Memory Flashcards
Encoding
How information gets into memory storage
Consolidation
creates & maintains permanent record; poor storage= amnesia
Clive Wearing
Consolidation problems; amnesia
Amnesia
poor storage; consolidation problems
Retrieval
give awareness to a memory, create a conscious representation; free recall; recognition
Types of amnesia?
anterograde & retrograde
Anterograde
cannot remember stuff going forward from an accident; typically for a longer period
Retrograde
cannot remember stuff that happened before the accident; typically is shorter
Why is retrograde amnesia typically shorter?
head injury–> disrupts encoding–> things that are already in are more likely to stay in
California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT)
helps differentiate what systems are effected; 16 words, 4 categories
Rey VALT
15 unrelated words, normed with the WMS
Types of implicit memory
skills; priming; classical conditioning
Implicit Memory
no conscious awareness
Perceptual Representation System
repeated presentation of the same visual material enhances firing (lowers threshold) of visual cortical unit sensitive to the stimulus
Anatomy of Implicit Memory
Basal Ganglia; Cerebellum; neural plasticity consistent with input
Implicit Memory- Basal Ganglia
primary structure; receives projections from substantia nigra & neocortex; sends output to premotor cortex via thalamus
Implicit Memory–Cerebellum
motor learning and classical conditioning
Types of Explicit Memory
semantic & Episodic
Explicit Memory
conscious awareness
Episodic memory
type of explicit memory; ability to recall events from our lives
Semantic Memory
type of explicit memory; information we have about the world
Anatomy of Explicit Memory
medial temporal lobe; thalamus; prefrontal cortex
Explicit Memory–Hippocampus/Perihinal Cortex
Fimbra fornix (connects to thalamus, frontal cortex, basal ganglia); sensitive to lack of oxygen; time-tagging/organizing memories
Medial Temporal Lobe–Episodic Memory
tends to be more anterior MTL–hippocampus
Medial Temporal Lobe–Semantic memory
tends to be more posterior MTL—enthorhinal cortex
Amygdala
emotional memories; “flashbulb” memories
Lateralization
difficult to study (hard to have purely visual stimuli; other hemispheres can take over the other side); some evidence for lateralization but small effect size
Amnesia–Medial Temporal Lobe Damage
H.M.; deficits in storage; lateralization of visual/verbal?; implicit learning spared
What area does Alzheimer’s disease attack first?
Medial Temporal Lobe
Diencephalic (thalamic) Amnesia
includes the medial thalamus & mammillary bodies; Korsakoff’s disease; N.A.
Korsakoff’s disease
anterograde & retrograde amnesia, confabulation, little spontaneous conversation, lack of insight, apathy
What does Korsakoff’s disease attack?
mammillary bodies
what is difficult with Korsakoff’s disease?
fail to release from proactive inhibition (difficulty shifting) & difficulty with temporal ordering (which did i hear more recently)
N.A.
Thalamic amnesia; bad bout with a mini-fencing foil
Proactive inhibition
gets fixated on a topic and have trouble shifting to a new one
Working Memory
ability to maintain and manipulate information
Phonological Loop
contains acoustic code; decays after a few seconds unless rehearsed
Visuospatial Working Memory
store visual and spatial information; “concentration” game
Central Executive
integrates info from LTM, phonological loop, and visual working memory
Dorsolateral Frontal Lobes
implicated in cellular activity during object and spatial working memory tasks
Spatial and Object Working Memory
object–> ventral “what is it pathway”
spatial–> dorsal “where is it pathway”
Temporal Sequencing
which word was most recent
Source Memory
can’t remember where you learned something
Frontal Lobe & Memory
failure to release from proactive inhibition; difficulty with temporal sequencing; source memory problems
Memory is a biproduct of what?
attention & comprehension
Depth of processing
attention & comprehension; differential recall depending on what is attended; deep vs. shallow information
Left Prefrontal Cortex is engaged in what?
encoding of explicit memories than in retrieving them
Right Prefrontal Cortex is engaged in what?
more episodic memory retrieval
Dual System Theory of Amnesia
two parallel systems in memory–one involving the hippocampus and the other involving the amygdala. Lesions in both systems needed for severe amnesia
