Memory test 4/20/23

Question 1

list and describe the three modes of memory

Answer 1

-working memory: call to information. the ability for us to retain a small amount of information that can be projected and used onto cognitive tasks.

-short-term memory: tagging component, the time frame says 30 mins and under (the book says). the ability for the brain to retain a small amount of information for a short period of time, often 30 seconds.

-long-term memory: psychological change of circuitry in the brain and you’ll remember for a long time. the ability for the brain to process short-term memories and create them into longer lasting memories (LTM), allowing us to remember specific information for a long period of time.

Question 2

what are the memory basics

Answer 2

acquire info, retain info, retrieve system (how we recall it).

Question 3

What are the contributions to the H.M. case study?

Answer 3

1) the medial temporal lobe assists in making STM’s and LTM’s
2) mnemonic function occurs in the hippocampus
3) there are different modes of storage: working, short, and long
4) HM had a difficult time at forming explicit memories but still able to make implicit memories: explicit (declaration) and implicit is a strong way of learning
5) HM also had difficulty with his somantic memories
6) HM showed improvement on his iq scores
7) In 2004, they took 2,000 slides of his brain, they only found 16 problematic slides (his brain was working)

Question 4

-What type of amnesia is a disruption of ACh? What happens to ACh during this type of amnesia?

Answer 4

Alzheimer’s is the type of amnesia that is involved in the disruption of ACh. In the brain of a patient with Alzheimer the production of ACH declines and lower levels of ACH become prominent. The nerve cells that contain this chemical messenger soon disappear as well.

Question 5

-Why would Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy be used today?

Answer 5

Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy would be used as a last resort, life saving response, on a patient. Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy is not controlled and can erase some bits of memory in the patient’s brain. Often, in present times, it would be used on a patient with severe depression or bipolar disorder who is not reacting appropriately with the medicine prescribed to them.

Question 6

-What is memory consolidation and what area of the brain performs this function?

Answer 6

Memory consolidation, performed in the hippocampus, can be known as the process by which a memory that is temporary is able to be changed into a long lasting one.

Question 7

-What is the function of the temporal lobe in the memory system?

Answer 7

The purpose of the temporal lobe in the memory system is associated with processing memory that is auditory and encoding that memory. The temporal lobe is important in processing external emotions and affection, understanding people, and certain portions of visual perception.

Question 8

-Who is H.M and what contributions did he make with today’s understanding of memory?

Answer 8

H.M. had been a patient with amnesia that made a revolutionary impact on neuroscience and its studies. During his time alive, scientists had found out that the medial temporal lobe assists in making short term memories. Along with this, scientists also figured out that mnemonic function occurs in the hippocampus. H.M. allowed for scientists to understand that there are different modes of storage in our brain: working, short, and long. Scientists also figured out that there are two forms of memories, explicit and implicit, with H.M. ‘s ability to make implicit memories but not explicit. H.M. also had difficulty with his somatic memories but also showed improvement on his iq scores at the same time. Lastly, in 2004, scientists took about 2,000 slides of his brain and only found that there were 16 problematic slides which meant that his brain was still actively working.

Question 9

-What area of the brain did H.M have removed during surgery to minimize his seizure disorder?

Answer 9

The medial temporal lobe (with the hippocampus).

Question 10

-A concussion is a blow to the head/brain which causes a disruption of normal brain function. Which area of the brain has been identified as the main reason for this disruption?

Answer 10

The axon.

Question 11

-Which area of the brain is responsible for visual perception of objects and storage of patterns?

Answer 11

The inferotemporal cortex

Question 12

-What is the lack of blood to the brain which sometimes causes amnesia?

Answer 12

The lack of blood to the brain which sometimes causes amnesia is known as Cerebral Ischemia.

Question 13

-Korsakoff’s syndrome is typically associated with

Answer 13

The abuse with drugs or caffeine over a period of time. B-1 (thiamine) deficiency is also associated with Korsakoff’s.

Question 14

-In the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, the level of __________ is greatly reduced, resulting from degeneration of the basal forebrain.

Answer 14

Acetylcholine

Question 15

-Which structure is thought to store memories for visual images?

Answer 15

The inferior temporal cortex

Question 16

-The amygdala is thought to play a role in

Answer 16

The amygdala is thought to play a role in providing memory for emotionally surprising/arousing experiences an individual experiences in their life.

Question 17

-Long-term potentiation has been most frequently studied in the

Answer 17

LTP has been most frequently studied in the hippocampus.

Question 18

-List and describe the 3 major processes to memory.

Answer 18

Encoding: known as the first time learning a piece of information
Storage: known as maintaining the piece of information over a period of time
Recall: known as the ability for our brain to retrieve and recite the information at any point in time

Question 19

-List and describe 3 types of memories the human brain can make.

Answer 19

Working memory: the ability for us to retain a small amount of information that can be projected and used onto cognitive tasks.
Short-term memory: the ability for the brain to retain a small amount of information for a short period of time, often 30 seconds.
Long-term memory: the ability for the brain to process short-term memories and create them into longer lasting memories (LTM), allowing us to remember specific information for a long period of time.

Question 20

-Discuss the major signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease and list/describe the 3 major theories on why this occurs.

Answer 20

Three major signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease are memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion. There are three major theories as to why Alzheimer’s occurs.
Cholinergic Hypothesis: one of the oldest hypotheses to explain the causation of Alzheimer’s, this hypothesis suggests the decline and the dysfunction of acetylcholine within the individual’s brain. As a result of this, the neurons that contain acetylcholine cause severe cognitive decline.
Amyloid hypothesis: also known as plaques and tangles. This hypothesis is where the beta amyloids, a protein, breaks down. The breakdown of this protein causes plaques to form within the dendrites of the neuron. Tau proteins are also involved in this. When the Tau proteins also break down, they break down the microtubules of the cell, creating neurofibrillary tangles. Thus, the name plaques (beta amyloids) and tangles (tau proteins) are derived from this process. This causes the destruction of memory but the health of the individual may still be okay.
Post Traumatic: this theory as to why Alzheimer’s occurs could be positive or negative. It could be due to traumatic, life changing events such as near death experiences, fighting in the war, or experiencing a shooting. There are two types of Post Traumatic, retrograde, which is losing past memories, and anterograde, the inability to make new memories. Scientists believe that these two forms are a self defense mechanism to the individual who experienced tragies in the past.