...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...
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...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...
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...complicated processes that occur naturally. During learning, neuroplasticity will occur with the correct mindset which causes knowledge and thinking to grow. An activity to help brain growth such as dancing by memorizing different step patterns, can also slow the progress of diseases, help fight depression, and can grow an individual’s physical muscles as well. Learning, thoughts, ideas, and skills all occur in the brain through neural networks, which are an interconnected system of cells...
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...Previous research has demonstrated that neuroplasticity is disrupted in mood disorders as well as in animal models of stress. Pittenger and Duman (2008) hypothesize that chronic stress, which typically precipitates or exacerbates depression, disrupts neuroplasticity, where antidepressant treatment can produce the opposite effect and enhance neuroplasticity. There are different levels of neuroplasticity such as structural plasticity, functional synaptic plasticity, as well as the molecular and cellular mechanisms accompanying such changes. In Pittenger and Duman’s (2008) article, meant primarily for the medical community, these factors are discussed in great detail. The last 50 years have seen breakthroughs in the discovery of different categories...
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...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...
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...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...
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...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,...
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...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)....
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...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...
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...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...
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...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 Schredl shows that what the brain visualizes in lucid dreams can come over into reality. For example, there is a professional that decides to go swimming laps to train, but it all happens in their dreams. Neuroplasticity is the reason! In an article published by Michael Grothaus, he says that “ Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to literally rewire itself in response to stimuli”. The swimmer would improve because the brain used neuroplasticity to have more control. Since lucid dreaming has to be achieved, many wonder what steps they need to take in order to reach it. According to HowToLucidDream.com, it recommended to perform reality checks throughout the day, about ten a day. To perform a reality test, hold out one hand and with the other finger try to push it through the hand. Then ask the question to yourself, ‘Am I dreaming?’. Normally if you do this test the finger will not go through, but in a dream the finger will always go through the hand. Doing this test enough times throughout the day will cause it to eventually happen in dream. Another recommendation...
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...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...
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...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 the event that caused the cells to die, the brain's regenerative...
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...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...
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...her age. 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, Judy did regain function in regulating the mesolimbic system and was able to become well integrated into society once again (Apps et al., 2010). Treatment of PFC injury, and as is the case with injury in many regions, has proven effective due to practitioners’ focus on the neuroplasticity of the brain (Yu, Tam, & Lee, 2015). Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to alter synaptic and non-synaptic connections in response to environmental cues (Yu et al., 2015). 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 mesolimbic system reward response, allowing her to become more socially and cognitively apt for her age once again. Neuroplasticity is a slow process that takes time and extensive work. Programs are designed to help retrain the brain to work on increasingly complex problems ranging from practicing problem-solving skills, attention skills, memory processing and acquisition, and visual-spatial and executive functioning (Yu et al., 2015). These sessions are normally highly monitored and carefully controlled. Appropriate goal setting is another essential component of the rehabilitation practice since many participants...
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