"outline and evaluate the evidence for plasticity" and "outline and evaluate the evidence for functional recovery after trauma"
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Course
Biopsychology
Institution
AQA
Complete A* essays for titles "outline and evaluate the evidence for plasticity" and "outline and evaluate the evidence for functional recovery after trauma". AQA A Level psychology. Topic- Biopsychology.
Outline and evaluate the evidence for plasticity (16 marks)
Outline and evaluate the evidence for functional recovery after trauma (16 marks)
A01 (6 marks):
Brain plasticity (neuro plasticity) is the brains ability to constantly change to adapt to new
experiences and information, done by making new pathways and strengthening existing
ones. Myelination is when a neural pathway becomes stronger, more myelin sheath wraps
around the axon, electrically insulating the axon to increase speed of activation. Synaptic
pruning is when neural pathways are deleted due to remaining unused. The pathways
become progressively weakened until deleted. Trauma is lesioning (through injury or illness)
which prevents the normal brain from functioning. Functional recovery is a type of plasticity,
after trauma the brain rewires and reorganises. It forms new synaptic connections, avoiding
damaged areas, often by recruiting similar areas in the opposite hemisphere. Functional
recovery becomes less effective with age. Axonal sprouting is the growth of new nerve
endings, connecting with other undamaged nerve cells to form new neural pathways,
replacing links.
A03 (10 marks):
A strength of plasticity and functional recovery is research to support. Turk identified
patient JW who damaged left hemisphere language centres but recovered ability to speak
from right hemisphere. This shows the brain can reorganise itself during recovery process,
by recruiting similar undamaged areas in the opposite hemisphere to take over functions
that have been lost due to injury.
Another strength is real world application. An understanding of plasticity has led to
development of neuro-rehabilitation which aids recovery from trauma through physical
therapy and electrical stimulation of brain, to counteract problems in functioning that may
be experienced after trauma. The brain has ability to rewire itself to a point, but the process
requires further intervention to be successful.
There is further research to support from Maguire who used brain scans to show London
taxi drivers had a larger posterior hippocampus than a matched control group. A part of the
brain associated with spatial and navigational skills.
However, a limitation of research into brain plasticity is that sometimes patients experience
negative plasticity. This is when the brain rewires and reorganises itself but leads to negative
consequence or maladaptive functioning. For example, 60-80% of patients who have
experienced amputation of a limb report sensations, as if the missing limb was still there
(phantom limb syndrome), due to brain reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex. This
suggests that sometimes brain plasticity can be unhelpful for the patient.
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