LTM and amnesia

Question 1

What is amnesia?

Answer 1

Amnesia refers to memory loss, often due to brain damage or injury. It can affect the ability to form new memories (anterograde) or recall past memories (retrograde).

Question 2

What is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 2

Anterograde amnesia refers to the inability to form new memories after brain injury. It impairs memory for events that occur after the injury.

Question 3

What is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 3

Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall memories from before brain injury, often affecting memories from the past.

Question 4

What is the standard theory of consolidation?

Answer 4

The standard theory suggests that semantic memories are consolidated over time, but episodic memories may never be fully consolidated. Retrograde amnesia can affect memories for decades.

Question 5

What is semantic dementia?

Answer 5

Semantic dementia is a condition that impairs the ability to remember the meanings of words or concepts, leading to errors in naming and recognition.

Question 6

How is semantic dementia linked to brain regions?

Answer 6

Semantic dementia is associated with damage to the lateral temporal cortex, particularly on the left side of the brain.

Question 7

Who was HM and what happened to him?

Answer 7

HM (Henry Molaison) underwent surgery to treat severe epilepsy, which resulted in severe anterograde amnesia, preventing him from forming new memories. He could not remember conversations or experiences shortly after they occurred (Scoville & Milner, 1957).

Question 8

What parts of the brain were damaged in HM’s case?

Answer 8

HM’s surgery removed parts of his medial temporal lobes, including the hippocampus, leading to his memory deficits.

Question 9

Which memory systems were not affected in HM’s case?

Answer 9

HM’s verbal and visual short-term memory, spatial span, and procedural memory (e.g., learning new skills) were not affected.

Question 10

What is declarative memory theory (Tulving, 1972)?

Answer 10

Declarative memory theory divides long-term memory into two types: episodic memory (events occurring at specific times and places) and semantic memory (facts and concepts).

Question 11

What is the difference between episodic and semantic memory?

Answer 11

Episodic memory involves events that happen at a specific time and place, while semantic memory involves general knowledge about facts, concepts, and meanings.

Question 12

What is the impact of amnesia on long-term memory?

Answer 12

Amnesia typically causes severe impairment in episodic memory and can affect both retrograde (past) and anterograde (new) memory, while semantic memory may also be impaired.

Question 13

How does the level of processing impact memory?

Answer 13

According to Craik & Lockhart (1972), memory encoding can be shallow (basic) or deep (meaningful). Deep encoding leads to better memory retention, and processing at both encoding and retrieval matters.

Question 14

What is “transfer appropriate processing”?

Answer 14

Memory is enhanced when the type of processing during encoding matches the type of processing during retrieval. For example, semantic processing at encoding leads to better recognition tests than phonological processing.

Question 15

What is “context-dependent memory”?

Answer 15

Context-dependent memory suggests that memory is better when encoding and retrieval happen in the same context (e.g., learning words underwater and recalling them underwater).

Question 16

What is the retrieval practice effect?

Answer 16

The retrieval practice effect occurs when testing yourself after learning improves memory retention. Studying and then testing leads to better long-term retention compared to just studying.

Question 17

How do levels of processing and context affect memory retrieval?

Answer 17

Memory is influenced by both how deeply information is processed during encoding (deep vs. shallow) and by how similar the encoding and retrieval contexts are (context-dependent memory).

Question 18

What are the key processes involved in long-term memory?

Answer 18

Long-term memory involves encoding (processing), consolidation (storing), and retrieval (remembering). Effective encoding and retrieval strategies improve memory.

Question 19

What is the relationship between episodic and semantic memory in amnesia?

Answer 19

Episodic and semantic memories are stored in different brain regions. Damage to specific areas, like the hippocampus, can impair episodic memory, while semantic memory may be more associated with the lateral temporal lobes.

Question 20

How does amnesia affect implicit (non-declarative) memory?

Answer 20

Amnesia typically affects declarative memory (episodic and semantic), while implicit memory systems, such as procedural memory (skills) and priming, may remain intact.

Question 21

What factors can improve memory retrieval?

Answer 21

Memory retrieval can be improved by using techniques like context-dependent memory, transfer-appropriate processing, and retrieval practice.

Question 22

How do memory processes interact with encoding and retrieval?

Answer 22

Successful remembering depends on both encoding (how information is processed) and retrieval (how it is accessed later), and strategies like deep encoding and testing improve both.