disorders of memory

Question 1

describe HM’s case and which psychologist observed him. is this dissociation or double dissociation

Answer 1

Milner, 1978 - dissociation

Memory Deficits Experienced by H.M.:

Anterograde Amnesia: H.M.’s most significant deficit was in forming new explicit (declarative) memories. After the surgery, he was unable to create new long-term memories of events (episodic memory) or facts (semantic memory). This meant that while he could interact normally in the present, he would not remember the interaction shortly afterward.

Partial Retrograde Amnesia:

H.M. also exhibited some degree of retrograde amnesia, meaning he had difficulty recalling events that occurred before his surgery. However, this was not as profound or extensive as his anterograde amnesia. His long-term memories from early in his life, before the surgery, were largely intact, suggesting that the hippocampus is not the site of long-term memory storage.

Intact Memory Functions:

Working Memory and Immediate Recall:
H.M. could hold information in his working memory for a short period, as long as he maintained his focus on it. For example, he could carry on a conversation because his working memory was intact.

Procedural Memory:
H.M. could learn new skills and perform tasks that did not require him to remember past learning sessions. This type of memory is known as procedural or implicit memory. For instance, H.M. could improve at drawing a figure by looking at its reflection in a mirror, even though he had no memory of practicing the task.

what did this suggest:
His condition indicated that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in converting short-term memories into long-term explicit memories, a process known as memory consolidation.
H.M. demonstrated that various brain systems mediate various types of memory (such as explicit vs. implicit memory). His ability to learn new skills (procedural memory) despite his inability to form new explicit memories suggested that these types of memory are processed and stored differently.showing that specific areas of the brain are responsible for different cognitive functions.

Question 2

what is Karsakoffs syndrome

Answer 2

Temporal lobe amnesia, Korsakoff’s syndrome, alcohol excess (in order to metabolise alcohol requires lots of vitamin b, therefore consuming it regular depletes vitamin b levels) this is crucial for human memory, therefore going low of those vitamins for too long you can develop memory problems.

Question 3

what other ways in which you can suffer memory deficits like amnesia and what can cause temporary amnesia

Answer 3

Close head injury- sustain a whack in the head but no injury i.e., skull is intact (boxing, rugby),
-TBI
-excessive alcohol misuse
-neurodegenerative diseases

temp amnesia
-drugs

Question 4

Explain the case of KC Tulving in 1989

Answer 4

had a head injury due to traffic accident that affected him fronto-parietal regions
-this caused him to no longer retrieve any personal memories of past but his general knowledge remains intact
-so demonstrated how semantic and episodic memories are mutually exclusive and function independently with separate mechanisms.

Question 5

what are the two types of amnesia

Answer 5

anterograde
inability to store and form new memories
inability to transfer from STM-LTM

retrograde (rare)
inability to recall past experiences prior to trauma

Question 6

describe the biology of storage for different brain regions

Answer 6

frontal lobe
-stores semantic and episodic memories

temporal lobe
-long term episodic and semantic memories and STM

cerebellum
-storage of procedural memories

hippocampus
-important for storage and processing of STM

amygdala
-emotional memories

prefrontal cortex
-storage of STM

motor cortex
-storage of procedural memories

Question 7

what is fugue state

Answer 7

Fugue states- typeof temporary memory loss and end up in a unexpected place, whihc causes you to not remember certain details about the past

i.e., when you come home to the person you love to find the in bed with someone killing the and not remember doing this crime.

Question 8

What’s the difference between pathological and normal aging?

Answer 8

the speed of processing declines, but that shouldn’t mean the person can’t live an independent life, therefore any deficit in daily function can infer pathological.

Question 9

reminiscence bump

Answer 9

The positive effect can be a problem, where you remember your life was positive than it was, this is a problem as your tyring to remember what happened in your past but you can’t access those negative memories as your brain blanks them.