9. Learning and Memory Flashcards
amnesia typically occurs following damage to the …?
Medial temporal lobe
what are symptoms of bilateral damage to the MTL
(4)
- impaired memory but preserved perception, cognition, intelligence and action
- impaired long term memory but not working memory
- impaired recent but not remote memories
- impaired explicit but not implicit memories
implicit memory is spared in amnesia patients
> conclusion on brain level?
probably different brain regions are associated with implicit memories than explicit memories
which memory systems are spared/impaired in amnesia?
- short term memory spared
- non-declarative memory spared
- episodic memory definitely impaired
- semantic memory typically impaired
what does Ribot’s law state?
Ribot: older memories are more stable than newer ones
what is semantic dementia?
damage where?
semantic dementia: patient can remember recent but not old events
> damage to the lateral anterior temporal cortex
fMRI: activation of which brain regions predicts forgetting?
forgetting:
> activation of the lower left VLPFC and parahippocampla regions
which brain regions are capable of plasticity?
the whole brain
> learning and memory is a brain level property, not a specialized faculty
what does the multiple traces model state?
memories are consolidated by creating a new trace each time the memory is retrieved
> multiple traces make the memory less prone to disruption
what is a memory trace?
memory trace:
> a bound ensemple of neurons in neocortex and MTL
> MTL neurons act as a pointer to cortical neurons
> formation of traces withing seconds (to days)
how are semantic memories created?
repeated episodic memories are intergrated and disconnected from autobiographical elements
> not “remembering” anymore, but “knowing”
most synapses in the cortex are …. and act on the NTM…
the minority of synapses are …. and act on the NTM …
> excitatory and act on glutamate
> inhibitory and act on GABA
which brain waves are associated with communication between neocortex and hippocampus?
theta waves
what is rapid consolidation also called?
how long does it take?
what happens?
rapid consolidation = synaptic consolidation
> within minutes to hours
> local processes strengthen the synaps
> when stimulus lasts long enough/is intensive enough, additional processes are activated (gene transcription, new protein formation)
> those processes cause long lasting changes on cellular level
how long does system consolidation take?
what happens?
system consolidation: days to years
> connection between MTL and neocortex is strengthened
> unique autobiographical memories always need the aid of the MTL (moscovitch, nadel)
> repeated memories do not
