Lecture 7 Q &A Flashcards
What does LTP do?
plays a critical role in memory consolidation
HM doesn’t have a ___ or ___ but he still had a convo
hippocampus or LTP
Where is LTP formed?
initially form memory in hippocampus then works through medial temporal lobe.
What did Dr. McNaughton do?
Recorded electrical patterns in rat brains while they ran mazes. Studied the patterns of neurons firing
Describe the hippocampus and possible declarative memory storage sites
In a medial and lateral view it is evident that widespread projections from association neocortex converge on the hippocampal region. The output of the hippocampus is ultimately directed back to the same neorortical areas.
Describe the delayed response task
Leisoned hippocampus of monkeys: in this task they put a monkey in a cage and placed it in front of two areas that were covered. In one area there was a food morsel in the other there was an empty dish. They would first show the food morsel and empty dish then cover the barrier so the monkey can’t see the two areas. Then ask the monkey to find the right plate.
Did the delayed response task work?
It kept failing in leisioned monkeys which was confusing because it made it seem like they had no memory deficits.
What is the Delayed Non-Match Sample Task?
A monkey performs the delayed non matching to sample task, a test of recognition memory. The monkey is presented with the sample and the red and yellow object. After a delay that can span may minutes the monkey is presented with a. sample and a new object. As the test requires, the monkey selects the new object and thereby demonstrates that it has recognized the sample.
Describe trial unique objects and why they were used?
Monkey will see new objects each time.This was used to account for the monkeys developing habits/muscle memory of where the food was.
Describe Mishkin’s findings (1978)
1) Go back to original HM leision
2) Use trial unique objects to prevent habit learning parts of the brain from performing the task.
What were the findings from the delayed non-matching to sample?
At 8 seconds = fine/normal (critical)
Then rapid forgetting of info and at 10 min nothing.
What were the findings from the delayed non-matching to sample?
At 8 seconds = fine/normal (critical)
Then rapid forgetting of info and at 10 min nothing.
What happens if you take out the amygdala?
Normal brain function
What happens if you take out the archi cortex?
Lowest mount of correct responses.
What happens if you take out the hippocampus
Rapid deterioration/ deterioration of everything
What happens if you take out the thalamus?
H.M like memory deficit.
Describe how hippocampal function in rats was studied?
In order to efficiently solve this problem which is a little different on each trial, rat needs to acquire a flexible memory in this case a cognitive map as opposed to a very robot like S-R habit.
Describe the Morris Lynch experiment
Morris maze is an example of hippocmpal requirement for learning flexible memories, ones that can be expressed in different ways like a cognitive map of the world. As opposed to S-R robot memories.
Explain odor cup experiment
Rat is presented with cup that is scented with different smells. Rat learns that odor A has a fruit loop and odor B doesn’t and has to pick out the odor that leads to the fruit loop.
What did the odor cup experiment show?
Hippocampus is not needed for rigid habits. But it is needed for flexible memory spaces.
How does rat’s neophobia contribute to the experiment?
Rat prefers friend’s food. So with no leision it picks the friend’s food. Hippocampus at the cortex is used to create a declarative memory space. Can do task right away (create memory but can’t consolidate it).
What is meant by calling the hippocampal region the “Great Weaver”
It is thought to weave together strand by strand a complex flexibly usable declarative memory space stored both initially and ultimately in your neocortex.
What does the neocortex do?
It stores info into categories.
Describe the penny drawing experiment?
Almost no one can draw a coin correctly, this helps explain how we have archetypes, modal examples, and a schema for viewing the world.
Describe the archetypal, modal, or scheme bird
Sparrow might be “typical”. Humans build categories and within those categories they build Archetypes aka Stereotypes. This makes sense evolutionarily.
Explain category specific amnesia
This is resulting from lessons of specific parts of the neocortex. Ex. may lose all memory of vegetables one discreet part of the brain.
Describe the brain scan with different tools and animals experiment.
Brain images during naming of animals and tools. These images of PET scans show regions in which cerebral blood flow is increased when subjects silently name drawings of animals coopered to when they silently name tools and when subjects silently name tools compared to when they silently name animals. The images at the left show where blood flow increases with varying brain perspectives.
Shows that we have a specialized region for animals and a special region for tools.
What was done with the animal and tool experiment?
Experimenters trained animals to pair stimuli and associate 2 neurons together. Before neurons in the neocortex didn’t pair the stimuli.
After: stimuli of neurons became paired (learning).
Explain enriched environment studies (rat hilton)
Takes areas of neocortex and teach a ton of stuff and see if certain neurons are bushier.
Making new memories requires new synapses we should have bushier dendrites in enriched conditions.
Thus enriched housing animals have thicker neocortex containing bushier dendritic branching, more synapses.
