Module 11 Flashcards

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1
Q

Who was H.M. and what procedure did he undergo?

A

H.M. was a man who underwent a bilateral medial temporal lobectomy in 1953 at the age of 27 to treat severe epilepsy.

The surgery successfully reduced H.M.’s seizures, but it resulted in devastating amnesic effects.

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2
Q

What is retrograde amnesia, and how did it affect H.M.?

A

Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall events that occurred before brain damage or surgery. H.M. had mild retrograde amnesia for events preceding his surgery but retained memory for remote events.

H.M. had an almost total inability to form new long-term memories after the surgery. He became suspended in time and could not remember events or people he encountered after the surgery.

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3
Q

What is the digit-span + 1 test, and how did H.M. perform on it?

A

The digit-span + 1 test assesses verbal long-term memory by having the participant repeat a sequence of digits with an additional digit added each trial. H.M. performed poorly on this test, failing to repeat an 8-digit sequence after 25 trials.

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4
Q

Describe H.M.’s performance on the mirror-drawing test.

A

H.M. showed improvement over three days on the mirror-drawing test, indicating retention of the task. However, he could not recall ever having completed the task before.

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5
Q

What were three influential contributions of H.M.’s case to the study of memory?

A

Challenging the view of memory as diffusely distributed throughout the brain.

Supporting the theory of different modes of storage for short-term, long-term, and remote memory.

Revealing the distinction between explicit and implicit long-term memories.

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6
Q

What are explicit and implicit long-term memories, and how did H.M.’s case contribute to their distinction?

A

Explicit memories are consciously recalled memories, while implicit memories are demonstrated through improved performance without conscious awareness.

H.M.’s performance on tasks like mirror-drawing and incomplete-pictures tests showed evidence of implicit memories despite lacking conscious recollection, leading to the distinction between explicit and implicit memories.

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7
Q

What is the significance of having both explicit and implicit memory systems?

A

The implicit memory system provides simple, unconscious memory processes, while the explicit memory system allows for flexible use of information, leading to greater adaptability.

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8
Q

What are semantic and episodic memories, and how do they differ in individuals with medial temporal lobe amnesia?

A

Semantic memories are for general facts or information, while episodic memories are for specific events in one’s life.

Individuals with medial temporal lobe amnesia often have difficulty with episodic memories but retain their semantic memory.

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9
Q

Describe the case of transient global amnesia and its relevance to understanding medial temporal lobe amnesia.

A

Transient global amnesia is characterized by sudden onset anterograde amnesia and moderate retrograde amnesia, typically lasting 4 to 6 hours. Abnormalities in the hippocampus suggest ischemia-induced damage, offering insights into the pathology of medial temporal lobe amnesia.

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10
Q

What is Korsakoff’s syndrome, and what are its symptoms?

A

Korsakoff’s syndrome is a disorder of memory commonly seen in heavy alcohol consumers, often associated with thiamine deficiency. Symptoms include sensory and motor problems, confusion, personality changes, and a risk of death from related disorders.

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11
Q

How does the amnesia of Korsakoff’s syndrome progress, and what types of memory are affected?

A

Initially, there is anterograde amnesia for explicit episodic memories, progressing to retrograde amnesia extending back into childhood. Deficits in implicit memory are less severe and depend on the test used.

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12
Q

What part of the brain is often implicated in the memory deficits of Korsakoff’s syndrome, and why is it challenging to identify the specific cause of amnesia?

A

Damage to the mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus is often observed, but the diffuse brain damage complicates pinpointing a single cause of amnesia in Korsakoff’s syndrome.

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13
Q

Describe Alzheimer’s disease and its effects on memory.

A

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disorder characterized by memory deterioration, leading to severe dementia and inability to perform daily activities. Memory deficits include both explicit and implicit memory impairments.

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14
Q

What are the characteristics of memory deficits in predementia Alzheimer’s patients?

A

Predementia Alzheimer’s patients display general memory deficits, including anterograde and retrograde deficits in explicit memory tests, as well as deficiencies in short-term and certain types of implicit memory.

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15
Q

What role does acetylcholine depletion play in Alzheimer’s amnesia, and what other brain areas are affected?

A

Acetylcholine depletion, resulting from basal forebrain degeneration, is thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s amnesia. However, the brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease is diffuse, affecting areas like the medial temporal lobes and prefrontal cortex.

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16
Q

What is posttraumatic amnesia, and what are its characteristics following a closed-head traumatic brain injury (TBI)?

A

Posttraumatic amnesia follows a closed-head TBI and involves permanent retrograde amnesia for events leading up to the injury and anterograde amnesia for events during the period of confusion after regaining consciousness.

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17
Q

How do memory deficits following a closed-head TBI often puzzle friends and relatives of the patient?

A

Patients may seem lucid during interactions because short-term memory is intact, but they later have no recollection of the conversation due to anterograde amnesia.

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18
Q

Improved test performance without conscious awareness, as in the case of H.M.’s mirror-drawing task, exemplifies long-term memories which became known as _______ memories.

A

implicit

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19
Q

Explicit long-term memory is broadly divided in two main categories: episodic and _______.

A

semantic

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20
Q

Ischemia in the _______ could result in transient global amnesia.

A

hippocampus

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21
Q

Amnesia due to Korsakoff’s syndrome is typically associated with large lesions to the _______.

A

medial diencephalon

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22
Q

_______ amnesia refers to the loss of memories that took place before the brain injury.

A

Anterograde

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23
Q

_______ depletion resulting from damage to the basal forebrain may contribute to Alzheimer’s amnesia.

A

Acetylcholine

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24
Q

Memory consolidation is studied using _______ shock, which induces seizures using large electrodes.

A

electroconvulsive

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25
Q

Each time a memory is recalled or a similar experience occurs, a new _______ is formed, making that memory more difficult to forget.

A

engram

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26
Q

Amnesia caused by a nonpenetrative head injury is called _______.

A

posttraumatic amnesia (PTA)

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27
Q

Most research on reconsolidation has involved _______ conditioning using rats.

A

fear

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28
Q

What does the gradient of retrograde amnesia after closed-head TBI suggest about memory consolidation?

A

The gradient suggests that memory consolidation strengthens older memories while recent memories are preferentially disrupted.

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29
Q

According to Hebb’s theory, how are memories stored and consolidated?

A

Hebb’s theory suggests that memories are initially stored in short-term memory by neural activity reverberating in closed circuits. Over time, structural synaptic changes occur, leading to stable long-term storage.

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30
Q

What is electroconvulsive shock (ECS), and how has it been used to study memory consolidation?

A

ECS is an intense, brief, seizure-inducing current administered to the brain. It has been used to study memory consolidation by disrupting neural activity, erasing memories not yet consolidated to structural synaptic changes.

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31
Q

Describe the findings of Squire, Slater, and Chace’s (1975) study on ECS-produced retrograde amnesia.

A

Their study found a long gradient of retrograde amnesia induced by ECS. Memories of recent events were disrupted, while older memories remained intact.

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32
Q

What is the current view of memory consolidation, and how does memory resistance to disruption change over time?

A

Memory consolidation is believed to continue indefinitely, with memories becoming more resistant to disruption over time as additional links are established with other memories.

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33
Q

What is the standard consolidation theory, and why has it fallen out of favor?

A

The standard consolidation theory suggests that memories are temporarily stored in the hippocampus before being transferred to cortical storage. It has fallen out of favor due to evidence suggesting a more distributed and gradual process of memory consolidation.

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34
Q

What is reconsolidation, and why is it significant in the study of memory?

A

Reconsolidation is the process where retrieved memories become temporarily labile and susceptible to disruption until reconsolidated. It is significant as it suggests memories can be modified or updated upon retrieval.

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35
Q

Why are controlled experiments with animal models essential in studying memory?

A

Controlled experiments with animal models are necessary to identify specific brain structures involved in memory, control learning and retention variables, and test hypotheses that are not feasible with human subjects.

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36
Q

Why did early attempts to develop an animal model of medial temporal lobe amnesia fail?

A

Early attempts failed due to the focus on implicit memory tests, assuming that amnesia resulted solely from hippocampal damage, and the misconception that H.M.’s amnesia extended to all forms of long-term memory.

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37
Q

When was an animal model of H.M.’s disorder developed, and why was it considered a breakthrough?

A

An animal model of H.M.’s disorder was developed in the mid-1970s. It was considered a breakthrough because it allowed for experimental investigation into the neuroanatomy of medial temporal lobe amnesia.

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38
Q

What is the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test, and how does it assess memory in monkeys?

A

The delayed nonmatching-to-sample test involves presenting a sample object to a monkey, followed by a delay, and then presenting the sample object alongside an unfamiliar object. The monkey must select the unfamiliar object to obtain a reward.

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39
Q

How did monkeys with bilateral medial temporal lobectomies perform on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test?

A

Monkeys with bilateral medial temporal lobectomies had major object-recognition deficits. Their performance mirrored that of H.M., with normal performance at short delays but significant deficits at longer delays.

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40
Q

What is the significance of the rat version of the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test?

A

The rat version allows for the assessment of memory in rodents, providing insights into the role of hippocampal damage in medial temporal lobe amnesia.

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41
Q

Describe the findings regarding the performance of rats on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test.

A

Rats perform almost as well as monkeys on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test, with delays of up to 1 minute. This challenges the assumption that rats cannot perform complex tasks.

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42
Q

How do lesions to various medial temporal lobe structures affect performance on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test in rats?

A

Lesions to the medial temporal cortex produce severe deficits in performance, while lesions to the hippocampus or amygdala produce only modest deficits.

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43
Q

What does the relation between ischemia-produced hippocampal damage and object-recognition deficits suggest about the role of the hippocampus?

A

While ischemia-produced hippocampal damage is associated with severe deficits in object-recognition memory, total removal of the hippocampus produces only modest deficits. This suggests that damage to other brain structures also contributes to amnesia.

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44
Q

What evidence suggests that damage to brain structures other than the hippocampus contributes to amnesia following cerebral ischemia?

A

Studies have shown that ischemic patients with reduced hippocampal volume also tend to have extensive neocortical damage, indicating that damage to multiple brain areas contributes to amnesia.

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45
Q

What did the first major studies of medial temporal lobe neurons focus on, and what stimulated this research?

A

The first major studies focused on hippocampal neurons in rats. This research was stimulated by the finding that bilateral hippocampal lesions disrupt tasks involving memory for spatial location.

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46
Q

Describe the Morris water maze test and its findings in rats with hippocampal lesions.

A

In the Morris water maze test, rats learn to swim to a hidden platform in a circular pool of water. Rats with hippocampal lesions struggle to learn this task.

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47
Q

Explain the radial arm maze test and the deficits observed in rats with hippocampal lesions.

A

The radial arm maze test involves rats visiting arms baited with food. Rats with hippocampal lesions display deficits in both reference memory and working memory measures of radial arm maze performance.

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48
Q

What are place cells, and where are they found?

A

Place cells are neurons that respond only when an animal is in specific locations, known as place fields. They are found in the hippocampus.

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49
Q

How do place cells contribute to spatial processing?

A

Place cells fire to indicate where the animal “thinks” it is located in its environment. They play a role in spatial navigation and memory.

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50
Q

What are grid cells, and where are they found?

A

Grid cells are entorhinal neurons with repeating patterns of evenly spaced hexagon-shaped place fields. They are found in the entorhinal cortex.

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51
Q

How do grid cells contribute to spatial processing?

A

Grid cells fire as an animal traverses specific points in its environment. They help in encoding spatial information and are involved in spatial computations.

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52
Q

What is the relationship between grid cells and place cells?

A

The relationship between grid cells and place cells is complex. While grid cells provide input to place cells, the exact nature of their interaction is still debated.

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53
Q

How does the hippocampus contribute to cognitive processing beyond spatial navigation?

A

The hippocampus is involved in coding for temporal aspects of experiences, learning about social organization, and coding concepts, suggesting its role in generating a cognitive map.

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54
Q

What is meant by the term “cognitive map” in the context of the hippocampus?

A

The term “cognitive map” refers to the idea that the hippocampus generates a mental representation not only of spatial information but also of other cognitive concepts and experiences.

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55
Q

Why are recording electrodes sometimes implanted in the brains of patients with severe epilepsy?

A

Recording electrodes are implanted to record the activity of specific neurons, typically in the medial temporal lobes, as a precursor to surgery.

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56
Q

What are the major structures of the medial temporal lobes?

A

The major structures are the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial temporal cortex.

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57
Q

Describe the selectivity and invariance of Jennifer Aniston neurons.

A

Jennifer Aniston neurons are highly selective, responding to only a small number of specific test objects or individuals, and their responses are highly invariant across different tests.

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58
Q

What is the significance of Jennifer Aniston neurons being called concept cells?

A

Jennifer Aniston neurons are called concept cells because they respond to ideas or concepts rather than specific particulars.

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59
Q

Provide an example of how concept cells respond to ambiguous stimuli.

A

Concept cells respond to ambiguous stimuli based on the viewer’s perception of the concept. For example, they respond to an ambiguous face only when the viewer perceives the concept associated with that face.

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60
Q

What relationship exists between concept cells that respond to different concepts?

A

When concept cells respond to more than one concept, there is usually an obvious relationship between them. For example, a neuron responding to Jennifer Aniston may also respond to her co-star Lisa Kudrow.

61
Q

How do optogenetics work in the context of identifying engram cells?

A

In optogenetics, neurons active during a learning task are tagged with opsins. Then, in the manipulate stage, these tagged neurons can be inhibited or excited using light, allowing researchers to observe their effects on memory retrieval.

62
Q

Describe the two-stage process of identifying engram cells via optogenetics.

A

The first stage is the tagging stage, where active neurons are induced to express opsins during a learning task. In the second stage, the manipulate stage, these tagged neurons are either inhibited or excited using light.

63
Q

How have researchers used optogenetics to study memory in mice?

A

Researchers have observed, suppressed, or activated engram cells in different parts of the nervous system. For example, reactivating hippocampal cells associated with positive experiences reversed depressive-like behavior in mice.

64
Q

What insights have optogenetic studies provided into Alzheimer’s disease?

A

Optogenetic studies suggest that the memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease may be retrieval deficits rather than encoding deficits, as activating engram cells can retrieve otherwise inaccessible memories.

65
Q

What was Karl Lashley’s approach to identifying the storage sites of memories?

What were the major conclusions drawn from Lashley’s research on memory storage?

A

Lashley used the lesion method, destroying specific brain structures to observe the resulting effects on memory.

Memories are stored diffusely in the brain, and they become more resistant to disruption over time.

66
Q

Name four neural structures implicated in memory storage.

A

The hippocampus, medial temporal cortex, mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, and basal forebrain.

67
Q

What role does the inferotemporal cortex play in memory storage?

A

The inferotemporal cortex, along with the adjacent perirhinal cortex, is involved in storing memories of visual input.

68
Q

Describe the role of the amygdala in memory processing.

A

The amygdala is involved in the emotional significance of experiences and strengthens emotionally significant memories stored in other brain structures.

69
Q

What deficits are observed in patients with damage to the prefrontal cortex?

A

Patients may display deficits in memory for the temporal order of events and working memory tasks.

70
Q

How do the cerebellum and the striatum contribute to memory storage?

A

The cerebellum is involved in storing memories of learned sensorimotor skills, while the striatum stores memories for consistent relationships between stimuli and responses.

71
Q

Provide an example of how the striatum contributes to memory formation.

A

Parkinson’s patients with striatal damage were unable to solve a probabilistic discrimination problem involving stimulus cards, despite having normal explicit memory for the training episodes.

72
Q

What conclusion can be drawn from research on Parkinson’s patients with striatal damage?

A

The striatum plays a role in certain types of memory with no obvious motor component, as evidenced by the patients’ inability to improve in a probabilistic discrimination task despite intact explicit memory.

73
Q

Monkeys with large lesions in the _______ _______ lobe show deficits on the delayed nonmatching-to-sample test.

A

medial temporal

74
Q

Aspiration lesions of the _______ are more efficient in rats than monkeys because of the size and location of this brain structure.

A

hippocampus

75
Q

Lesions of the medial temporal lobe in rats produce more pronounced deficits in object recognition compared to lesions of the hippocampus and the _______.

A

amygdala

76
Q

Rats with hippocampal lesions display major deficits in both _______ and working memory.

A

reference

77
Q

Neurons in the hippocampus that respond only when the subject is in specific locations are called _______.

A

place cells

78
Q

_______ neurons are very selective and invariant. This means that they respond to concepts and ideas exclusively, which is why they are also called concept cells.

A

Jennifer Aniston

79
Q

The _______ has been known for its role in Pavlovian conditioning of eye-blink response of rabbits.

A

cerebellum

80
Q

One of the main structures involved in habit formation is the _______.

A

striatum

81
Q

Patients with lesions in the _______ cortex display deficits in working memory.

A

prefrontal

82
Q

The _______ cortex is involved in the storage and retention of visual memories.

A

inferotemporal

83
Q

What did Bliss and Lømo discover in 1973?

A

They discovered long-term potentiation (LTP), a facilitation of synaptic transmission following high-frequency electrical stimulation applied to presynaptic neurons.

84
Q

Where has LTP been most frequently studied?

A

LTP has been most frequently studied in the rodent hippocampus.

85
Q

What are two key properties of LTP?

A

LTP can last for a long time (several months to a year after multiple high-frequency stimulations) and requires co-occurrence of activity in the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons.

86
Q

What is Hebb’s postulate for learning?

A

Hebb’s postulate states that the co-occurrence of activity in presynaptic and postsynaptic cells is a physiological necessity for learning and memory.

87
Q

How is LTP related to learning and memory?

A

LTP is related to learning and memory because it can be elicited by low levels of stimulation, occurs in structures implicated in learning and memory, and disruption of LTP impairs memory performance.

88
Q

What are the three parts of the LTP process that researchers investigate?

A

Researchers investigate the mechanisms of induction, maintenance, and expression of LTP, corresponding to learning, memory, and recall processes.

89
Q

True or False: LTP is a direct representation of the subtle cellular events that underlie learning and memory.

A

False. LTP as induced in the laboratory by electrical stimulation is at best a caricature of the subtle cellular events underlying learning and memory.

90
Q

What evidence supports the idea that LTP is related to the neural mechanisms of learning and memory?

A

Evidence includes the ability of learning to produce LTP-like changes, the effects of drugs influencing both LTP and memory, impairment of memory performance with LTP disruption, and induction of behavioral changes resembling memories via LTP.

91
Q

What is the NMDA receptor?

A

The NMDA receptor is a receptor for glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter of the brain.

92
Q

What are the two events necessary for an NMDA receptor to respond maximally?

A

Glutamate must bind to the receptor, and the postsynaptic neuron must already be partially depolarized.

93
Q

What is the significance of the calcium channels associated with NMDA receptors?

A

These channels trigger a large influx of calcium ions only if the postsynaptic neuron is already depolarized when glutamate binds to the receptors, which is crucial for inducing LTP.

94
Q

True or False: LTP is induced only under high-intensity, high-frequency stimulation.

A

False. LTP can also be induced under low-intensity stimulation if the postsynaptic neurons are partially depolarized.

95
Q

Why is the requirement for co-occurrence of presynaptic glutamate release and postsynaptic depolarization important?

A

This requirement allows LTP to record simultaneous activity in at least two converging inputs to the postsynaptic neuron, enabling associations to be learned.

96
Q

What are the four important discoveries resulting from research on LTP?

A

Dendritic spines maintain synaptic specificity.

Maintenance of LTP involves structural changes dependent on protein synthesis.

Neuronal activity can change structure via transcription factors.

Epigenetic mechanisms play a role in LTP and memory maintenance.

97
Q

What is the “flip side” of LTP?

A

Long-term depression (LTD), which occurs in response to prolonged low-frequency stimulation of presynaptic neurons.

98
Q

What is metaplasticity?

A

Metaplasticity refers to the modulation of LTP and/or LTD induction by prior synaptic activity.

99
Q

True or False: The study of LTP has led to the ultimate discovery of the neural basis of learning and memory.

A

False. While the study of LTP has led to important discoveries, the neural basis of learning and memory remains complex and elusive.

100
Q

What has attracted many neuroscientists to the study of LTP?

A

The dream of discovering the neural basis of learning and memory has attracted many neuroscientists to the study of LTP, despite the complexity of the phenomenon.

101
Q

What are some neuroplastic changes outside the synapse that may play a role in learning and memory?

A

Epigenetic mechanisms in the cell nucleus and changes to the structure of axons.

102
Q

How is myelination related to learning and memory?

A

Myelination, an ongoing process throughout life, affects the speed of information transmission within and between neurons.

103
Q

List the five mechanisms through which changes in myelination occur.

A

Myelination of previously unmyelinated axons.

Removal of myelin sheaths from previously myelinated axons.

Replacement of old myelin sheaths.

Thinning or thickening of myelin sheaths.

Lengthening or shortening of myelin sheaths.

104
Q

How does myelination change following learning?

A

Learning, such as spatial navigation tasks or motor-skill learning, is associated with an increase in myelination in brain areas associated with the specific type of learning.

105
Q

What is infantile amnesia?

A

Infantile amnesia refers to the inability to remember events from infancy.

106
Q

Describe a study that demonstrates preserved implicit memories despite a lack of explicit recall.

A

In Newcombe and Fox’s (1994) study, children displayed a large skin conductance response to photographs of former preschool classmates, even if they did not explicitly remember them.

107
Q

How was implicit memory assessed in Drummey and Newcombe’s (1995) study?

A

Participants were asked to identify drawings they had previously seen as quickly as they could, even if they had no conscious recollection of them.

108
Q

What are nootropics?

A

Nootropics, or smart drugs, are substances thought to improve memory and cognitive function.

109
Q

What does the evidence suggest about the memory-enhancing effects of nootropics?

A

Most research on nootropics has been of low quality, with few participants and poor controls, and no nootropic has been convincingly shown to have memory-enhancing effects.

110
Q

True or False: The evidence supporting the memory-enhancing effects of nootropics is strong and consistent.

A

False. The evidence tends to be of low quality and inconsistent, with small effect sizes.

111
Q

What types of memory were intact for H.M?

A

Short-term memory

Remote (old) long-term memory

Implicit (non-declarative) memory

112
Q

Which types of memory are located in the medial temporal lobes?

A

Recent (new) long-term memory

Explicit (declarative) memory

113
Q

Which types of memory are not located in the medial temporal lobes?

A

Short-term memory

Remote (old) long-term memory

Implicit (non-declarative) memory

114
Q

What are the types of non-declarative (implicit) memory?

A

Procedural - how to swing a golf club

Associative - classical conditioning/fear

Nonassociative - Habituation/sensitization

Priming - power of suggestion

115
Q

What are the types of declarative (explicit) memory?

A

Episodic - vacation at the Grand Canyon

Semantic - What is the capitol of Maine?

116
Q

Where is episodic (declarative/explicit) memory stored?

A

Medial temporal lobe/hippocampus

117
Q

Where is fear memory (nondeclarative/implicit) stored?

A

Amygdala

118
Q

Where is motor/procedural (nondeclarative/implicit) memory storesd?

A

Motor cortex, cerebellum

119
Q

True or False?

Memory traces may not be immediately stored in their final location.

A

True.

Rather, they “move” through several locations over time.

120
Q

True or False?

Immediately after learning, the short-term memory (STM) trace is not located in the MTL.

A

True.

As the short-term memory is consolidated and becomes more permanent, it moves into the MTL. However, over time (perhaps months to years in humans), the memory moves elsewhere, outside of the MTL.

121
Q

Flip for summary of rat study with the radial arm test.

A

Hippocampal lesion rats have intact short-term memoy but not long term

Hippocampal AND prefrontal cortex lesion rats don’t have short term or long term memory (50%/random guesses every time)

Memory traces move within the brain over time:

-STM likely tired in the prefrontal cortex
- LTM stored in hippocampal/medial temporal lobe
- Remote memories probably stored throughout neocortex

122
Q

What neuroscientific techniques may be useful to identify brain areas and neurons that store remote memories?

A

single cell neuron recordings

fMRI

genetic labelling of neurons

(These techniques could allow us to identify neurons (and their location) that are activated during the recall of remote memories. Again, it is important to keep in mind that such evidence would be correlational in nature.)

123
Q

Assuming that you had found neurons that are highly active during the recall of old memories:

Can you think of an experimental strategy to provide stronger evidence that these cells do, indeed, participate in memory storage?

What would happen if you inhibit the neurons versus if you stimulate the neurons?

A

If I inhibit the neurons - Should suppress the recall of remote memory

If I stimulate the neurons - Should trigger the recall of remote memory

124
Q

The memory of your family trip to Victoria, B.C. in 2011 is an example of a/an:

implicit memory

non-associative memory

episodic memory

semantic memory

none of the above

A

episodic memory

125
Q

The knowledge that Paris is a town in Texas (among other places) is an example of a/an:

implicit memory

non-associative memory

episodic memory

semantic memory

none of the above

A

semantic memory

126
Q

Sort-term (working) memory is stored in the:

hippocampus

amygdala

neocortex

prefrontal cortex

cerebellum

A

prefrontal cortex

127
Q

In behavioral tasks, the recall of either STM or LTM can be assessed by:

increasing the difficulty of the task

changing the delay between training and recall testing

changing the number of items to be remembered

changing the material to be remembered

all of the above

A

changing the delay between training and recall testing

128
Q

Define Reconsolidation.

A

Each time an old memory is recalled, it becomes labile again, making it prone to changes and forgetting.

129
Q

The phenomenon of reconsolidation has indicated that even old memories can return to a labile state, similar to the characteristics of new memories. The reconsolidation model argues that memory strength _________ over time.

a) increases

b) decreases

A

increases

However, each time a memory is recalled, it becomes weak and fragile again and needs to undergo another reconsolidation process to return to a stable, long-lasting state that is resistant to interference.

130
Q

Define memory strength.

A

The resistance of the memory to change (such an interference or forgetting).

131
Q

What does the standard consolidation model suggest about memory strength?

A

Increases rapidly after encoding and continues to increase over time (albeit at a lower rate), until a plateau of maximal memory strength is reached.

132
Q

What does the reconsolidation model suggest about memory strength?

A

Also suggests that memory strength increases rapidly after encoding.

However, in contrast to the consolidation model, the reconsolidation model suggests that, each time an old memory is recalled, memory strength decreases to a very low level, and then increases again following the recall event, i.e., it is undergoing “reconsolidation”.

133
Q

go back and watch video in 11.2 - didn’t watch

A
134
Q

What happens to memories when they are recalled?

A

The neural representation becomes labile, allowing the memory to become malleable and prone to changes.

135
Q

What are some experimental conditions that can alter old memories during the reconsolidation process?

A

Administering drugs that block protein synthesis or providing extinction training soon after memory recall.

136
Q

True or False: Under normal conditions, memories are reconsolidated without any changes.

A

True. Under normal conditions, the reconsolidation process preserves the original memory.

137
Q

What raises the question of why memories become labile each time they are recalled?

A

The experimental finding that old memories can be altered.

138
Q

Why does the process of memory reconsolidation exist?

A

To allow the updating of memory networks with new information, keeping memories current and relevant.

139
Q

Provide an example of how memory networks can be updated.

A

Updating memories associated with one’s mother, such as when she changes jobs or moves, by incorporating new information into existing memory networks.

140
Q

How does the concept of reconsolidation challenge the traditional view of memory consolidation?

A

It challenges the idea that memories stabilize over time, as even old, well-consolidated memories become malleable when recalled.

141
Q

What does the reconsolidation process allow for?

A

It allows for the incorporation of new information into existing memory networks.

142
Q

What are some factors that can interfere with the reconsolidation of memories?

A

Drugs that block protein synthesis or providing extinction training soon after memory recall.

143
Q

What does the term “labile” mean in the context of memory?

A

Labile refers to the state of being liable to change or alteration, as seen in the malleability of memories during recall.

144
Q

The process of memory consolidation and reconsolidation requires:

active rehearsal of information

hippocampal activity

memory updating

prefrontal cortex activity

synthesis of new proteins

A

synthesis of new proteins

145
Q

A common behavioral paradigm to study memory reconsolidation is:

the delayed non-matching to sample test

fear conditioning

digit-span memory test

spatial memory test

working memory test

A

fear conditioning

146
Q

A critical requirement to triggers reconsolidation is:

recall of the old memory

new learning

memory updating

forgetting

memory suppression

A

recall of the old memory

147
Q

Reconsolidation allows the:

stabilization of memories

updating of memories

removal of memories

integration of multiple memories

all of the above

A

all of the above

148
Q

start at 11.3 and go back and watch video in 11.2

A