ELM18: Learning and memory 1

Question 1

What is the definition of learning?

Answer 1

The acquisition of new knowledge or skills

Question 2

What is the definition of memory?

Answer 2

The retention of learned information

Question 3

What is included in declarative explicit memory?

Answer 3

Facts and events

Question 4

What is included in non-declarative implicit memory?

Answer 4

Procedural skills and habits
Is associative

Question 5

What types of memory is stored in the hippocampus?

Answer 5

Explicit

Question 6

What type of memory is stored in the cerebellum and basal ganglia?

Answer 6

Procedural

Question 7

What type of memory is stored in the amygdala?

Answer 7

Emotional responses

Question 8

What type of memory is stored in the cortex?

Answer 8

Short and long term explicit memroy

Question 9

Which area of the brain is involved in navigation?

Answer 9

Hippocampus

Question 10

What are place cells?

Answer 10

Hippocampal neurons that fire at a high rate when the animal is in a specific location in the environment called place field

Question 11

What is a cognitive map?

Answer 11

Internal neural representation of landscape in which an animal travels

Question 12

What are the characteristics of short term memory?

Answer 12

Lasts for seconds or hours
Repetition promotes retention
Labile
No new RNA or protein synthesis

Question 13

What are the characteristics of long term memory?

Answer 13

Lasts for days or years
Consolidated
Does need new RNA or protein synthesis

Question 14

What is the function of working memory?

Answer 14

To hold information in the mind

Question 15

What are the 4 stages of memory?

Answer 15

Sensory stimulus
Encoding
Storage
Retrieval

Question 16

What is the basic mechanism of how memories are formed?

Answer 16

There are changes in existing neural circuits

Question 17

What are two examples of changes involved in the mechanism of memory?

Answer 17

Altered synaptic strength
Neuronal excitability

Question 18

What is Hebbian plasticity?

Answer 18

When one axon is near to another and repeatedly help it fire metabolic processes take place that make it more efficient

Question 19

What is long term potentiation?

Answer 19

Strengthening of synapses after a synapse is stimulated
Causes long lasting increase in signal transmission between two neuron

Question 20

What are two glutamate receptors?

Answer 20

AMPA
NMDA

Question 21

What is an AMPA receptor?

Answer 21

Requires glutamate to open and allows Na+ influx

Question 22

What is an NMDA receptor?

Answer 22

Requires glutamate and glycine and depolarisation to open
Allows sodium and calcium influx

Question 23

What is the mechanism of long term potentiation?

Answer 23

1. Presynaptic changes occur
2. Increased NT vesicles and increased NT release
3. Post synaptic changes occur
4. Increased dendritic area and spines and increase AMPA receptors

Question 24

What is needed for postsynaptic mechanisms to occur?

Answer 24

Diverse signalling pathways
PKA
Protein synthesis

Question 25

What is long term depression?

Answer 25

When synaptic transmission happens at the same time as a weak depolarisation of postsynaptic neuron

Question 26

What are the results of an LTP?

Answer 26

In LTP strong depolarisation will lead to high levels of calcium

Question 27

What are the results of LTD?

Answer 27

In LTD weak depolarisation will lead to little calcium influx

Question 28

What are some physiological functions of LTD?

Answer 28

Hippocampus dependent learning and memory Fear conditioning and amygdala Recognition and memory in perirhinal cortex Cerebellar learning

Question 29

What are some pathological stages LTD is involved in?

Answer 29

Psychiatric disorders Drug addiction Mental retardation Neurodegenerative diseases

Question 30

What is amnesia?

Answer 30

Loss of memories Often from trauma Transient or permanent

Question 31

What is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 31

Difficulty remembering past information

Question 32

What is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 32

Difficulty learning new information

Question 33

What is dementia?

Answer 33

Symptoms affecting memory thinking and social abilIties

Question 34

What causes dementia?

Answer 34

Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and accumulation of extracellular beta amyloid plaques

Question 35

What is vascular dementia?

Answer 35

After a stroke or other conditions that damage blood vessels that reduce circulation Problems with memory reasoning planning and judgement