Lecture 15 - Declarative And Non-Declarative

Question 1

Name a test to assessed Declarative memory

Answer 1

DNMS: Delay Non-Matching to Sample

–> an example of object RECOGNITION test

Question 2

State what was the result of bilateral MTL lesion in DNMS and which particular structure of the MTL is responsible for this phenomenon?

Answer 2

• Bilateral lesion cases delay dependent deficit
• Perirhinal cortex
• Hippocampus - contribute but not required

Question 3

What can you infer of the role of hippocampus for declarative memory based on Ben, Jon and Kate?

Answer 3

• Hippocampus plays a role in episodic memory

- Semantic memory does not require hippocampus

Question 4

Name a test that taps into aspects of episodic memory and briefly explain what was done and the result (Jon’s case)

Answer 4

Virtual reality test

• Where Jon was presented with objects and questions on the object/place/time
• Jon was able to recognise the object
• Jon was NOT able to put the object into context

Question 5

What does the radial arm maze tests? And which structure of the MTL is required for this task? What conclusion can be drawn from this test?

Answer 5

• Spatial working memory
• Hippocampus

Conclusion: Hippocampus required for declarative memory for spatial information

Question 6

Name a test which taps into the aspect of temporal order of declarative memory

Answer 6

Temporal order of odours

Question 7

Describe the condition of developmental amnesics

Answer 7

Hippocampal damage selectively disrupts episodic memory while leaving semantic memory intact

Question 8

What is priming?

Answer 8

An improvement in the ability to detect or identify words or objects due to previous exposure

Question 9

Which structure of the brain is responsible for priming? And how do they showed this?

Answer 9

• Neocortex
• Using PET: Positron emission tomography
• Activity in the visual neocortex reduced when doing word stem completion priming task vs completing word stem with no priming

Remember that this is modality specific: e.g. if auditory priming –> see changes in neural activity in auditory cortex

Question 10

Which brain structure is responsible for skill and habit learning? Name a test which assess skill learning and habit learning

Answer 10

Striatum which consist of caudate and putamen

Skill learning: Sequence learning task

Habit learning: radial arm maze

Question 11

Expand further on the radial arm maze test which assess habit learning in rats: what was done? Where the lesions were made? And what was the result and conclusion?

Answer 11

Principle: Rat need to build up the habit of approaching lit arm to retrieve food

Lesion in Striatum: impair habit memory task but NOT spatial declarative memory task

Striatum important for forming habit

Question 12

Name a test which tests habit learning in human and in what kind of condition does this habit learning impaired?

Answer 12

Weather forecasting task - make a gradual association between cues and weather

Amnesic patients improved at same rate as control however in PD’s patient (degeneration of dopaminergic input into the striatum) unable to learn

Question 13

Which brain structure is responsible for short term memory? What sort of test proved this?

Answer 13

• Prefrontal cortex
• Delayed response task: monkey trained to remove cover and retrieved food
• When lesion in prefrontal cortex: monkey produce deficit

Question 14

Which brain structure is responsible for working memory? What test proved this?

Answer 14

• Prefrontal cortex
• Winconsin card sorting: organising cards based on e.g. number, colour or symbol
• Patients with prefrontal cortex lesion experienced difficulty especially when changing category