lecture 6 - neuroanatomy 5 Flashcards
What is declarative memory?
Conscious, intentional recollection of facts, meanings and knowledge about memory and the external world
What is non-declarative memory?
Memory about skills and habits, classical conditioning, etc.
Which fibres connect the left and right hipppocampuses?
Hippocampal commissural
What structures do fibres from the fornix synapse in?
the mammillary bodies
Where is the major memory system of the brain located?
The medial temporal lobe
What are the 2 main components of the medial temporal lobe memory system?
Hippocampal formation, parahippocampal region
What is retrograde amnesia?
Loss of memories formed before the onset of the amnesia
What is anterograde amnesia?
Loss of ability to form new memories after the onset of the amnesia
Where in the brain is atrophy most profound in Alzheimer’s Disease?
Frontal & temporal lobes
What are the 2 key histological features found in the brain tissue of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease?
Senile plaques, Neurofibrillary tangles
How are senile plaques form in Alzheimer’s Disease?
Amyloid processing is altered leading to the accumulation of peptides that aggregate as insoluble neuritic plaques
How do tangles form in Alzheimer’s disease?
Tau proteins, which stabilise microtubules in neurons, become problematic and clump together leading to cell death and the formation of tangles of tau protein
What is the typical distribution of plaques in Alzheimer’s brains?
No specific pattern of distribution
What is the typical distribution of tangles in Alzheimer’s brains?
Typically found. in the entorhinal and perirhinal cortices, hippocampus, and frontal/parietal lobes
Which part of the brain will not develop tangles in Alzheimer’s Disease?
The cerebellum
What are the 3 Braak Stages of Neurofibrillary changes in Alzheimer’s Disease?
Transentorhinal (asymptomatic), limbic (mild symptoms), neocortical (dementia)
What is the biggest risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease?
Age
What is the leading theory for the development of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Amyloid cascade hypothesis
What are some of the treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease?
AChE inhibitors (prevent ACh breakdown to increase levels), immunotherapies
What are the 2 key parts of the Hippocampus?
CA fields, dentate gyrus
What are the components of the parahippocampal region?
Presubiculum, parasubiculum, entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortex
