Changing cognitive capacity through very specific stimulation that targets certain processing areas means the brain can be changed at a physiological level, does this infer that without a learning disability, the brain is progressively gaining higher functionality throughout life or are there constraints such as age that could impede the process no matter how much stimulation is experienced.
The idea of a permanently plastic brain has not always been supported throughout time, though in the last decade, there has been increasing research supporting the idea that experiences do not just change our emotions and perceptions towards our surroundings, but they can actually change the underlying neuroanatomical structure of our
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adaptive brains leading to changes in neuronal connectivity and even grey and white matter size (May 2011). This ongoing possibility of the rearrangement of networks including, the synaptic interactions, could mean that healthy adults can increase their cognitive abilities to a great extent by incorporating positively influencing activities, such as exercise, yoga, learning, and balanced nutrition into their daily life. In contrast, the reality that we face is that there are many factors that impede this process; namely, genetics, age, and negative behavioral changes. It has been traditionally believed that over time the functionality of the brain declines unavoidably, though current research suggests that this loss of cognitive ability is due to reduced activation of the brain and inconsistent stimulation of cognitive, motor, and sensory areas (Mahnke et al. 2006). In a study by Gajewski et al.
(2012), 41 healthy adults older than 65 were trained by physical, cognitive, and relaxation tasks, to observe their executive functional changes by recording electrical activity of their brains and the potential magnitudes of 3 different protein (P3b, Ne,N2) which are associated with neural functions most prone to decline with age. They trained 2 times a week for 1.5 hours over 4 months; they found that there’s improvement in focus, accuracy, speed of tasks, and task-switching; all of which were seen most significantly with the neurocognitive exercises since the increase in the amplitude of potentials was most consistent with this type of training. Their research supports the idea that through demanding stimulation of the cortical areas, gaining higher cognitive ability is possible and by incorporating a variety of methods to evaluate, including subjective questionnaires, the positive impacts are clearly …show more content…
portrayed. Another study by Lalo et al. (2014) tested whether there was a decrease in the ATP and glutamate neurotransmitters with age in mice between 1-24 months; since glutamate plays a key role in higher cognitive functions and ATP is needed for both neuro and glial transmission. They state that the astroglial cells are needed for physical and cognitive experiences to have an affect on the synaptic structure and neuronal activity; even though, experiences could structurally change the neurotransmitter interactions and concentrations, gliotransmitter signalling is hindered due to the fact that aging causes changes in the density of P2X (ATP receptor) and NMDA (glutamate receptor) because it leads to a significant decrease in the astroglial Ca2+ signalling which is needed for release of gliotransmitters. Through a modulation method called “sniffer-cell”, they observed the release of ATP vs the exocytosis of gliotransmitters in aging mice and concluded that the exocytosis activity was maintained but the ATP release reduced significantly over time which led to fewer pulse currents measured in the sniffer-cells. Also they found that this down regulates GABA receptors and therefore lowering the threshold for long term potentiation (LTP). This lower magnitude of LTP in older age could be the reason for age-related plasticity decline at the “brain hub”, since it is impeding the connection between neurons and astrocytes that are crucial for an experience to have an affect on cognitive capacity. Considering both articles and their individual findings, both are novel investigations that take into account the concept of age-related cognitive decline and challenge the current views regarding whether the brain is permanently plastic or is there a limit as to which it can be modified.
One difference in their approach is the method used for their studies. The first, used electrical brain activity changes as a quantitative parameter after an intensive multiple domain training program that took into account all the main qualitative cognitive abilities that are known to decline with age. They also chose to experiment on humans as models for their study, and this was very effective in terms of portraying the positive outcomes of their study, especially since the data was analyzed based on multiple types of induced effects and their correlations to one another such as behavioural and electrical potential amplitudes, which further helped them consider the error rates and have a more accurate claim. The second study, used mice as models for their study and mostly considered the quantitative parameters of plasticity. Using LTP synaptic strength decline that was induced by modulating astrocyte signalling, as the argument that there is a decline in synaptic plasticity and cognitive function with age. Based on these two studies alone, the first has a stronger claim as to why their experiment supports the argument made, though in the second, the physiological relevance in only
briefly mentioned and the modulation was done in situ under physiological conditions as opposed to in vivo which could have been a more effective method. Regarding specific stimulation of particular brain areas to change cognitive ability through structural changes, it can be concluded that although the synaptic connectivity and potentiation is prone to change in an unfavorable way, since it is one of the underlying bases for plasticity, through particular consistent exercises, the brain can gain higher functional capability through continuous activation of demanding cortical areas.
In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván “The teenage brain is really good at seeking out new experiences enjoying thrills and seeking out thrills.” That is because of the prefrontal cortex it is the part of the brain made for decision making and impulse control, because of that teens are more likely to seek out thrills than adults or children but that is because their lack of impulse control causes them to be reckless. In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván she mentions “that the brain matures and continues to do so” and “Your brain changes everyday and as you sit in this room your brain is reacting to my voice, to the person sitting next to you and your experiences ant the people you affiliate with shape the way your brain ultimately develops.” This means that although it is unsure if the brain keeps developing past the mid twenties it is a known fact that the brain constantly reacts and changes to the environment around it, which is completely different from the original belief of it over a decade ago. One example of the brains constant changes is in Romeo and Juliet when Friar Lawrence says “Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (Act 2 Scene 2). Showing how
Carr mentions the affect that technology has on the neurological processes of the brain. Plasticity is described as the brains response through neurological pathways through experiences. The brain regions “change with experience, circumstance, and need” (29). Brain plasticity also responds to experiences that cause damage to the nervous system. Carr explains that injuries in accidents “reveal how extensively the brain can reorganize itself” (29).I have heard stories in which amputees are said to have a reaction to their amputated limb; it is known as a phantom limb. These types of studies are instrumental in supporting the claim that the brain can be restructured. Carr asserts that the internet is restructuring our brains while citing the brain plasticity experiments and studies done by other scientists. I have experienced this because I feel like by brain has become accustomed to activities that I do on a regular basis. For example, I rarely realize that I am driving when coming to school because I am used to driving on a specific route.
“Working Memory Training is an evidence-based intervention for improved attention.” Working memory training is designed to help those with specific mind disorders. The main idea behind this program is to use brain training techniques such as monotonous memory trails, to teach people to train their mind to better perform. Working memory training is also considered to be a good alternative to medication supplements for those who cannot take them. For example, say you have just been diagnosed with ADHD and you are prescribed medication from your doctor. Over period of time while taking your medication, you find that the medication helps with your ADHD but it causes you to feel depressed, a common side effect of most brain disorder medications. So instead of continuing the medication, you take on the working memory training program. Though there have been numerous studies proving that working memory training is helpful, there have also been studies that say otherwise. In recent years, these studies have proven that the training does not have as big of an effect on specifics such as attention, reading and language skills as it does with short-term memory. This does not mean that working memory training is useless. Over time, new developments of this program have proven to successfully improve brain function not only with those suffering from ADHD but also indecent educational performance, dyslexia, and several language disorders. With this information, we can only hope to continue furthering our research in order to better help those struggling with brain disorders. Now that I have described the merits of “working memory training” that is popping up to address deficits in working memory in people
In the article “Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” (Yorker 2009) Margaret Talbot discusses the misuse of prescription drugs that enhance academic performance at the college level. First Talbot introduces readers to a young college history major at Harvard University named Alex who receives a description of a demanding, busy life which seems impossible to control without the safety unapproved adopted use of a drug named Adderall. After that Alex’s dependency on the prescription drugs cognitive enhancers is described when he asks his doctor to increase the amount of intake and the listing of his daily routine on using Adderall during a week that required him to write four term papers. Next Talbot describes a personal
The human brain can react in much the same way. Neurodegenerative diseases are telltale signs of a "glitch" in the neural mechanical processes within the brain. Thus, pathological problems of the brain demonstrate how the brain controls movement and behavior. It is evident in the physical as well as emotional behavior. (5) It also illustrates the interaction between the central nervous system to the peripheral nervous system. There must be connections between neural activity within the brain and the rest of the central and peripheral nervous systems. One can also understand an illustration of the brain as being a "box" composed of interconnected smaller boxes. These integrated boxes in turn demonstrate the concept that, "Brain=Behavior=Being."
Experiments performed on animals and humans are showing that the brain has evolved to shape itself according to what it e...
Neuroplasticity is the term given to the physical changes occurring in the brain over one’s lifetime. In the past, it was believed that the brain stayed the same size and shape all one’s life, but now that modern technology has given us the ability to view the brain visually and observe its changes, we have seen evidence of the brain’s natural ability to change its shape, structure and density. Neuroplasticity occurs in small scales over time, but can also change in response to injury, behaviour, environmental stimuli, thought, and emotions. This is significant in relation to learning, memory, development, and recovery from brain damage (Pascual-Leone et al, 2005). Neuroplasticity occurs when new
Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz is a leading research psychiatrist at the University of California Los Angeles who is intrigued by the similarities in rhesus monkeys and individuals suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. By weaving together some of the most historic research studies in neuroscience through the frame of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Schwartz argues in The Mind & The Brain that adult brain is a plastic thing. Using groundbreaking research in the study of neuroplasticity, Schwartz works to inform individuals with brain disorders and injuries that it is possible to rewire the physical makeup of the brain. Case Studies E.T. Rolls, an Oxford University behavioral physiologist, conducted a key experiment on rhesus monkeys.
...owell, E. R., Thompson, P. M., & Toga, A. W. (2004). Mapping changes in the human cortex
...in damage was pervasive and included the hippocampus, the amydala and other areas close to the hippocampus. The hippocampus is concluded that it is the area in the brain that is there to store long-term memory. The study was long term, and in depth so it was reliable and also cannot be reproduced in a lab again. This experiment though, can never be replicated due to moral codes of psychology. The information provided can be used future studies in the hippocampal area and help psychologists understand the function of the brain more. Also, brain-scanning technologies are used at the BLOA so it can relate parts of the brain to emotions, and how it functions. It provides an insight to human behaviour.
The arising issue of cognitive enhancement drugs has evolved into a predominant concern in regard to educational habitats, namely, the immoral usage of Cognitive enhancement drugs to perform presumably well in the user’s study sessions and exams. With accordance to the unfair advantage that students gain, the subject emerges whether or not there should be a rule prohibiting the usage of cognitive enhancement drugs in the educational field. Firstly, I firmly state that there should be a rule prohibiting the use of cognitive enhancement drugs for a many reasons. The most important reason is that it inhibits students from integrally attaining analytical skills in any given educational environment. However, I object the initial claim by positing that cognitive enhancement drugs do not thwart students’ analytical skills, thus proving that the original argument is wholly unsound.
According to Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, young adulthood is considered to be the age range of “19-25” years old. In a study of “Motor Performances Across the Life-Span, Sigmundsson noticed that “motor performance increased from childhood to young adulthood” (Sigmundsson). During their research to discover as to why motor performance increased greatly from childhood to young adulthood, Sigmundsson and his colleagues discovered that the study of Elizabeth Sowell and other researchers had observed that “white [brain] matter volume follows an inverted U shape, with low white matter volume in both children and old adults” (Sigmundsson). From this, Sigmundsson and his colleagues deduced that higher levels of white brain matter correlated with increased levels of motor behavior. As a result of the human brain developing from childhood to young adulthood and degenerating from young adulthood to late adulthood, it is easy to see the reasons for a heightened level of motor behavior in young adulthood as opposed to the other two life
During this corse I lean multiple ways that the brain changes mentally as a person ages, such as cognitive development. There are many theories about how cognitive development occurs in children. Jean Piaget had a theory of cognitive development that included 3 different stages, the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, and the concrete operational stage. The stages begin with learning though senses and actions, to have magical and egotistic thinking, to being able to think logically but not abstractly. Piaget also believed that people’s brains create schemas, almost like folders for the ideas of the brain, in order to organized they can understand them. When someone takes in new information,
Knapton, S 2014, ‘Brains of elderly slow because they know so much’ Telegraph Media Group, published in the Journal of Topics in Cognitive Science, viewed on the 22nd of march 2014
Casey, B. J., Jones, R. M., & Hare, T. (2008). The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1124, 111–126. Eaton Reyna, V.F. and Rivers, S.E. (2008).