Biological Approach: Neural and Neural Pruning Flashcards

The brain's ability to change and adapt, through changes in neural connections, as a result of experience or learning

Neuroplasticity can also be used to explain the brain's ability to recover from injury/damage since the brain is able to rewire itself to compensate for the functions off the injured/damaged area

Neuroplasticity occurs as the brain creates new synapses or connections between nerve cells, called neural networks

Neural networks in the brain literally change their shape/structure based on both genetics and environmental influences

• these structural changes can be seen by looking at the volume of grey matter within the brain; the more grey matter, the more synaptic connections and neural networks there are
• the idea that the brain can change depends on how active or inactive the synaptic connections are... i nearby neurons are frequently activated at the same time, a synaptic connection between them may gradually form, creating strong neural networks

If nearby neurons are rarely activated together the existing connection may gradually fall apart

synapses that are less active are weakened and ultimately pruned, or removed; often equated to the use it or lose it principles

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Maguire et al (2004) Taxi Driver and the Hippocampus