Lecture 6 - Learning & Memory Flashcards

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1
Q

What’s amnesia ?

A

The loss of memory or the inability to form new memories

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2
Q

What can cause amnesia ?

A
  • Surgery
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Infections of the brain (herpes simplex encephalitis)
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Korsakoff syndrome
  • Concussion
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3
Q

What are the different types of memory ?

A
  • ST memory : working memory, sequence learning, planning
  • LT memory : explicit, implicit & emotional memory
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4
Q

What are the different types of amnesia ?

A
  • Retrograde
  • Anterograde
  • Autobiographical
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5
Q

What’s the difference between retrograde & anterograde amnesia ?

A
  • Retrograde : inability to retrieve old memories (entorhinal damage)
  • Anterograde : inability to form new memories (hippocampal damage)
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6
Q

What’s memory ?

A

The ability to recall previous experiences

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7
Q

To what part of the brain is linked explicit memory ?

A

(Temporal/Frontal) Cortex & Hippocampus

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8
Q

To what part of the brain is linked implicit memory ?

A

Basal Ganglia

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9
Q

To what part of the brain is linked emotional memory ?

A

Amygdala

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10
Q

To what part of the brain is linked ST memory ?

A

Prefrontal Cortex/DLPFC

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11
Q

What’s ST memory ?

A

It involves the neural record of events & their order for a brief period of time (movements, locations, verbal & visual information)

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12
Q

What is the role of the ventral stream in ST memory ?

A

Memory of objects

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13
Q

What is the role of the DLPFC in ST memory?

A

Integrates information from dorsal & ventral stream

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14
Q

Where are located the lesions that can cause different ST memory problems ?

A
  • Lateral & medial PFC
  • L/R temporal lobe
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15
Q

What aspect of ST memory can be affected by lesions in the parietal association areas ?

A
  • Location
  • Memory within specific visual field
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16
Q

What causes modality-specific ST memory problems ?

A

Temporal association area lesions

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17
Q

What aspects of ST memory can be affected by frontal lesions ?

A
  • Working memory
  • Memory of order
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18
Q

What role does the hippocampus play in memory retention ?

A

Retaining memory within a restricted period after learning

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19
Q

What connections does the fornix provide from the hippocampus ?

A

Connections to :
- Thalamus
- Basal ganglia
- PFC

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20
Q

What connections does the perforant pathway provide ?

A

Connections to :
- Temporal & parietal cortex : memory of objects, sounds, smell & locations

21
Q

What are the components of the hippocampal formation ?

A
  • Hippocampus
  • Amygdala
  • Enthorinal cortex
22
Q

What is the function of the hippocampal formation ?

A

Consolidation of new information for storage in LT memory

23
Q

What brainstem inputs are necessary for memory, and how do they affect it ?

A

Inputs : acetylcholine, serotonin & noradrenaline
Effects : poor memory when depressed (low serotonin), better memory in stressful situations (high noradrenaline)

24
Q

In what is involved the CA1 region in the hippocampal formation ?

A
  • LT potentiation
  • Consolidation of new information
25
Q

How does Alzheimer’s disease affect memory systems in the brain ?

A

Loss of neurons in cholinergic, serotonergic & noradrenergic systems leading to memory deficits

26
Q

What are the 2 subcomponents of explicit memory ?

A

Episodic (personal & autobiographical) & Semantic (facts & knowledge) memory

27
Q

Where is semantic memory stored in the brain ?

A
  • Temporal cortex : facts/objects
  • Frontal cortex : expected value & associations
28
Q

What do rhinal lesions have an impact on ?

A

Affect the ability to associate objects with rewards

29
Q

What do hippocampal & frontal lesions have an impact on ?

A

Affect memory-updating & temporal memory

30
Q

Which brain lesion affects information that depends on temporal context ?

A

Ventral PFC lesions

31
Q

What type of material are L & R temporal cortex involved in recognizing ?

A

L : verbal material (stories, words, numbers)
R : nonverbal material (faces, objects, geometrical figures)

32
Q

What is the connection between temporal & frontal lobe critical for ?

A

Autobiographical memory

33
Q

What is the function of the L orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in memory ?

A

Encoding or acquisition of semantic & episodic memory

34
Q

What is the function of the R-DLPFC in memory?

A

Episodic memory retrieval

35
Q

What is working memory ?

A

The ability to hold information online for several minutes

36
Q

Which brain lesions affect temporal memory for objects and sounds ?

A

Ventral PFC lesions

37
Q

Which cortical areas are involved in implicit memory ?

A

Premotor & motor cortex

38
Q

What role does the cerebellum play in implicit memory ?

A

Classical conditioning of non-emotional motor responses

39
Q

How does the brain stem contribute to implicit memory ?

A

Involved in basic motor function & autonomic functions

40
Q

What is emotional memory ?

A

Memory for the affective properties of stimuli or events

41
Q

What are the symptoms of Urbach-Wiethe disease ?

A
  • Amygdala damage
  • Abolishes emotional memory (e.g. no automatic fear responses)
  • No effect on implicit & explicit memory
42
Q

What causes Korsakoff syndrome ?

A

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency due to chronic alcoholism

43
Q

Which brain areas are damaged in Korsakoff syndrome ?

A
  • Mammillary bodies
  • Medial thalamic nucleus
  • Cerebellum
    -> progress toward general cerebral atrophy
44
Q

What are the symptoms of Korsakoff syndrome ?

A
  • Complete anterograde amnesia
  • Increasing retrograde amnesia
  • Confabulation
  • Apathy, indifference
  • Ataxia
45
Q

Which brain areas are involved in autobiographical amnesia ?

A
  • Hippocampus
  • Temporal lobe/entorhinal cortex
  • (sometimes) Frontal lobe
46
Q

How does the extent of hippocampal lesions affect retrograde amnesia ?

A

Period of memory loss depends on the extent of lesions within & around hippocampus

47
Q

What are the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease affecting the medial temporal lobe ?

A
  • Retrograde amnesia
  • Difficulty remembering recently learned facts
  • Inability to acquire new information
  • Orientation issues
48
Q

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease in the middle to severe stages ?

A
  • Further loss of episodic memory
  • Recognition issues with relatives
  • Problems with recall & ST memory
  • Difficulties with complex motor sequences
  • Emotional disturbance
  • Adopting a fetal position
49
Q

What are the effects of herpes simplex encephalitis on the temporal lobe ?

A
  • Serious retrograde amnesia (lateral temporal cortex & insula)
  • Anterograde amnesia (medial temporal lobe : hippocampus & paralimbic cortex)