Memory And Learning Flashcards
Learning
The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information, behavior patterns, or abilities, characterized by modifications of behavior as a result of practice study, or experience.
Memory
The ability to retain info, based on the mental process of learning or encoding, retention across some interval of time, and retrieval or reactivation of the memory. The specific info that is stored in the brain.
Patient HM
A patient who, because of damage to the medial temporal lobe structures, was unable to encode new declarative memories. Could still encode implicit memories.
Retrograde amnesia
Difficultly in retrieving memories formed before the onset of amnesia
Anterograde amnesia
The inability to form new memories beginning with the onset of a disorder
Confabulations
Make up answer in place of memory bc don’t remember and say that it is always true. Korsakoff’s patients did.
Patient NA
Damage to diencephalon (thalamus and hypothalamus). No declarative memory and anterograde amnesia.
Patient KC
Motorcycle accident-extensive cortical damage. Lack of new declarative memory, can acquire new semantic memories, remembers semantic memories. Loss of episodic memories.
Encoding
A stage of memory formation which the info entering sensory channel is passed into short term memory
Consolidation
A stage of memory formation in which info in short term memory or intermediate term memory is transferred to long term memory. Requires hippocampus to do.
Consolidation pathway
Hippocampus sends info to cortex in area where first recognized. Use granule cells feed into system
Retrieval
A process in memory during which a speed memory is used by an organism
Fusiform gyrus
Recognizes faces
Declarative memory
Semantic (knowledge), and episodic (biographical).
Non-declarative memory
Skills, priming (give info the alter behavior later), and conditioning
Classical conditioning
US to trigemical nucleus, to cranial nucleus, to nictating memory(UR). When conditioned, cerebellum activated by signal, elicits response.
Learning changes
Amount of NT released, interneurons release from presyn cell, formation of new synapses (increase dendritic spines).
Enriched environments
Large environment, high intersection, lots of toys. Thicker, heavier cortex. Increase cholinergic cells/synapses and dendrites.
Habituation
Decrease response as a result of experience. Think stimulus isn’t important. Ex: slug
Sensitization
Opposite of habituation, every time stim presented, get more intense response. Nonassociative learning.
Dishabituation
The restoration of response amplitude following habituation
Reconsolidation
The return of a memory trace to stable long-term storage after it has been temporarily made volatile during the process of recall.
Hebbian synapse
A synapse that is strengthened when it successfully drives the postsynaptic cell.
Cell assembly
A large group of cells that tend to be active at the same time bc they have been activated simultaneously or in close succession in the past. Can change as a result of experience
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
A stable and enduring increase in the effectiveness of synapses following repeated strong stim
LTP pathway
EC (temporal cortex), to DG (dentate gyrus), to CA3, to CA1 (perforont pathway) in hippocampus.
NMDA receptor
A GLU receptor in also binds the GLU agonist NMDA and that is both ligand-gated (Mg) and voltage-sensitive. (Ca).
AMPA receptor
A GLU receptor that also binds the GLU agonist AMPA. Depolarizes cell, kicks off Mg of NMDA receptor, allows GLU to bind which allows Ca to come in.
Protein kinases
Enzymes that add phosphate Groups to proteins. Activated by Ca entering cell.
CREB
Transcription factor. Affects expression of genes, alters protein production in cell. Signals retrograde NT to release more GLU from presyn cell.
CaMKII
Activates latent AMPA receptors to go to the surface and become active which increases NT produced.
