Effects of Environment on Physiological Processes

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganize itself in response to the environment throughout the lifespan.

Neuroplasticity

Experiences are powerful modifiers of the brain.

Experiences that affect neuroplasticity are:– Stimulating environments– Sex hormones– Diet– Genetics– Stress

Neuroplasticity

As behavior changes there must also be a corresponding change in the neural circuitry that produces behavior.

Neurogenisis- when new neurons are created in response to experience.

Research on Stimulating EnvironmentsKolb (1999)Compared rats placed in enriched

environments for three months to rats placed in standard cages.

Enriched environments led to higher performance on a variety of behvioral tasks.

Need to Tolerate Uncertainty

Can’t damage human brains in the lab. Rats, mice, and primates are subjects

in most neuroplasticity experiments.

We should not assume that human brains are plastic in the same ways as animals.

Studies that deal with neuroplasticity. Small and Vorgan (2008)- iBrainHull and Vaid (2006)- localization and

bilingulaism

Meet your iBrain

Digital Technology is not only changing the way we live and communicate, but is rapidly altering our brains.

As the brain evolves and shifts toward new technological skills, it drifts away from fundamental social skills.

Meet your iBrain

Small and Vorgan studyParticipants

– Three digitally naive people in 50s and 60s

– Three digital-savvy volunteers from the same age and socioeconomic group.

Meet Your iBrain Procedure

– Participants were to perform an internet search task while receiving an fMRI.

– Each group was also given a control task of reading information to be able to factor out other sources of brain stimulation.

– After a baseline measurement was taken, both groups were asked to practice the search tasks for 1 hour a day for 5 days.

– A second set of results was taken after 5 days.

Meet your iBrainResults

– The brains of computer savvy and computer naïve subjects showed no difference on the control task.

– In the baseline measurements, the

computer savvy subjects showed distinctly different neural patterns than the naïve subjects.

– After five days, the naïve subjects now had the same neural patterns as the savvy subjects.

Concluding ideas about Neuroplasticity1. Neuroplasticity occurs throughout the

lifespan, though the brain is most plastic early in life.

2. Behavior changes occur AFTER neuroplasticy changes.

3. The brain can reorganize itself after injury. The brain spontaneously reorganizes itself right after injury so this is the best time for treatment.