Lecture 20 Flashcards
list the different kinds of synaptic plasticity
larger post synaptic density (more NT receptors)
increased NT release
both larger post synaptic density and increased NT release
NT reuptake
adding new synapses
rearranging existing synapses
hebbian synapses
coordinated activity, when it occurs the relevant synapses change. Neurons that fire together wire together
Long term potentiation
LTP is a long lasting increase in synaptic efficacy that results from plastic change at the synapse.
two kinds of glutamate receptors
AMPA- normally activated by glutamate
NMDA- have a magnesium (Mg2+) ion blocking channel
Classical conditioning
unconditioned response from unconditioned stimulus is salvation from meat. The neutral stimulus (the bell) and no unconditioned response (salivation). If you put the neutral stimulus (bell) with unconditioned stimulus (meat) you get unconditioned response (salivation) so conditioned stimulus (bell) goes to conditioned response (salivation)
US reflex pathway
US (air puff) -> trigeminal nucleus -> cranial motor nuclei -> UR (blink)
Lesions downstream from the interpositus nucleus
block the expression of the learned behavior but do not block the acquisitions (savings).
Lesions upstream from the interpositus nucleus
prevents the acquisition of the learned behavior
if anesthetized or cut interpositus nucleus
tone doesn’t cause blink (no CR), but still blink from airpuff
if brainstem auditory pathway is anesthetized
tone has no effect, puff of air still blink
if cranial motor nuclei anesthetized
no response to tone or air puff, but if anesthetic wears off, animal will blink
fast versus slow sensory pathways
sensory information goes from thalamus to amygdala in a fast but crude way. Information from cortex is slower but more detailed
how does fearful stimuli cause innate fear effects
with fearful stimuli, the central part of the amygdala stimulates the central periaqueductal gray, the later hypothalamus, and periventricular nucleus to cause innate fear effects
the major learning mechanism in amygdala is
LTP using NMDA receptors
the central part of the amygdala to the central grey causes
freezing
the central part of the amygdala to the lateral hypothalamus causes
increase blood pressure
the central part of the amygdala to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) causes
hormones
muscle memory
Uses basal ganglia and motor cortex. Many brain areas participate in movements. Premotor cortex (PMC) and supplementary motor areas (SMA) plan the sequence and timing of muscle stimulation that motor cortex will do. PMC uses current visual information to do this. SMA and the basal ganglia carry out well learned movement sequences. As learning precedes, control shifts from PMC to SMA (ex: driving)
how can fear and avoidance become independant from amygdala
practice. Learning alters activity of specific sites of the basal ganglia cells such that they come to be activated by sensory elements and participate in stimulating components of the learned response
Long term memory is split into two group
declarative and nondecalrative
what are the two groups within decalartive
episodic and semantic
Episodic is stored in
in the cortex, especially right frontal and temporal regions
semantic is stored in
stored in the cortex, temporal lobes
Non declarative procedural memory is divided into four parts
skill learning, priming, conditioning, and fear learning
skill learning takes place in
in basal ganglia, motor cortex, and cerebellum
Priming two parts, and stored where
there is perceptual, which reduces activity in bilateral occipital temporal cortex, and conceptual, reduces activity in left frontal cortex
conditioning two parts and stored where
there is simple, which is cerebellar circuit, or complex, hippocampus and cortex
fear learning takes place
in amygdala
Does animal cognition perform sophisticated learning
Can see evidence of “theory of mind” in blue jay experiment. When the male blue jay watches the female blue jay eat, he then gives her food he has not seen her have before. They are able to make an inference about what some other bird is thinking, what food can they feed her to impress her
