L8 : foundations of learning and memory Flashcards
What is the primary function of the nervous system in relation to events?
Wires itself to deal with typical events better than atypical ones.
What does the nervous system embody based on individual experiences?
Certain expectations about the world.
What happens when cells flow across the receptor fields?
The target cell becomes active if enough cells fit the receptor fields.
What is more important for activating a target cell in the receptor field?
The number of cells in the receptor field.
What is the principle behind ‘cells that fire together wire together’?
Cells that are out of sync lose their link.
Define baseline activity in neurons.
A neuron’s activity without stimulation.
What is neural signalling?
Change in activity release to baseline.
What causes synaptic plasticity?
Persistent signalling causes the synapse to change.
List the short-term molecular changes due to increased synaptic activity.
- Increased neurotransmitter release by presynaptic axon terminal
- Increased number of channels in postsynaptic membrane.
What results from sustained increased activity in synapses?
Long-term structural changes, including growth of new synapses.
What are the behavioural consequences of synaptic changes?
- Optimising existing behaviour
- Acquiring new behaviour.
How does increased transmission rate affect environmental response?
More quickly and reliably responds to important changes.
What does decreased transmission rate enable in terms of environmental response?
Better ability to ignore unimportant changes.
Fill in the blank: Learning = _______.
[forming new connections]
What does evidence from brain lesion studies indicate about memory storage?
No specific place in the cortex serves solely for memory formation or storage.
What was Karl Lashley’s law of mass action?
Loss of memory corresponds to the size of the lesion.
What happens to memory performance with increased cortical destruction?
Worse memory performance.
What can certain cortical lesions destroy?
Specific types of memories.
What memory loss occurs with a lesion in V4?
- Loss of colour perception
- Loss of colour memory.
What are the effects of a lesion in the right fusiform gyrus?
- Loss of face perception
- Loss of memory for faces.
What happened to patient HM after surgery on the medial temporal lobes?
Developed severe anterograde amnesia.
What could patient HM still do despite his condition?
- Remember events before surgery
- Learn events implicitly
- Learn new skills.
What characterizes Korsakoff’s syndrome?
Thiamine deficit leading to degeneration of neurons in specific brain regions.
What type of amnesia do patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome develop?
- Anterograde amnesia
- Retrograde amnesia.
How do patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome differ from patient HM?
They show impairment of intellect and are unaware of their condition.
What is a key characteristic of PTSD?
Inability to forget traumatic experiences.
What are common symptoms of PTSD?
- Flashbacks
- Concentration problems
- Depression
- Nightmares.
What is the role of hormones in emotional states?
Chemicals generated by the endocrine system transported to the brain.
What is the role of the amygdala in emotional memories?
Crucial for emotional memories; damage leads to emotional flatness and inability to learn fear responses.
Fill in the blank: The amygdala has a direct link to the _______.
[Hypothalamus]
