Which part of the brain grows in the taxi driver?

Which part of the brain grows in the taxi driver?

hippocampus
The hippocampus regions of taxi drivers’ brains — which play an important role in learning and memory — appear to grow larger the longer the drivers are on the job, he said, while the same region is known to shrink in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

What research method did Maguire use for her study of brain plasticity in taxi drivers?

Structural MRI scans
Method: Structural MRI scans were obtained.

Do taxi drivers have a bigger hippocampus?

The part of the brain that navigates spatial intelligence is called the hippocampus, a pair of two chestnut sized masses toward the back of your head. The researchers found that London cab drivers have uniquely bigger hippocampi than almost anyone else.

Do cab drivers have bigger brains?

The posterior hippocampi of taxi drivers were significantly larger relative to those of control subjects. A more anterior hippocampal region was larger in control subjects than in taxi drivers.

What does the study with London taxi drivers tell us about the hippocampus and plasticity?

Licensed London taxi drivers show that humans have a remarkable capacity to acquire and use knowledge of a large complex city to navigate within it. Gray matter volume differences in the hippocampus relative to controls have been reported to accompany this expertise.

How does Maguire show neuroplasticity?

Maguire et al’s study into taxi drivers serves as an example of neuroplasticity as it demonstrates how due to the environmental demands placed on the taxi drivers, neuroplasticity took place in the form of an increased grey matter, which facilitates spatial memory.

Did Maguire use an MRI?

One issue with this study, however, was that there were a lot of possible confounding variables, so Maguire designed a new experiment and in 2006 she used MRI scans to compare the brains of taxi drivers and bus drivers.

Do taxi drivers have good memory?

With the new research, scientists can definitively say that London taxi drivers not only have larger-than-average memory centers in their brains, but also that their intensive training is responsible for the growth.

How much do London cabbies make?

There are no official statistics, but drivers themselves will tell you that London cabbies can earn around £65,000 per year, about $100,000, while maintaining an enviably flexible schedule.

How did a study of London cab drivers change traditional beliefs about the brain?

The studies also showed that although taxi drivers displayed better memory for London-based information, they showed poorer learning and memory on other memory tasks involving visual information, suggesting that there might be a price to pay for acquiring the Knowledge.

How do London cab drivers learn the Knowledge?

Most people who apply to become a licensed taxi driver and take the Knowledge of London exam use a scooter to help learn the runs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E44W54z_Ykw