Neuropsychology and Brain Plasticity

Neuropsychology and Brain Plasticity

Neuropsychology studies the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt — a concept that has transformed our understanding of the brain.

What Is Brain Plasticity?

• Brain plasticity (neuroplasticity) is the brain's ability to change its structure and function in response to experience, learning or damage
• The brain is not fixed — it can reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life
• Plasticity is greatest in childhood but continues into adulthood (though at a reduced rate)

Types of Brain Plasticity

Type	Description
Synaptic plasticity	Strengthening or weakening of existing synaptic connections based on how much they are used — "neurons that fire together wire together" (Hebb's rule)
Structural plasticity	Physical changes in the brain's structure — growth of new neurons (neurogenesis) or changes in the size of brain areas
Functional plasticity	When one brain area is damaged, other areas can take over its function — the brain compensates for injury

Evidence for Brain Plasticity

Maguire et al. (2000) — London Taxi Drivers:

• MRI scans showed that London taxi drivers had a larger hippocampus (the brain area involved in spatial memory and navigation) compared to non-taxi drivers
• The longer they had been driving, the larger the posterior hippocampus
• Conclusion: the mental demands of navigating London's complex streets caused the hippocampus to physically grow — demonstrating structural plasticity in adults
• This supports the idea that the brain changes in response to experience and learning

Draganski et al. (2004):

• Participants who learned to juggle over three months showed increases in grey matter in areas related to visual and motor processing
• When they stopped juggling, the grey matter decreased again
• Conclusion: learning new skills changes the brain's structure — and these changes can reverse if the skill is not maintained

Recovery from Brain Damage

Brain plasticity allows some recovery after brain injury:

• Functional recovery — after a stroke or injury, healthy brain areas can take over functions that were performed by the damaged area
• Rehabilitation — physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy can promote recovery by encouraging the brain to form new neural pathways
• Recovery is generally better when:
• The person is younger (greater plasticity)
• Rehabilitation begins early
• The damage is smaller and more localised

Limitations of Brain Plasticity

• Recovery is rarely complete — some functions may never be fully restored
• Plasticity decreases with age — older brains are less adaptable
• Critical periods exist — if certain skills (e.g. language) are not developed within a specific time window, they may never fully develop (e.g. Genie, a feral child who was deprived of language until age 13 and never fully acquired language)
• Not all brain areas are equally plastic — some are more adaptable than others

Neuropsychology in Practice

Neuropsychology has important real-world applications:

• Stroke rehabilitation — understanding plasticity helps design effective recovery programmes
• Education — knowing that the brain changes with learning encourages a growth mindset (link to Dweck's theory)
• Mental health — neuroplasticity supports the idea that therapy (e.g. CBT) can change brain patterns associated with depression and anxiety
• Brain-computer interfaces — emerging technology uses brain signals to control prosthetic limbs or communicate

Exam Tips

• Know the Maguire (2000) study in detail — it is the key evidence for brain plasticity
• Understand the difference between synaptic, structural and functional plasticity
• For AO3: Maguire's study was correlational — we cannot be certain that taxi driving caused the larger hippocampus (perhaps people with larger hippocampi are more likely to become taxi drivers)
• Link brain plasticity to recovery from brain damage — this is a common longer-answer question
• Connect to other topics: plasticity links to memory (hippocampus), development (critical periods) and Dweck's mindset theory (the brain can grow with effort)