Chapter 5C Flashcards
the role of episodic and semantic memory in remebering and imagining
Retrieving
autobiographical
events
- Autobiographical memory: a memory of
personally lived experiences - It links past events into a personal history to
allow yourself to form a life narrative of past,
present and future. - These experiences are stored in long-term
memory and accessed through retrieval into
conscious awareness - episodic memory and semantic memory are involved in the retrieval of autobiographical events ass they are comprised of both episodic information as well as semantic information
Constructing possible imagined
futures
Possible imagined futures: hypothetical experiences and situations that an
individual can create and conceptualise in their mind
* It involves projecting yourself forwards in time to pre-experience an event
that might happen in your personal future.
neurodegenerative disease
- A neurodegenerative disease is a
disorder characterised by the
progressive decline in the structure,
activity and function of brain tissue. - Neurons within the brain tissue
(‘neuro’) gradually become
damaged or deteriorate
(‘degenerate’) and lose their
function - Alzheimer’s Disease is an example
of a neurodegenerative disease that
is characterized by memory decline
alzherimers disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia characterised by the wide-spread degeneration of neurons. It
causes memory decline, the deterioration of cognitive and social skills, and can even lead to personality
changes. Sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease may experience the growth of abnormal structures within their
brains such as beta amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles which are considered lesions.
brain lessions
refer to damage or changes in the tissue of an organism’s brain, typically caused by
disease or trauma.
beta amyloid plaques
refer to proteins that form on the axons of neurons and prevent neural
transmission, thereby preventing communication between neurons.
neurofibrillary tangles
refer to proteins within neurons that inhibit the transport of essential
substances through the neuron, eventually killing the neuron.
brain imaging
- Brain imaging includes CT, MRI and PET scans. They allow
researchers to see the structure and function of the brain in-vivo
(in a living person) - This allows for changes to the brain to be observed over time,
including cortical shrinkage, inactivity and brain lesions
post mortem studies
Post mortem studies allow the brain to be analysed after death.
* Alzheimer’s Disease can only be confirmed in an autopsy to
confirm the presence of brain lesions.
* Brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s Disease are often
microscopic, so cannot be easily detected by brain imaging.
symptoms of alzheimers disease
- memory loss
- Personality changes
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Repetition
effects of alzheimers on memory
- Alzheimer’s primarily affects simple episodic and semantic memories before progressing to affect complex episodic and semantic memories. Typically, patients will begin by experiencing simple forms of
memory decline (e.g. misplacing items around the house like keys or a phone) then eventually progress to severe, late-stage cases involving the loss of complex, long-term memories (e.g. the names and faces of
loved ones, or the functions of basic objects like keys or a phone). - Another common symptom of Alzheimer’s is anterograde amnesia. This commonly refers to the loss of autobiographical memories formed after an
individual incurs brain damage. - The ability to form new procedural memories may also be limited for sufferers of Alzheimer’s. This can
impede their ability to follow directions or care for themselves.
-Other symptoms of Alzheimer’s include
having poor social and judgement skills, abnormal emotional reactions, decline of intellectual ability, the
loss of mental capacity, and poor decision-making capabilities.
mental imagery
- Mental imagery is the visual
representations and
experiences of sensory
information without any
sensory stimuli present.
aphantasia
Aphantasia is a phenomenon
in which people are unable to
visualise mental imagery.
symptoms of aphantasia
Symptoms include:
▪ Struggling to remember or ‘relive’ autobiographical events
▪ Having difficulty imagining future or hypothetical events
▪ Having problems with factual memory
▪ Dreaming less
▪ Decreased imagery involving other senses like sound or touch
▪ Trouble with facial recognition
what causes aphantasia
- Scientists aren’t sure what causes aphantasia;
however, it has been suggested that areas involved in
visual imagery, such as the visual cortex, may be
underactive.
People with aphantasia do experience mental
imagery but can’t access the image in their
conscious thoughts. - Aphantasia can be congenital (present from birth) or
can be acquired (due to brain injury or significant
psychological event). - It is important to understand that aphantasia is not a
disability but rather a unique variation in human
experience. - There is no known ‘cure’ for aphantasia.