14 - D. Cerebral plasticity

D. Cerebral plasticity

© SPMM Course decade. Dopamine receptors continue to decrease in adult years, but at a considerably slower rate of 2.2% reduction per decade. This rate is faster in males than in females. In schizophrenia, the rate of D2 receptor loss is faster (6.0% loss per decade) than in healthy men. While excessive or prolonged pruning is associated with schizophrenia, relative under-pruning is implicated in autism, wherein the size of certain brain regions may be larger than in healthy controls. D. Cerebral plasticity Cerebral plasticity refers to the capability of the brain to be molded. Cortical sensory maps change with variations in sensory input. Patients with phantom limb also show reorganization of sensory maps after amputation so that the representation of the amputated limb may occur on the cortical face area. Repeated practice also leads to a reorganization of brain’s functional regions. Such an effect is seen in musicians, jugglers and other professionals who repeatedly undertake a learned motor task.