AQA Psychology for A Level Year 2: Rev Guide

Not that kind of plastic. And not those colours either. Funny word, plastic Here’s a definition of the word plastic: materials easily shaped or moulded. Plasticity and functional recovery of the brain AO3 Evaluation One strength of plasticity and recovery research is its practical application. Understanding processes involved in plasticity has contributed to the field of neurorehabilitation . Techniques include movement therapy and electrical stimulation of the brain to counter deficits to cognitive functioning experienced following a stroke. This shows that although the brain may have the capacity to ‘fix itself’ to a point, this process requires further intervention if it is to be successful. One limitation of neural plasticity is potential negative consequences. The brain’s ability to rewire itself can have maladaptive behavioural consequences. For example, prolonged drug use can result in poorer cognitive functioning and increased risk of dementia (Medina et al . 2007). Also, 60–80% of amputees develop phantom limb syndrome – continued experience of sensations in the missing limb (as if it were still there), usually painful and thought to be due to reorganisation in the somatosensory cortex (Ramachandran and Hirstein 1998). Such evidence suggests the structural and physical processes involved in functional recovery may not always be beneficial. Another limitation is that the relationship between age and plasticity is complex. Functional plasticity tends to reduce with age. The brain has a greater propensity for reorganisation in childhood as it constantly adapts to new experiences and learning. However, Bezzola et al. (2012) demonstrated how 40 years of golf training produced changes in the neural representation of movement in participants aged 40–60. This shows that neural plasticity does continue throughout our lifespan. One strength is further support for neural plasticity from animal studies. Hubel and Wiesel (1963) sewed one eye of a kitten shut and analysed the brain’s cortical responses. The area of the visual cortex associated with the shut eye was not idle but continued to process information from the open eye. This pioneering study demonstrates how loss of function leads to compensatory activity in the brain – evidence of neural plasticity. One limitation is neural plasticity may be related to cognitive reserve. Evidence suggests a person’s educational attainment may influence how well the brain functionally adapts after injury. Schneider et al. (2014) found the more time brain injury patients had spent in education (an indication of their cognitive reserve ), the greater their chances of a disability-free recovery. This suggests that cognitive reserve is a crucial factor in determining how well the brain adapts after trauma. Have you checked out our revision advice on pages 4 to 9? Revision booster 1. Explain what is meant by the term ‘plasticity’ in relation to the brain. (2 marks) 2. Outline research into functional recovery of the brain after trauma. (6 marks) 3. Evaluate research into functional recovery of the brain after trauma. (6 marks) 4. A newspaper recently carried the following headline and story: ‘Knowledge changes the brain, claim psychologists. Brain scans show that taxi drivers who have to learn hundreds of London routes have bigger brain areas than the rest of us.’ Describe and evaluate research into plasticity of the brain. Refer to the newspaper report in your answer. (16 marks) Knowledge Check 33