L10 Neuropsychology of Memory Flashcards
How can amnesia be characterised? Which systems remain intact and are unaffected?
Ability to take in new information is severely and usually permanently affected
Visuospatial and phonological stores are intact
Intelligence, attention span and personality unaffected
Damage to the medial temporal lobe and anatomically associated areas
What causes amnesia?
damage to the medial temporal lobe or anatomically connected regions
What is declarative memory
episodic and semantic
Dependant on the integrity of the medial temporal lobes
what is procedural memory
learning of motor skills using dedicated brain systems which can become impaired in pathology but not in amnesia
What is Squire’s Declarative Memory Theory?
no difference between episodic and semantic memory. All declarative memories (episodic and semantic) depend on medial temporal lobes for their acquisition and short-term retention
What is Squire’s standard model of consolidation
Over time, declarative memories become consolidated to other brain regions
What is episodic memory
personal events
events specific to times and places
What is semantic memory
facts, knowledge
What is semantic dementia
impaired semantic memory
Poor knowledge of meaning of words or concepts
What part of the brain is associated with semantic knowledge?
lateral temporal cortex (on the left side of the brain)
What causes spontaneous confabulation
damage to the frontal lobe
not due to damage to memory storage
What is working memory?
Temporary form of information storage that is limited in capacity and requires rehearsal
Is Wernicke-Korsakoff a neurodegenerative disease? How is it characterised?
No
Dementia, amnesia, learning and memory difficulties and confabulation
Seen in chronic alcoholism and accompanying malnutrition and vitamin deficiency
