memory and cognition Flashcards
What are the 3 components of learning and memory
- Hippocampus - formation of memories
- Cortex - storage of memories
- Thalamus - search and access memories
Describe the limbic system
- Four distinct areas:
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus
Cingulate gyrus
Amygdala - Responsible for instinctive behaviour such as thirst, hunger and sex by seeking reward and avoiding punishment
What happens with beople with bilateral hippocampus damage
They have immediate memory and intact long term memory but they cannot form new memories
Describe immediate memory
- Holds experiences in the mind for seconds
Describe short term memory
- Lasts seconds to hours
- Used for short term tasks such as dialling a phone number
Describe intermediate long term memory
- Lasts hours to weeks such as what you did last week
Describe long term memory
Can be life long such as where you grew up
What is anterograde amnesia
Cannot form new memories
What is retrograde amnesia
Cannot access old memories
How is short term memory converted to long term memory
Consolidation - strengething the synaptic connections through repetition
Describe Korsakoffs syndrome memory loss
there is Vitamin B1 deficiency which leads to damage of limbic system structures. The ability to consolidate memory is impaired
Describe alzheimers disease
severe loss of cholinergic neurons throughout the brain, including the hippocampus. Gross impairment of memory.
