...Biopyschologists believe that every mental event involves a brain event. Many people have experienced severe injuries and trauma to their brains in their lives. However after undergoing exercises, surgery or therapy it is able to help them repair their brains as well as change their minds and literally change their brains. The process whereby their brains change in response to experience is called neuroplasticity. There are various forms of neuroplasticity such as homologous area adaptation, map expansion, cross-modal reassignment and compensatory masquerade which occur through diverse forms of therapeutic rehabilitation and treatment. Many processes are involved in brain recovery, after an injury or trauma. Neural networks and how they trigger an action potential, neuroplasticity, learning experience and therapy in patient recovery or remission are very important in brain recovery. In this essay, case studies that underwent neuroplasticity due to brain damage will be shown as well as how the treatment they underwent both psychologically and physically ‘changed their brain’. In computer science and associated fields, artificial neural networks are computational models motivated by an animal's central nervous system (in particular the brain) which is competent of machine learning as well as pattern recognition. Artificial neural networks are usually conferred as systems of interconnected "neurons" which can calculate values from inputs (Elsevier, 1988). An action potential is...
Words: 2200 - Pages: 9
...that before birth one’s brain eliminates around half of its neurons (Toga & Mazziotta, 2000). This concept is called exuberance followed by regression (Beauregard et al. 2001; Ochsner et al., 2002). Initially, one’s brain will developed too many neurons and then prune those that are not used during its organized period. The brains organizational period begins before birth and continues into adulthood. During the brains organizational period, the structure of the brain is going through serious changes and has naturally higher levels of plasticity (Schwartz et al. 1996; Schwartz 1998; Musso et al., 1999; Paquette et al., 2003). The Theory of Neuroplasticity: Neuroplasticity is the mechanism that allows...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...However, recent developments in neuroscience have given way to a possible cause: Neuroplasticity, the structural and functional changes in the brain driven by training, experience, or even injury13. It implies that the brain does not cease developing, and continues to change throughout the entire lifetime. In context to the critical period, neuroplasticity is maximal in the first few years in a human's lifetime, with the average human having around 7500 synapses at birth, rapidly increasing in the next two years to around double the amount of an adult's synapses, then decreasing gradually due to apoptosis13. Neuroplasticity also is present after the first few years, albeit at a reduced condition. Thus, neuroplasticity had a great impact on the importance of learning during the first 3 years of child development. In addition to cognition, children also exhibit a greater capacity to recover from brain injury compared to adults13, which even Lenneberg's data on the damage to the areas of the brain involved in communication,...
Words: 918 - Pages: 4
...Brain Injuries Learning Team A University of Phoenix PSY 340 Biological Foundations of Psychology 28 March 2016 Abstract Thesis Statement: In this paper we will discuss different kinds of brain injuries, the functions of neural plasticity and the limitations of neural plasticity. The first thing that is discussed in the paper in different brain injuries. We go into depth about five different brain injuries that include blood clots, hematomas, concussions, strokes and cerebral edema. Once we have covered brain injuries we discuss the functions of neural plasticity in brain injuries. An important thing that is discussed with neural plasticity is the recovery from a brain injury, what is required during recovery and how long recovery from a brain injury can take. The last thing that is discussed in this paper is the limitations of neural plasticity with brain injuries. Keywords: brain, injuries, plasticity, neural “Each year, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. TBI is a contributing factor to a third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths in the United States.” (cdc.gov) Robert has experienced a traumatic brain injury that is going to affect him for the rest of his life. Brain injuries are serious, and should be treated as such. For some people brain injuries go unnoticed and untreated leaving it to be deadly, but for others it is caught and treated but the healing process is extensive. In...
Words: 1298 - Pages: 6
...Neural Plasticity Team D PSY/340 June 5, 2016 Taleshia L. Chandler, Ph.D Neural Plasticity The current patient, Stephanie, has experienced a stroke, a temporary interruption of normal blood flow to her brain. There are certain functions and limitations of neural plasticity in the patient’s recovery process. Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability of the nervous system to respond to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, function, and connections. While almost all survivors of brain damage experience some behavioral recovery, every patient will vary in his or her recovery process. According to Johansson, MD, PHD (2000), there are several mechanisms that are involved in brain plasticity. Specifically, such as in Stephanie’s case, time is of the essence. Brain damage can be triggered by a few factors. The most frequent type of stroke known to cause brain damage is known as ischemia, which is the aftermath of any type of confliction in an artery in which a blood clot is created. The less usual type is called a hemorrhage, which is the result of a damaged artery. Once a patient just like Stephanie has experienced a stroke, physicians must immediately determine whether the stroke was ischemic or hemorrhagic. Making such determination is complicating by nature and physicians have their clock ticking because time is limited. (Kalat, 2013, Chapter 5). Knowing that a hemorrhagic stroke is less likely than a ischemic one, physicians take a chance and apply a drug...
Words: 778 - Pages: 4
...Part of rehabilitation after an injury in the brain is aimed at being able to try and rebuild connections between the nerve cells or neurons (Campbell, 2009). The rebuilding between nerve cells or neurons can provide a high chance in making it possible for a function that has been previously managed by a damaged area to be taken over by another undamaged are. I came across a very interesting video that was broadcasted on ABC, hosted by Leigh Sales. The video features Psychiatrist Norman Doidge, who is also the author of ‘The brain that Changes itself’. He has a discussion about neuroplasticity and how the brain is able to heal itself after an illness or an injury. He defines neuroplasticity as “the property of the brain that allows it to change it’s structure and function in response to activity and mental experience’ (Sales, 2015)....
Words: 347 - Pages: 2
...contributes to moods * Endorphins- involved in the brain’s effort to deal with pain and elevate mood Write one – two sentence descriptions of the following: * Nervous system- is made up of the central nervous system. Network of nerve cells and fibers that transmit nerve impulses between parts of the body. * Endocrine system- secretes hormones, chemicals that regulate the functioning of the body, via the bloodstream. * Central core- consists of the brain and spinal cord, help regulate basic life processes, including breathing, pulse, arousal, movement, balance, sleep, and the early stage of processing sensory information. * Limbic system- found on the border of the old and new brain, is associated with eating, aggression, reproduction, and experiences of pleasure and pain. * Cerebral cortex- the new brain, has areas that control voluntary movement (the motor area) the senses (sensory area), and thinking, reasoning, speech, and memory (the association areas). Write a “test question” about neuroplasticity. [What is a question you...
Words: 432 - Pages: 2
... 1 Neural Plasticity Paper Functions and Limitations of Neural Plasticity Research today has shown that “the capacity of the human brain for functional and structural reorganization throughout life is now well recognized.” (V. Valkanova, R. E. Rodriguez, K. P. Ebmeier. 2014) Neural Plasticity is what we understand as the brains ability to adapted to and repair damaged areas. In the case of Robert, who had a car wreck which left him with a traumatic brain injury, how does neuroplasticity play a role in his recovery? Since the damage was done in the frontal lobe, the areas that are affected are his hand/eye coordination, conscious thought, emotions, personality, attention span, motivation, judgment and organizational capacity. Finally, the damage to the frontal lobe often shows in risky behavior or impulsive behavior by the subject. This type of behavior requires the rehabilitation to begin with going back to basic human behavior. By this, Robert will have to relearn his relationship to himself as well as others, Roberts brain itself will begin to rewire itself around the damaged of his brain. Neuroplasticity is a long process that requires Robert to relearn his skills that he has lost. Science has shown that with the rehabilitation and the repetition of these skills the brain can begin to rewire the wiring. For example, brain damage causes rapid cell death, and a disruption of functional circuits, in the affected regions. When the injured area begins to recover from...
Words: 498 - Pages: 2
...Lucid dreaming is a popular topic in world of dreaming. According to Fast Company, “Lucid dreaming is the art of becoming conscious within your dreams”. Everything the brain experiences during dreams can seem as authentic as reality whether is smell, hearing, or touch. However it is very important to be able to tell the difference between reality and dreaming. Everyone has the potential to control their dreams, but it is a skill that needs to be learned. Researchers still are not sure what happens inside the brain as lucid dreaming happens although, through tests they have found out it seems to be “a hybrid state between REM sleep and being awake” (fastcompany.com). From thorough research it has been discovered that lucid dreaming can improve your waking life or reality also. An fMRI imagery has revealed, being in a lucid dream state is a “little different than being full awake in the real world”. Research done by Michael...
Words: 426 - Pages: 2
...Cognitively, Judy was unable to focus for any period of time and suffered from related learning and memorization deficits. Developmentally she was set back in the ability to regulate emotional cues, and social norms, and was inability to properly integrate cognitions. Treatment and Prognosis of Adolescent Traumatic Brain Injury It might appear that with as many deficits and injuries that Judy sustained, recovery of any functionality would be unlikely. However, slowly and steadily, Judy did regain functions in regulating the mesolimbic system and was able to become well integrated into society once again. Treatment of PFC injury, and as is the case with many regions, has proven affective due to practitioners’ focus on neuroplasticity of the brain. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to alter synaptic and non-synaptic connections in response to environmental cues. In this case, systems involving executive functions of the PFC were reorganized in a way to bypass damaged areas. For Judy this meant that after time she was able to regain the ability to regulate the...
Words: 490 - Pages: 2
...All of this relates back to Judy. During her incident, she received a hemorrhage in the right temporal lobe, a hemorrhage in the occipital horn of the right lateral ventricle, bleeding in the right frontal lobe, and a subdural hematoma in the left temporal lobe, among generalized trauma across the brain (Apps et al., 2010). The primary link to the mesolimbic system in this situation is frontal lobe damage. When Judy became impaired in this specific region she lost the connection between the PFC and the mesolimbic system, in turn resulting in losing the ability to regulate her reward system effectively. Now, when stimuli reach the VTA and DA is swept along the system, strong urges to act on said stimulus do not reach the PFC, the region that relays if...
Words: 827 - Pages: 4
...ESTROGEN MEDIATE NEUROPLASTICITY: A POTENTIAL MEASURE OF HORMONE INDUCED LEARNING Hormones are substances in the body that generally travel through the bloodstream with intent to regulate some aspect of the organism. Sex hormones specifically are steroid hormones typically produced by the gonads, and are recognized for regulating many aspects involved with reproduction. Reproductive steroids, including estrogen and testosterone, have circumstantially based functions (Rubinow, 2005). Estrogen is the sex steroid hormone released by the gonads, and although found in all sexes, is most abundant in biological females. Current literature appears to be mixed about the effects of sex hormones on cognition; however, there appears to be a trend in...
Words: 1265 - Pages: 6
...perspectives and describe his or her work in two to three sentences. Type your response in the space below. Psychoanalytic – Construction which alerts the relative of conscious and unaware psychological processes. Freud Sigmund was the founder of the psychoanalytic school. . Behavioral perspective- : A Psychologist who analyses obvious or scientific behavior. John Watson was the founder of the behaviorist school. Humanistic perspective- expressed discretion and a position of self-realization because every people try to build up self actualisation. Cognitive perspective- is how we accumulate and store data through views and perceptions. Neuroscientific/biopsychological perspective- examines behavior through genetic processes of the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Evolutionary perspective- Tensions natural selection, adjustment, and development of behavior and psychological processes. Sociocultural perspective- social interactions and social determinants of behavior and mental processes. Behaviorist perspective–William James broadened studied Psychology to animal behaviors, biological processes, and behavior. He wrote Principles of Psychology in 1890 and it became the leading text book for students studying psychology. Part II: Research Methods Describe research methods used in...
Words: 1083 - Pages: 5
...when they have a stroke? Better yet what happens to the person's brain? Does the brain change? Or how will the person recover from the stroke? These are all questions that this paper will discuss. The information that follows will be in great details about a stroke, about our patient by the name of Stephanie. Stephanie has had a stroke. We want to ensure that Stephanie, our patient, understands what is next to come after her stroke. We will focus on the recovery process, the do's and do not's and the functions and limitations of a person who has had a stroke. What is a stroke? According to the American Heart Association, a "Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot; it bursts or ruptures. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it and brain cells die" (American Heart Association, 2016.) When a person has a stoke it is unpredictable and affects the brain in a major way. When a person has a stroke, they can become paralyzed, lose memory and have to learn daily functions essential to living all over again with therapy. Cause and Effect When a person has a stroke and the brain is affected you have to dig deeper below the surface and conduct...
Words: 1761 - Pages: 8
...Neuroplasticity and mirror neurons kind of fit together due to the fact they are both involving the brain. Neuroplasticity is a more recent study that focuses on brain growth and development. It is a term used to discuss that the brain actually continues to change up through adulthood instead of only growing in early life then stopping. Neuroplasticity studies have shown that the brain continues to create neural pathways to help us adapt to new situations throughout life. The key word here is, “adapt.” This is another example how culture can affect our biology as our brain can change many times in a single life time without ever consulting our DNA. Mirror neurons first entered scientific discussion when researchers discovered brain activity...
Words: 830 - Pages: 4
