Page 32 - Unit 3: Brain Building
P. 32
Brain Building Answers
6. When we become better at doing something and find it easier, it is because
practice has caused neural firing to take place.
This repeated neural firing has caused the myelin sheath to thicken and
dentrites to become bushier. This in turn means the message travels
more quickly between neurons. The faster the signals in the brain,
the better we are at doing that thing!
6. Scientists have found that new brain circuitry can be built at any age.
7. There are many studies that could be used to explain how
experiences build the brain, e.g.:
o Donald Hebb and the rats study
o Hubel and Wiesel‘s study with eye-patched kittens
o Maguire’s study of London taxi drivers which found the areas
of the brain associated with navigation was larger than in
non-taxi drivers (and increased with experience).
o Kraus et al’s study of music and neuroplasticity.
