12 Questions
What is the term used to describe the brain's ability to change its structure as a result of learning or experience?
Brain Plasticity
What is the result of high levels of stimulation and numerous learning opportunities on the brain?
An increase in neural connections
What was found in the study of women who were abused and showed symptoms of PTSD compared to women with abuse without PTSD?
A 16% smaller volume of the hippocampus
What is the term used to describe the changes in the brain as a result of learning or experience?
Synaptic Reorganization
What is the result of experience on the brain?
The brain is physically sculpted
What was found in the study of taxi drivers by Maguire et al (2000)?
A change in the structure of the brain
What is the primary function of the hippocampus?
Consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation
What is the name of the structure that is 19% smaller in women with abuse and PTSD?
Hippocampus
What is unique about the sample of participants in the study?
They were all right-handed, male, and either taxi drivers or non-taxi drivers
What did the researchers find in the taxi drivers' brains compared to the non-taxi drivers' brains?
Increased volume of grey matter in the hippocampus
What is the term used to describe the process of learning and memorizing thousands of routes to become a London taxi driver?
The knowledge
What is the purpose of the control in the study?
To ensure the expert conducting the analysis was blind to the group status
Study Notes
Brain Plasticity
- The brain is physically sculpted by experience, and can change throughout the lifespan.
- Brain plasticity refers to the brain's ability to rearrange the connections between its neurons, resulting in changes to the brain's structure due to learning or experience.
Hippocampus
- The hippocampus is responsible for consolidating information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation.
- It is located in each hemisphere of the brain, with one hippocampus in each hemisphere.
- The term "hippocampus" comes from the Greek word for "sea horse," due to its resemblance to the shape of a sea horse.
Effects of Experience on the Brain
- High levels of stimulation and numerous learning opportunities can lead to an increase in the density of neural connections.
- Expertise in a particular area, such as music, can lead to a thicker area in the cortex related to that expertise.
Research on Brain Changes
- Maguire et al. (2000) found that London taxi drivers had a larger hippocampus than non-taxi drivers, due to their extensive navigation experience.
- Carrion et al. (2009) found that children who had been abused tended to have a smaller hippocampus than their peers.
- Bremner (2003) found that women who experienced childhood sexual abuse and had PTSD had a 16% smaller volume of the hippocampus compared to women without abuse or PTSD.
London Taxi Drivers Study
- The study involved 16 right-handed male taxi drivers and 16 right-handed male non-taxi drivers.
- The taxi drivers had to memorize thousands of routes and were tested by the police before being licensed.
- The study found that the taxi drivers had a greater volume of grey matter in both the right and left hippocampi compared to the non-taxi drivers.
- The volume of the right posterior hippocampus increased as the length of time as a taxi driver increased.
Explore how the brain's structure and function are shaped by experience and environment. Learn about the concept of brain plasticity and its role in behavioural change. Discover the impact of high levels of stimulation on brain development.
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