Memory, Leanring, Consciousness, and Cognition Flashcards
what is the definition of memory?
the formation of records of new experiences and the use of the info to guide subsequent activities
what is the basis for skills and shared knowledge?
memory
what is working memory?
short term
maintains goal-relevant info for a short time
essential for language, problem-solving, mental navigation, reasoning, mental multitasking, and cognition
where is working memory stored?
in the lat prefrontal cortex and temperoparietal association cortex
what is declarative memory?
explicit/conscious memory of facts, events, concepts, and locations
recollections that can be easily verbalized
requires attention during recall
what are the stages of declarative memory?
1) encoding
2) consolidation
3) retrieval
what is involved in the encoding phase of declarative memory?
processing info into new memories, must be awake and paying attention (linking new memories to old memories makes it easier to encode)
what is involved in the consolidation phase of declarative memory?
organizes and stabilizes the info with repetitions
what is involved in the retrieval phase of declarative memory?
being able to retrieve the memories that have been encoded
what is episodic memory?
collection of personal events
what is somantic memory?
facts and commonly shared knowledge
what type of memory is episodic and semantic memory?
declarative
what structures store declarative memory?
medial temporal lobe
med temporal cortex
hippocampus
what is procedural memory?
implicit/nonconscious
recall of skills/habits
perceptual and cognitive skills
practice is required to store procedural memories
requires less attention when repeated
what are perceptual skills?
object, pattern, and face recognition
what are cognitive skills?
reasoning, logic, problem solving
what structures send out efferent copies of procedural memories?
frontal cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia
what is motor learning?
3 stages: cognitive, associative, and autonomous
involves the striatum, premotor cortex, supplementary motor areas, and parietal cortex
what is motor adaptation?
adjusting and adapting movement sequences as compared to the efferent copy
comparing the actual vs intended movement
involves the cerebellum, parietal cortex, and motor cortex
what is consciousness?
state of awareness of self and environment that requires the BS, thalamus, and cerebral
which part of the thalamus controls consciousness?
intralaminar nuclei
what are the 4 reticular nuclei involved in consciousness?
raphe nuclei
locus ceruleus/MRZ
PPN
substantia nigra/VTA
what are the 4 NTs involved in consciousness?
dopamine, NE, serotonin, ACh
which nuclei and NT is associated with generalized arousal level?
nuclei: raphe nuclei
NT: serotonin
which nuclei and NT is associated with attention (direction of consciousness)?
nuclei: locus ceruleus/MRZ
NT: NE
what nuclei and NT is associated with selection of object of attention, based upon goals?
nuclei: PPN
NT: ACh
what nuclei and NT is associated with motivation, motor activity, and cognition?
nuclei: substantia nigra and VTA
NT: dopamine
which NT is involved in addiction and reward seeking behavior?
dopamine
what are the different types of attention?
orienting attention
divided attention
selection attention
sustained attention
switching attention
what is orienting attention?
being able to locate specific info from many dif info (focusing on one person in a classroom full of people)
what is selection attention?
suppressing other info (working in a coffee shop and blocking out a lot of surrounding stim)
what is dividing attention?
ability to attend to 2 or more things simultaneously (driving, seeing traffic light and decelerating or accelerating)
what is sustained attention?
ability to continue an activity over time (reading, writing notes, driving for a long time)
what is switching attention?
ability to change from one path to another
what is intellect?
ability to understand and form concepts and reason
involved memory and ability to process mental events
requires integrating verbal, visuospatial, and working memory fxns, social awareness, and goal-directing behavior
ability to think logically and somewhat abstractly
what structure allows for integration of verbal, visuospatial, and working memory functions, social awareness, and goal-directed behavior for intellect?
white matter structures (lat prefrontal cortex and post parietal lobe)
what is amnesia?
loss of declarative memory
declarative and procedure memory formation is dissociated
what is retrograde amnesia?
loss of memories b4 the trauma or disease
capable of learning new procedural skills
what is anterograde amnesia?
loss of memories for events after the trauma or disease
can’t learn new things and form new declarative memories
what is a loss of consciousness?
temporary due to head trauma or space occupying lesions/tumors
what happens in head trauma that causes a loss of consciousness?
diffuse axonal shearing from movement of the cerebral hemispheres (torque/shear) relative to the BS
what happens in space occupying lesions/tumors that causes a loss of consciousness?
puts pressure on the BS
t/f: impaired attention can affect one or more attentional abilities
true
dual task activities are impacted in what populations?
brain injury
older
stroke
what are dual activities?
divided attention to multitask?
what is ADHD?
developmentally inappropriate inattention and impulsiveness
inattentiveness: girls>boys
impulsiveness: boys>girls
normal selective attention
what types of attention are affected in ADHD?
divided and sustained attention
why are there cognitive and learning disabilities in Down Syndrome?
there is a reduced weight of the brain and the relative size of the frontal lobe is smaller
by age 40, many people with Down syndrome will develop what?
Alzheimer’s disease (but most cases have subtle behavioral changes
why are there cognitive and learning disabilities in PKU?
demyelination and neuronal loss due to the retention of phenylalanine
what is the most common learning disability?
dyslexia
what are learning disabilities?
failure to develop specific types of intelligence
what is dementia?
generalized mental deterioration
disorientation, impaired memory, judgement, and intellect
what are the causes of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease
frontotemporal dementia
dementia w/Lewy bodies
PD
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
vascular dementia (reduced blood flow caused symptoms)
what is Alzheimer’s disease?
progressive mental deterioration
memory loss, confusion, and disorientation
what are the causes of AD?
dysfxn affecting vascular endothelial cells in the brain
blood brain barrier malfxn
neuronal toxicity
tau protein accumulation
what is the biggest risk factor for AD?
aging
what are the initial signs of AD?
forgetfulness, word loss
what are the later signs of AD?
inability to produce or comprehend language
irritability, emotional lability, apathy, paranoia, and aggression
motion blindness
what is emotional lability?
rapid uncontrollable response that may be exacerbated
explosive outburt of anger CNA be related to an angering situation and is blown out of proportion or can be a completely inappropriate response
what is motion blindness?
inability to interpret visual flow
can’t tell if an object is coming towards or away from you
common in AD - why they get lost so easily
t/f: in AD chronic inflammation leads to brain atrophy
true
what is frontotemporal dementia?
atrophy of the frontal and temporal cortices
what are the 2 subtypes of frontotemporal dementia?
primary progressive aphasia
behavior frontotemporal dementia
what is primary progressive aphasia?
degeneration of the language areas (L=verbal, R=nonverbal)
difficulty speaking/understanding speech
what is behavioral frontotemporal dementia?
degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobe
poor social cognition (inappropriate social behavior)
inappropriate and impulsive behavior, personality changes, emotional lability, apathy, and poor goal-directed behavior
may come off as antisocial
