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Description
Flashcards by Ellie Winterburn, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Ellie Winterburn
about 8 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| What does Gopnick et al's research about brain growth in infants suggest? (1999) | The brain experiences a rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections it has, peaking at 15,000 by 2-3 years of age. This is TWICE as many as there are in the ADULT brain. |
| What happens when we age? | Rarely used connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened, this is called synaptic pruning. |
| What was the original view compared to what recent research identifies? | O = changes are restricted to the developing brain within CHILDHOOD and the adult brain in terms of structure and function. R = existing nerve connections can change at any time of life. New neural connections can be formed through learning and experiences. |
| What did Maguire et al research? (2000) | Studied the brains of London taxi drivers, and found higher volumes of grey matter in the posterior hippocampus than in the control group. This area is associated with spatial and navigational skills, learning complex routes/ street maps seems to alter brain structure. Volume also increases with experience. |
| What did Draganski research? (2006) | Brain imaging of medical students 3 months before and after their final exams. Learning induced changes occurred in the posterior hippocampus in the parietal campus. |
| What happens to the brain after trauma? How does it functionally recover? | e.g stroke, unaffected areas can often adapt and compensate for areas that have been damaged. This process can occur quickly after trauma (spontaneous recovery) and then slow down after several weeks or months. After this rehabilitative therapy may be needed. |
| What happens in the brain during recovery? | It can rewire and reorganise itself by forming new synaptic connections close to the area of damage. Secondary neural pathways are activated to enable functioning to continue. |
| What are the 3 structural changes in the brain? | 1. Axonal sprouting- growth of new nerve endings which connect with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neuronal pathways. 2. Reformation of blood vessels 3. Recruitment of homologous areas- on the OPPOSITE side of the brain to perform similar tasks. e.g B area on left side is damaged the equivalent area on the right may carry out its functions. |
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