2.1 Structural Plasticity in Nervous Systems

Neuroscience: Study of the brain and the rest of the nervous system.

Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Motor and sensory neurons that communicate between brain and body. (everything besides the CNS)

Chapter 3 - The Brain

Brain Structure

Plasticity - How Experiences Changes Brain Structure

Environment Enrichment: An environment with sensory stimulation and opportunities to explore and learn will lead to larger cortex and increased learning capacities. (e.g. for a rat, a cage with many toys and other rats is an enriched environment)

On-the-Job Training: London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus than non-taxi drivers.

Synaptic Plasticity: Synapses are altered by experience

Hebbian Learning: Increased use creates stronger neural connections and vise-versa

2.3 Looking for Memories

Karl Lashley’s Search for the Engram

Engram: A physical change in the brain that forms the basis of a memory

Theory of Equipotentiality: Memories are stored globally over entire brain rather than in one area.