Introduction Flashcards
What Happened to H.M ?
H.M had epileptic seizures at 16 which resulted in a surgery called a bilateral medial lobotomy
What is a bilateral medial lobotomy
It is the removal of the bilateral medial temporal lobes including the hippocampus
Bilateral > both sides of the brains
Medial > the middle of the temporal lobes
Hippocampus
A very important structure in the consolidation of memory
What were the effects of the surgery on H.M
He developed profound anterograde amnesia
( can’t remember his last meal , where he lives or his own age > often off by as much as 43 years )
Who was Clive Wearing ?
A British expert in music
What happened to Clive ?
He contracted herpes encephalitis which caused damage to the hippocampus - Clive was unable to store new memories because he developed amnesia.
However he could still recall how to play the piano and conduct a choir
How was it possible for Clive to remember these abilities ?
It is a result of muscle memory which is also known as procedural memory, this is controlled by the cerebellum which was not damaged
Procedural memory
A procedure you don’t need to think about
E.g. driving , riding a bicycle… etc.
What else can you say about memory ?
Memory isn’t just one thing, there are various types of memory and memory systems
Impairment in one aspect of memory can affect another but this doesn’t mean we are without memory
What does memory allow us to do ?
Memory allows us to learn and adapt because we are able to remember the previous context of a present situation in order to learn.
Learning is central to our survival
What is memory ?
Memory is an active system that allows us to record, store and later retrieve information.
Memory is both a process and a place (stored in specific areas of the brain)
What does the memory process include ?
- Encoding
- Consolidation
- Storage
- Retrieval
- Encoding
Converts sensory information into a form that the brain can understand , this is done by translating the information into neural codes
Where one rehearses information by elaborating on the meaning of the information ( conscious and deliberate encoding )
Automatic encoding
People unconsciously notice and remember things
Flashbulb memories
Unexpected event or episode in someone’s life that has strong emotional associations
