Juliana began taking violin lessons as a young child. As a teenager she participated in a research study in which MRI scans of teenagers who had played the violin for several years were compared to MRI scans of other teenagers who had never played a musical instrument. The MRI scans of the teenage violinists showed that brain regions devoted to control of the fine muscles of the hands and fingers were larger in the teenage musicians than in the nonmusicians. This example illustrates the important phenomenon of:
A)muscular atrophy.
B)structural plasticity.
C)lateralization of function.
D)myelin regrowth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon being illustrated is structural plasticity, which is the brain's ability to physically change its structure in response to experience or training. In this case, the brain regions responsible for controlling fine muscle movements had grown larger in the teenage musicians due to their violin practice. Muscular atrophy refers to the decrease in size and strength of muscles due to disuse, and is not applicable here. Lateralization of function refers to the specialization of different brain regions for specific functions, and while this may be involved in the violinists' increased motor control, it is not the main concept being illustrated. Myelin regrowth refers to the process by which damaged nerve fibers are repaired, and is not relevant to this example.

Juliana Began Taking Violin Lessons as a Young Child