Functional recovery

Plasticity refers to the brains ability to change and adapt as a result of learning and experience. During infancy the brain experiences a rapid growth in synaptic connections, peaking at 15,000 at 2 years old.

As we age, rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened, this process is known as synaptic pruning.

Maguire studied the brains of London taxi drivers, and found a significantly larger volume of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus compared to a control group. As training, London taxi drivers must be able to recall their knowledge of the complex city streets and possible routes. It was found that this learning experience alters the structure of the taxi drivers brain. It was also found the longer the taxi drivers had been in the job, the bigger the structural difference.

Functional recovery is a form of functional plasticity in which the brain is able to redistribute functions following damage from trauma. The brain is able to compensate for the damaged areas by transferring functions to undamaged area. During recovery, the brain is able to rewire itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage. Secondary neural pathways that are not typically used are activated to carry out the functions.

Functional recovery occurs through 3 main processes: axonal sprouting, denervation supersensitisation, and recruitment of homologous areas.

Axonal sprouting is the growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new pathways. Denervation supersensitvity is when axons that do a similair job become aroused to a higher level to compensate for the ones that are lost.