Memory and Amnesia Flashcards
What may cause ‘forgetting’?
Temporal decay or interference from the learning of other information
What are the two types of long-term memory?
Declarative (explicit) and non-declarative (implicit memory)
What is declarative/explicit memory?
Episodic memories - personal experiences
Semantic memories - facts/meanings/concepts
What brain regions are involved in episodic memories?
Hippocampus, medial temporal lobe and neocortex
What brain regions are involved in semantic memories?
Lateral and anterior temporal cortex and prefrontal cortex
What is non-declarative (implicit) memory?
Procedural memory such as skills and habits
What brain regions are involved in implicit memory?
Stratum, cerebellum and motor cortex
What cells are involved in spatial memory?
Hippocampal place cells
What is anterograde amnesia?
Where new events aren’t transferred to the long-term memory
What is retrograde amnesia?
Where someone is unable to recall events that occurred before the onset of amnesia
What is dissociative amnesia?
This is characterised by a blocking of critical personal information, and this is usually of a traumatic or stressful nature
What are the common causes of amnesia?
Physical trauma, infections, drug/alcohol abuse, reduced blood flow to the brain, epilepsy or neurodegenerative disease
