Memory and Cognition Flashcards
What does cognition relate to?
The highest order of brain function
Behaviour that deals with thought processing
Simply the integration of all sensory information to make sense of a situation
What is neuronal plasticity?
The ability of central neurons to adapt their neuronal connecting in response to learning experiences
What are the 3 components of learning and memory?
Hippocampus
Cortex
Thalamus
Where are memories formed?
Hippocampus
Where are memories stored?
Cortex
Where are memories searched for and accessed?
Thalamus
What are memories formed by?
Limbic system
What are the 4 distinct areas of the cortex?
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus
Cingulate gyrus
Amygdala
What is the limbic system responsible for?
o instinctive behaviour, eg drives for thirst, sex, hunger etc. but also important in emotive behaviour which in turn are drive by seeking reward or avoiding punishment.
Stimulation of what areas in the limbic system give intsense feeling of well being, euphoria and sexual arousal?
Reward ares
What are punishment areas?
Areas that when stimulated give feeling of elicit terror, anger or pain
What does memory recall depend on?
the significance of the event
What is central to learning and the formation of memories?
Hippocampus
What are the divisions of memory?
Immediate or Sensory
Short term
Intermediate long term memory
Long term memory
What is immediate or sensory memory?
Describes the ability to hold experiences in the mind for a few seconds. Based on different sensory modalities.
Which sensory memories decay the fastest and slowest?
Fastest - visual
Slowest - auditory
What is short term memory?
Used for short term tasks such as dialling a phone number, mental arithmetic, reading a sentence. Associated with reverberating circuits.
What is intermediate memory?
Memory of hours to weeks e.g. what you did last weekend. Associated with chemical adaptation at the presynaptic terminal.