Memory formation Flashcards
What happened to Henry Molaison (Patient HM)?
He cracked his skull during a bike accident, leading to debilitating seizures. He had surgery at 27, where the medial temporal lobe was removed (containing the hippocampus and amygdala)
What are the findings of the Patient HM case study?
After the surgery, seizures reduced.
However, he had anterograde amnesia: the inability to form new long term memories.
Though, he could recall information prior to surgery (semantic and episodic LTM).
He was also able to learn new motor skills through mirror tracing.
What was the Patient HM case study’s contribution to psychology?
This case study tells us that the hippocampus does not have a role in procedural LTM, but it has a critical role in consolidating/creating NEW declarative memories
Where is the hippocampus located?
It’s located in the medial region of the temporal lobe, and is part of the limbic system
What are the roles of the hippocampus?
it is involved in the formation of new memories - particularly episodic ones, and plays a role in forming declarative/explicit only.
**It doesn’t form or store procedural memories.
What are the roles of the hippocampus in memory formation?
The hippocampus stores short-term memories (declarative only), and transfers these STM to LT storage.
Where is the amygdala located?
It’s an almond-shaped structure located in the medial temporal lobe
Part of the limbic system
It’s adjacent to hippocampus and has bidirectional connections with the hippocampus
What are the roles of the amygdala?
it regulates emotions such as fear and aggression, and is involved in tying emotional meaning to our memories, reward processing and decision-making
What are the roles of the amygdala in memory formation?
Research shows the amygdala mediates emotion-influenced learning, and is responsible for the formation of emotional memories
The amygdala seems to facilitate encoding memories at a deeper level when the event is emotionally arousing: especially fear
What is the role of the cerebellum?
Procedural memories are formed and stored in the cerebellum
