license for more than 1,5 years.
Procedure: they did an MRI scan and the researchers compared it to the MRI of 50 male non taxi drivers, which was taken out of an MRI data base. The data from the MRI was measured using two methods.
VBM (Voxel-based Morphometry) → measure the density of grey matter.
Pixel counting → to calculate the area of the hippocampus.
Results:
Pixel counting revealed that the posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to the control subjects, and the right posterior hippocampi were significantly smaller.
VBM showed that the size of the right posterior hippocampi correlated with the years being a taxi driver.
Conclusion: this demonstrates that the hippocampus may change in response to environmental stimuli.
How do you link this study to the theory of neuroplasticity?
By revealing how the brains of London taxi drivers adapt, which increases grey matter in the hippocampus due to extensive navigation experience.
Evaluate the study of Maguire.
Quasi experiment → no cause and effect relationship → unable to control IV
Single blind study (researcher did not know whether she was looking at the scan of a taxi driver or a control) → avoid researcher bias
Low ecological validity → MRI scans
Sampling bias → as the sample was only male taxi drivers → difficult to generalize
Sample size → only 16 participants → hard to generalize
Ethically sound → MRI does not cause harm and they all gave consent and had the right to withdraw.
Tell me about the study of Draganski.
Date: 2004
Aim: whether learning a new skill -in this case juggling- would affect the brains of participants.
Sample: 24 non-juggling volunteers (21 females and 3 males)
Conditions: allocated into one of two conditions
Groups 1 → juggling condition
Group 2 → non-juggling condition
Procedure:
They had an MRI before the start of the experiment.
Group 1 had to learn a three-ball cascade routine. They were asked to practice this routine and to notify the researchers when they had mastered it.
Then they had a second MRI.
Then they were told to notify practice anymore.
The last MRI took place three months later.
Group 2 —> control condition for the duration of study.
To analyze the MRI they used Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) → determine if there were significant differences in the density of their grey matter.
Results:
1st MRI → no significant differences between the two conditions.
2nd MRI → jugglers showed a significantly larger amount of grey matter in the mid-temporal area in both hemispheres (are associated with visual memory).
3rd MRI → the amount of grey matter in these areas had decreased (after they had forgotten completely the routine).
No change in grey matter for the non-jugglers throughout the experiment.
Conclusion: it appears that juggling relies more in visual memory -that is, the perception and spatial anticipation of moving objects- that on “procedural memory” which would more likely show a change in the cerebellum or basal ganglia.
How do you link this study to the theory of neuroplasticity?
It illustrates neuroplasticity by showing how learning new skills, like juggling, leads to structural brain changes, highlighting brain’s capacity to adapt and form new neural connections.
Evaluate this study.
Pre-test/Post-test design → show differences in neural density over time.
Experimental → cause-and-effect relationship.
Control group to alleviate the confounding variables.
Small sample → data may not be neither reliable neither able to be generalised.
Field experiment → IV was manipulated under natural conditions; therefore, the study has potential problems with internal validity as the participants were in their home environments for a good part of the study.
