Plasticity - The brain changes or adapts functionally and physically. The brain changes as a result of experience and new learning, Functional recovery - The brain changes, redistributes or transfers functions from one area to another. Happens as a result of damage and trauma, Gopnick et al  - During infancy, the brain shows rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections, Synaptic pruning - Process where unused synaptic connections are deleted and regularly used are strengthened, Draganski et al - Found changes in the posterial hippocampus and parietal cortex in medical students before and after final exams , Spontaneous recovery - quick recovery shortly after the trauma, may slow after a few weeks, Unmasking of neural pathways - Secondary neural pathways not typically used for the damaged function (dormant synapses) are activated or unmasked, Axonal Sprouting - Undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links have been damaged or severed, Reformation of blood vessels - Blood vessels reform to support other changes, Recruitment of homologous areas - Similar areas in the opposite hemisphere of the brain carry out the functions of the damaged area, Denervation supersensitivity - Axons that do a similar job to the ones that have been damaged become aroused to a higher level to compensate,

Biopsychology - Plasticity

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