Physiological Psychology Lecture Notes: N.S.

Damage
Neuroplastic Responses to nervous system Damage
Degeneration - Deterioration Regeneration - regrowth of damaged neurons Reorganization Recovery

Degeneration Cutting axons (axotomy) is a common way to study responses to neuronal damage If there is too much damage the cell will die. But if doesn't completely damaged When you perform a cut you do

Anterograde: degeneration of the distal segment - between the cut and synaptic terminals . Retrograde: degeneration of the proximal segment - between the cut and cell body. Transneuronal Degeneration: spreads from damaged neuron to neurons linked by synapse. Because it doesn't receive any messages from the other cells, it will begin to degrade also Retrograde transneuronal degeneration Neural Regeneration not successful in mammals - capacity for accurate axonal growth Is lost in maturity Regeneration is virtually nonexistant in the CNS of adult mammals and unlikely, but possible in the PNS Neural Regeneration in the PNS If the orignal Schwann cell myelin sheath is intact, regeneration axons my grow through them to their original. Starts 2 to 3 days after the injury If growing it grows a few millimeters a day If the nerve is severed & the ends are separated, they may grow into incorrect sheaths If ends are widely separated, no meaningful regeneration will occur Neural Regeneration If you take cells from the CNS and place them in the PNS they CAN regerate PNS neurons WILL NOT regenerate in the CNS Schwann cells promote regeneration (peripheral)(PNS) Neurotropic factors stimulate growth CAMs provide a pathway (cell adhesion molecules) Oligodendrocytes actively inhibit regeneration (Central) (CNS) This is why PNS cells won't regenerate in CNS

Neural Reorganization Reorganization of primary sensory & motor systems has been observed in Laboratory Animals following

Damage to peripheral nerves Damage to primary cortical areas EX: Lesion 1 retina & rmove the other - V1 neurons that originally responded to lesioned area now responded to an adjacent area - remapping occurred within minutes. (VERY QUICKLY) Studies show large scale of reorganization possible e.g. touch & movement Phantom Limb: can be seen as reorganization/remapping

Cortical Reorganization Following Damage in Humans Brain-imaging studies indicate there is continuous competition for cortical space by functional circuits e.g. Auditory and Somatosensory input may be processed in formerly visual areas in blinded individuals. Correlation because researchers can't blind people By 1 year after the injury occurred any reorganization that does occur

Mechanisms of Neural Reorganization Two theories: Strengthened existing connections due to a release from inhibition? SUPPORTED BY: Consistent with speed & localized nature of reorganization Changes of no more than 2 millimeters for rapid reorganization. EVIDENCE SUPPORT BOTH THEORIES Establishment of new Connections? Magnitude can be too great to be explained by changes in existing connections alone Fig 10.19

Recovery of Function after Damage

Difficult to conduct controlled experiments on populations of brain-damaged patients. e.g. Same time, same The smaller the lesion (less damage) and the younger you are the more likely you will recover function Can't distinguish between true recovery & compensatory changes. Damage results in the person using other areas to compensate (hard for researchers to distinguish) Cognitive Reserve: education & intellignece - thought to play an important role in recovery of function - may permit cognitive tasks to be accomplished in new ways. Adult Neurogenesis may play a role in recovery e.g. Ischemia, may be recovered by hippocampus (preleminary research not factual based but theory)

Neuroplasticity & the Treatment of nervous system Damage Reducing brain damage by blocking neurodegeration Promoting recovery by promoting regeneration Promoting recovery by transplantation. Promoting recovory by Rehabilitative Training.

Reducing Brain Damage by Blocking Neurodegeneration Various neurochemicals can block or limit neurodegeneration Apoptosis inhibitor protein Nerve Growth Factor Estrogens: limit or delay neuron death. May be why women tend to recover faster than men. Neuroprotective molecules tend to also promote regeneration Promoting Regeneration While regeneration does not normally occur in the CNS, experimentally it can be induced directing growth of axons by Schwann Cells Olfactory ensheathing celss **Don with rat studies** Neurotransplantation Transplanting fetal Tissue Fetal substantia nigra cells used to treat MPTP treated monkeys (PD model) Treatment was successful (not completely recovered but better) Limited success with humans 15% had side effects Transplanting Stem cells e.g. Embryonic stems cells implanted into damaged rat spinal cord Rats with spinal damage had improved mobility Research is still in its infancy but seen as positive Rehabilitative Training Basically Repetitive training Monkeys recovered hand function from induced strokes following rehab training Constraint-induced Therapy: in stroke patients - tie down functioning limb while training the impaired one - creates a competitive situation to foster recovery (Humans) Facilitated Walking: as an approach to treating spinal injury. Use of a harness and tredmill. Physical and Cognitive rehabilitative (in book) more resistant to illness and disease.