the

environmen
t on
physiologica
l processes
 1.
Neuroplastic
ity
The effect of the environment on
physiological processes
 Definition:
Neuroplasticity
The brains ability to change and adapt the
connections between neurons. This takes place
due to learning or experience (environment) In
some cases, brain plasticity can help overcome
damage to the brain.

Easiest for children when the brain is more

elastic

Understanding growing in the last few decades

with the help of brain imaging technologies
 What is
Neuroplasticity?
 Dendritic branching
and pruning
The dendrites of the
neurons grow in
number, making
more connections or
connections are
removed

Course of Normal
Development

Learning/Experience

Damage or Disease
Normal Development
 Pruning:
Normal
Developme
nt
The process
where extra
neurons are
eliminated to
increase the
efficiency of
neural
connections.
Pruning usually
occurs most
frequently
between
childhood and
puberty.
 wiring due
to damage New Neural
Connection
Any pathways are formed
Studies? in order to adapt for
damage

Studies?

2.
Shrinking
or
permanent
loss of
connection
s
(Alzheimer
s, stroke,
 Video on
Neuroplasticity
http://www.today.com/id/36032653/ns/to
day-today_health/t/meet-girl-half-brai
n
/
 Studies
The Key study for this is:

Rosenzweig and Bennett (1972)

Aim: To investigate the effects of a

deprived or enriched environment on
neuroplasticityspecifically the
development of neural connections in
the cerebral cortex

Method: RATS
 R &B cont
Method: Placed rats from the same litter in
3 different groups and kept them there for
30-60 days. Then they killed them and
looked at their brains

1. Enriched, stimulating environment (EC):

toys, other rats, maze training, lots to do

2. Impoverished environment (IC): 1 rat,

alone, no toys, no stimulation

3. Control groupfriends, no entertainment

 R &B cont
Results: Looking at their brain: The
brains were different
EC rats had increased thickness and a
heavier cortex. EC rats had developed
more Ach receptors in the cerebral
cortex (Ach=memory, cerebral cortex:
higher level thinking)

Conclusion: It suggests that the more

enriched environment positively
affected the structure of the brain
 NOW: Discussneed
the strengths and
Evaluation:
limitations
Strengths:
rigorously controlled lab experiment so it can establish
cause-effect
Replicated/follow up studies indicate that just 2 hours a
day caused the same changes as rats who were in the
EC non-stop
Brain plasticity is assumed to follow the same pattern
in humans

Limitations:
Ecological validity: used rats, can be difficult to
generalize to humans
Possible ethical considerationskilling the rats
Other Brain Plasticity
Studies
Maguire et al (2000): Review this. Add
in the strengths/limits, how does it
support brain plasticity?

Draganski et al (2004): Review this

how does it support brain plasticity?

Tierney et al (2001) Review thishow

does it support brain plasticity?
The environment and
the physiological
process
For all the studies we have looked at so far, the Physiological
Process is neuro-plasticity but there are different types (structure,
function).

What is the environmental factor for:

Maquire: Using spatial memory to memorize the layout of London
brain plasticity in structure

Draganski: Learning a new skill (how to juggle)brain plasticity in

structure

Tierney et al: Recovering from damage to language skills as a

child change in localization of function speech

Rosenzwieg and Bennet: Deprivation change in structure and

function
 2. Stress
The effect of
environment on
physiological processes
 Environment: Stress

Physiological Process: Release of

glucocorticoids through the endocrine
system

Research: Newcomer and Meany

 Review: Newcomer
(1999)
Aim: To investigate how levels of cortisol interfere with verbal
declarative memory

Method: 51 normal healthy people age 18-30 split into 3

groups

Self-selected sample (volunteered), informed consent

Ran for 4 days, very controlled

1 group got high levels of cortisol (tablet of 160 mg/day) The

same as a major stressful events in life

2nd group got low level tablets (40 mg/day) the same as a minor
stressful event

3rd groupplacebo

Then gave them memory tests

 Results: Those with high levels of cortisol
performed worse on the verbal declarative
memory testsworse each of the 4 days. The
low level showed no difference from the
control

Conclusion: Cortisol has a direct link to

memory. High levels of the hormone cortisol
can impair verbal memory skills.

Reversible, returns to normal, no permanent

damage in this study (they think)
 Limitations of
Newcomer?
4 day experiment and participants
didnt stay in lab whole
time=extraneous variables

Ethical considerationslong term

effects may be unknown

Memorizing a piece of writing may not

be the best test of memory

Participant variability
 Why does this
happen?
To EXPLAIN you need to understand
the hormone Cortisol: Glucocorticoid,
released to cope with stress, helps
covert to energy for fight/flight.
Speeds heartrate, slows digestion,
receptors all over but many in
hippocampus. Too much exposure
over-stimulates neurons which leads to
cell death. Cell death in the
hippocampus memory impairment
 More evidencewith
rats (Meaney et al.
1988)
Believed that depriving baby rats of
maternal care and grooming increased
stress response. Then, this stress
response causes hippocampal cell
death which means less ACh receptors,
which may explain why some people
develop dementia in old age.

Meany is looking to link the bodys

ability to cope with stress in early life
and the onset of dementia later in life.
Evaluation of Meany
 How do Newcomer
and Meany work
together?
Triangulation: Animal and Human
Research both coming to similar
conclusions

Both tightly controlled lab experiments

with clear variables that are
manipulated

Both are supported by many other

research studies on the role of the
hippocampus and memory as well as
studies of dementia and Alzheimers