Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology
13th EditionDavid N. Shier, Jackie L. Butler, Ricki Lewis
1,402 solutions
Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology
11th EditionMartin
1,244 solutions
Human Physiology
16th EditionKrista Rompolski, Stuart Fox
1,341 solutions
Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology
15th EditionDavid Shier, Jackie Butler, Ricki Lewis
1,950 solutions
Refers to changes occurring in the brain's neural structure to enable adjustment to experience, to compensate for lost function and to maximise remaining functions in the event of brain damage. Although adaptive plasticity can take place at any time throughout the lifespan, it is typically quicker, more substantial and extensive in the earlier years of infancy or early childhood.
1. Through adaptive plasticity, functions that were assigned to certain areas of the brain can sometimes be reassigned to other undamaged parts of the brain to compensate fro changing input from environment. Generally, adaptive plasticity enables the brain to compensate for damage by reorganising its structure.
Similarly, studies of monkeys whose somatosensory cortex have been destroyed show that the destroyed areas gradually shift to adjacent undamaged areas of the parietal lone restoring the ability to experience bodily sensations
In other words, the brain's adaptive plasticity enable it to take over or shift functions from damaged to undamaged areas. However, in order to be reconnected or form new connections, they need to be stimulated through activity, such as physiotherapy, speech therapy.
Relevant types of experience during recovery from brain damage are therefore important influences of the speed recovery. For example, brain trauma or stroke patient often need to relearn tasks they previously performed routinely such as walking, speaking (Broca's Aphasia) or reading. The younger the individual the greater the success rate to relearn these tasks
2. May also occur as a result of experience, for example, MRI scan indicate that musicians who play string instruments, the right primary motor cortex that represents the fingers of the left hand is larger than the area the represents the right hand. As the left requires greater motor learning for fine finger control. Thus, the brain is able to modify and adapt itself to reflect this experience.
Another example, is the London taxi drivers, who are required to go through a comprehensive training course in order to find the shortest route between two locations without any material. In other words, they must find new routes daily. When compared to bus drivers who follow a limited number of set routes daily,the rear part of the hippocampus involved in spatial navigation and memory is significantly larger
For example, if that finger is lost, the areas of the somatosensory cortex that represents that finger will initially be unresponsive because there is no loner any sensory input received from the location of the missing finger. Over time, that area will begin to receive input from adjacent fingers and become more responsive to stimulation of these finger, as a result of neurons assuming control of unused areas of the cortex.
At a neural level this is facilitated by rerouting and sprouting. Both enable the formation of entirely new neural connections at the synapse to compensate for loss of function due to brain damage
Recommended textbook solutions
Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology
15th EditionDavid Shier, Jackie Butler, Ricki Lewis
1,950 solutions
Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology
16th EditionCharles Welsh, Cynthia Prentice-Craver, David Shier, Jackie Butler, Ricki Lewis
727 solutions
Mader's Understanding Human Anatomy and Physiology
10th EditionSusannah Longenbaker
1,332 solutions
Hole's Human Anatomy and Physiology
15th EditionDavid Shier, Jackie Butler, Ricki Lewis
1,950 solutions