Briefly describe and explain one study in which plasticity of the brain has been investigated. (4 marks)

Maguire et al. (2000) looked at MRI scans of London taxi drivers. These drivers had to undergo extensive navigational training, known as ‘The Knowledge’ before they became drivers. It was found that, compared to controls, the taxi drivers had increased grey matter in the posterior hippocampus. This area of the brain has been associated with spatial navigation, indicating that when this area is heavily used, the increased activation can increase the size of it. This demonstrates that the brain can adapt and change in response to a particular set of skills being needed more. It was also found that the longer the participant had been a taxi driver, the more prominent these differences were, further supporting the concept of plasticity of the brain.