LearnMem3 Flashcards
Brain Plasticity
The ability for the brain to change in structure
Engram
A physical change in the brain that forms the basis of a memory
Karl Lashley concluded from his experiments that…
The engram is distributed throughout the brain and not stored particularly in any one brain region
The synapse is about ____ ____ long
~20 nanometers
Dendritic spines
Small protruding extension of dendritic membrane
In what ways can the brain change?
- Structural
- Signal transmission
More; longer; connections; learning
Structural changes in the brain
- Dendrite length
- # of spines
- # of axon terminals
Change in signal transmission in the brain
- Quantity of neurotransmitter in each vesicle
- # of vesicles available for release
- # of receptors on postsynaptic neuron
- Rate of neurotransmitter breakdown / reuptake
Hippocampus is the brain region that plays are major role for…
Learning and memory
Subregions of the hippocampus (and their pathway)
Entorhinal Cortex input into…
1. Dentate Gyrus
2. CA3
3. CA1
4. Subiculum
Output to the Entorhinal Cortex
Episodic memory
Memory for a personal experience of specific autobiographical events
- Where, when, what
- Acquired in single exposure
Semantic memory
Memory for FACTS and general knowledge about the world, including general personal information
- Can be autobiographical
- Can be acquired through single exposure or through repetition
Episodic memory and semantic memory are both dependent on the ____ ____ lobe
Medial temporal
Anterograde amnesia
Severe loss of the ability to form new declarative memories
- Not resulted from intellectual impairment or impaired perceptual abilities
Retrograde amnesia
Loss of declarative memories acquired prior to injury/surgery
- Often temporally graded — greater loss of recent memories, spared memories from distant past
Episodic memories are initially encoded and stored in the ____, which repeatedly send memory representation to ____ where it’s eventually stored
Hippocampus; Neocortex
Which brain region is the main source of Acetylcholine to the cortical structures?
Basal forebrain
Which brain region is the main source of Acetylcholine to the brainstem and cerebellum?
Pedunculopontine and laterodorsal regimental nuclei (near brainstem)
High acetylcholine levels facilitate the ____ of ____ information, while low acetylcholine levels facilitate the ____ of ____ information, forming the basis of ____ ____ memory.
Encoding; new; consolidation; old; long term
During high acetylcholine levels, the ____ sends signal to the ____ ____, then to the ____, which promotes storage in the third location.
Neocortex; entorhinal cortex; hippocampus
During low acetylcholine levels, the route of signals is the ____ of when acetylcholine levels are high.
Reverse
