Learning and memory

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

Learning is the acquisition of memory

Question 2

What is memory?

Answer 2

Memory is the retention of learned information

Question 3

What does declarative memory refer to?

Answer 3

Refers to facts and events

Question 4

What part of the brain is important in declarative memory?

Answer 4

Hippocampus is important in this type of memory

Question 5

What does non declarative memory refer to?

Answer 5

Refers to procedural memory like motor skills and habits

Question 6

What part of the brain is important in non declarative memory?

Answer 6

Striatum is important in this type of memory

Question 7

What are the declarative memory types?

Answer 7

• Working memory
• Short term memories
• Long term memories

Question 8

What is working memory involved in?

Answer 8

Working memory is involved in temporary storage lasting seconds

Question 9

What are short term memories vulnerable to?

Answer 9

Vulnerable to disruption

Question 10

What are stored in short term memories?

Answer 10

Facts and events are stored in short term memory

Question 11

What is memory consolidation?

Answer 11

Memory consolidation is the process of converting short to long term memories

Question 12

What is the process involved in memory consolidation?

Answer 12

Sensory information-->Short term memory-->Long term memory
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Working memory

Question 13

What is the function of the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 13

Function is self awareness, capacity for planning and problem solving

Question 14

What is the lateral intraparietal cortex associated with?

Answer 14

Associated with the visual cortex

Question 15

What is the lateral intraparietal cortex involved in?

Answer 15

Involved in eye movement

Question 16

What does the engram refer to?

Answer 16

Refers to a collection of neurons which when they act together, they’re responsible . for the storage of memory

Question 17

Steps involved the engram

Answer 17

1. The engram is activated by a stimulus
2. Revertebrating activity continues after the stimulus is removed
3. Hebbian modification strengthens the reciprocal connections between neurons that are actibe at the same time
4. After learning, partial activation of the assembly leads to activation of the entire representation of the stimulus

Question 18

What does consolidation involve?

Answer 18

Involves the medial temporal lobes

Question 19

Steps in consolidation of memory

Answer 19

Sensory information–>Cortical association areas–>Parahippocampal and rhinal cortical areas–>HIppocampus–>Thalamus/Hypothalamus

Question 20

What is amnesia?

Answer 20

Amnesia is a serious loss of memory and/or ability to learn

Question 21

What is amnesia caused by?

Answer 21

Caused by concussion, chronic alcoholism, encephalitis, brain tumor and stroke

Question 22

What do you suffer in retrograde amnesia?

Answer 22

Suffer severe detriment in in memories they already have before trauma

Question 23

What happens in anterograde amnesia?

Answer 23

Inability to form memories after trauma but memories before trauma still intact

Question 24

Spatial memory and place cells

Answer 24

• Learning morris water maze requires hippocampus
• Place cells fire when animal is in a specific place
• Place fields are dynamic

Question 25

When do place cells fire?

Answer 25

Place cells fire when an animal is in a specific location

Question 26

What are the 2 models of memory consolidation?

Answer 26

• Standard model of memory consolidation

- Multiple trace model of consolidation

Question 27

What happens in standard model of memory consolidation?

Answer 27

Information from neocortex areas associated with sensory systems are sent to medial temporal lobe for processing

Question 28

What involvement is continued in the multiple trace model of consolidation?

Answer 28

• Hippocampi involvements is continued

- Multiple memory traces

Question 29

What are the 2 models of memory consolidation dependent on?

Answer 29

Both models are dependent on synapse plasticity

Question 30

What is synaptic plasticity?

Answer 30

Synaptic plasticity is the biological process by which specific patterns of synaptic activity result in changes in synaptic strength

Question 31

What is involved in memory?

Answer 31

Multiple neurons involved in memory

Question 32

What can changes in neuronal response be explained by?

Answer 32

Changes in neuronal response can be explained by synaptic plasticity

Question 33

What are the steps in the trisynaptic circuit of the hippocampus involved in memory?

Answer 33

• Stimulus arrives from the entorhinal cortex through the perforant pathway
• These synapse onto granule cells
• These then synapse onto schaffer collaterals
• Schaffer collaterals synapse onto CA1 neurons

Question 34

What is the mechanism of LTP in CA1?

Answer 34

Glutamate receptors mediate excitatory synapse

• AMPA receptors first stimulated by glutamate
• This causes depolarisation of CA1 neuron
• This causes NMDA receptors to open causing a Ca2+ influx
• Kinases are then activated in postsynaptic neuron
  1. These kinases increase responsivity of the NMDA receptor causing more depolarisation for less glutamate release for LTP
  2. They also increase movement of AMPA receptors to postsynaptic membrane, hence making the target neuron more responsive
• Structural changes occur following LTP including dendritic spine growth