Learning and Memory Pt. I

Question 1

perceptual learning

Answer 1

Learning to recognize a particular stimulus.


Question 2

Associative learning

Answer 2

Learning to automatically make a particular response in the presence of a particular stimulus; includes classical conditioning.
Learning which responses lead to reinforcement in the presence of certain cues, includes instrumental conditioning

Question 3

Hebb rule

Answer 3

The hypothesis proposed by Donald Hebb that the cellular basis of learning involves strengthening of a synapse that is repeatedly active when the postsynaptic neuron fires.

Question 4

dentate gyrus

Answer 4

Part of the hippocampal formation; receives inputs from the entorhinal cortex and projects to the filed CA3 of the hippocampus.

Question 5

field CA1

Answer 5

Part of the hippocampus; receives inputs from field CA3 and projects out of the hippocampal formation via the subiculum.

Question 6

field CA3

Answer 6

Part of the hippocampus; receives input from the dentate gyrus and projects to the field CA1.

Question 7

Hippocampal circuit

Answer 7

preferment pathway to hippocampus:

ethelrhinal cortex–>dentate gyrus –>CA3–>CA1–>subiculum–>entorhinal cortex–>cerebrum

Question 8

long-term potentiation (LTP)

Answer 8

A long-term increase in the excitability of a neuron to a particular synaptic input caused by repeated high-frequency activity.

Question 9

hippopocampal formation

Answer 9

A forebrain structure of the temporal lobe, constituting an important part of the limbic system; includes the hippocampus proper (Ammon’s horn), dentate gyrus, and subiculum.


Question 10

entorhinal cortex

Answer 10

A region of the limbic cortex that provides the major source of input to the hippocampal formation.


Question 11

granule cell

Answer 11

A small, granular cell; those found in the dentate gyrus send axons to the field CA3 of the hippocampus.

Question 12

Population EPSP

Answer 12

An evoked potential that represents the EPSPs of a population of neurons

Question 13

perforant path

Answer 13

The system of axons that travel from cells in the entorhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation.

Question 14

associative long-term potentiation

Answer 14

A long-term potentiation in which concurrent stimulation of weak and strong synapses to a given neuron strengthens the weak ones.

Question 15

NMDA receptor

Answer 15

A specialized ionotropic glutamate receptor that controls a calcium channel that is normally blocked by Mg2+ ions; involved in long-term potentiation.

Question 16

AP5 2-Amino-5-phosphonopentanoate

Answer 16

A drug that blocks NMDA receptors.

Question 17

dendritic spike

Answer 17

An action potential that occurs in the dendrite of some types of pyramidal cells.

Question 18

AMPA receptor

Answer 18

An ionotropic glutamate receptor that controls a sodium channel; when open, it produces EPSPs.

Question 19

CaM-KII

Answer 19

Type II calcium-calmodulin kinase, an enzyme that must be activated by calcium; may play a role in the establishment of long-term potentiation.

Question 20

Nitric Oxide

Answer 20

is produced postsynaptically, but diffuses into presynaptic cell (retroactive messenger)

This promotes production of cyclic GMP, a second messenger

Question 21

Long term LTP

Answer 21

There are two types, LTP2 and LTP3

LTP2 involves local protein synthesis, via messenger RNA’s that code for enzymes, receptor components, and structural proteins

LTP3 involves nuclear mRNA that is then transported out to dendrites

Proteins diffuse through cell protoplasm but are attracted by chemical “tags” on the dendritic spines where LTP1 and LTP2 have taken place

Question 22

Instrumental conditioning

Answer 22

A form of learning related to the consequences of action. Formally described by B.F. Skinner. Outcomes either increase (reinforce) or decrease (punish) the probability of the behavior; also called operant conditioning.


Question 23

Positive reinforcer

Answer 23

An appetitive stimulus that follows an instrumental behavior and thus makes the behavior become more frequent.

Question 24

Negative reinforcer

Answer 24

An aversive stimulus whose occurrence is turned off by an instrumental behaviour, and thus makes the behaviour more frequent. 


Question 25

Punishing stimulus

Answer 25

An aversive stimulus that follows a particular behavior and thus makes the behavior become less frequent.