Neuropsychology of memory Flashcards
What is anterograde amnesia?
- anter = anterior or front
- retrograde = backwards
- anterograde = moving forward
- inability to create new memories
What is implicit memory?
1 - things we don’t need to consciously think about to remember
2 - things we need to consciously think about to remember
1 - things we don’t need to consciously think about
- this is unconscious and unintentional in remembering
- like riding a bike
What is explicit memory?
1 - things we don’t need to consciously think about to remember
2 - things we need to consciously think about to remember
2 - things we need to consciously think about
- the recall of previously learned information that requires conscious effort to receive
Procedural memory is a form of implicit memory, which do not require conscious though to remember them, like riding a bike or driving. What are procedural memories?
- long-term memory involving how to perform different actions and skills
- riding a bike, tying your shoes, and running are all examples of procedural memories (we dont have to try to remember how to do them)
When we use explicit also known as declarative memory, which is the recall of previously learned information that requires conscious effort to receive, what is the main lobe, and specifically one part of the brain in that lobe that is involved?
1 - frontal lobe and hippocampus
2 - parietal lobe and hippocampus
3 - occipital lobe and hippocampus
4 - medial lobe and hippocampus
4 - medial lobe and hippocampus
- hippocampus is because we know Henry Molaison had this removed and could not remember new information
What is confabulation in relation to memories? (think fabricate)
- the production or creation of false or erroneous memories
- we think it happened but did not
- without the intent to deceive, sometimes called “honest lying”
What is amnesia?
- loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences
- reduced ability to take in new information is severely and usually permanently affected
- BUT, patients generally know who they are.
Amnesia is the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences, and a reduced ability to take in new information is severely and usually permanently affected. BUT, patients generally know who they are. Is intelligence affected in amnesia?
- not generally
Amnesia is the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences, and a reduced ability to take in new information is severely and usually permanently affected. BUT, patients generally know who they are. Is attention span affected in amnesia?
- yes
- in amnesia, patients forget what they are paying attention to
Amnesia is the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences, and a reduced ability to take in new information is severely and usually permanently affected. BUT, patients generally know who they are. Is personality affected in amnesia? (remember Dora the explorer)
- no
- patients personality if maintained
- think dora the explorer in finding nemo
Henry Molaison was an American who hit his head and developed intractable epilepsy, which is when seizures can’t be controlled by medicines. He underwent surgery to try and cure this, having large parts of his temporal lobe removed and following the surgery he was unable to do what?
- remember new things called anterograde amnesia (unable to remember new things)
- surgically induced amnesia
What is the Corsi block-tapping test?
- psychological test assessing visuo-spatial short-term working memory, part of the working memory model
- patient mimics the researcher as they tap a sequence of up to nine identical spatially separated blocks
The Corsi block-tapping test is a psychological test that assesses visuo-spatial, part of the working memory model. Here short term (same as working) memory is tested where a patient mimics the researcher as they tap a sequence of up to nine identical spatially separated blocks. In this test patients must use digit span and spatial span. In the Corsi block-tapping test what is the digit and spatial span?
- digit span = speak to repeat the numbers (2, 7, 9, 4, 5 ect..) (phonological loop with articulation, the inner voice)
- spatial span = do not speak but tap the same blocks as the experimenter in the same order (visuospatial loop)
Using digit span (speaking and repeating an order of numbers) (phonological loop of working memory model) and spatial span (not speaking but repeating the order of a sequence by tapping numbered blocks in the Corsi block test) (visuospatial in working memory model), what is double dissociation?
1 - shows that parts of brain for phonological loop and visuospatial are linked
2 - shows that parts of brain for phonological loop and visuospatial are linked for certain tasks
3 - shows that parts of brain for phonological loop and visuospatial appear to be related
3 - shows that parts of brain for phonological loop and visuospatial appear to be related
- research has shown that patients can be good in digital or span, but then poor in the other
- double dissociation shows digit and spatial span are separate from one another and likely to use different parts of the brain
Double disassociation, is when there are 2 functions such as:
- digit span (speaking and repeating an order of numbers (phonological loop of working memory model)
- spatial span (not speaking but repeating the order of a sequence by tapping numbered blocks in the Corsi block test) (visuospatial in working memory model)
Although these appear to be related, there is evidence to show that this is not the case, and that the use different parts of the brain. What does double disassociation tell us using the example above?
- separate brain regions are involved in digit and spatial span
What do anterograde and retrograde mean?
- Anterograde = anterior means forward, so this is moving forward or directed forward
- Retrograde = retro means backwards, so this is moving backwards or directed backwards
What is anterograde and retrograde amnesia?
- anterograde = cannot develop new memories after injury
- retrograde = cannot remember memories before injury
Procedural memory, which is a form of implicit memory is a type of long-term memory involving how to perform different actions and skills. Essentially, it is the memory of how to do certain things. Riding a bike, tying your shoes, and running. What is one of the key areas involved in procedural memory, the act of physically doing something?
1 - motor cortex
2 - cerebellum
3 - basal ganglia
4 - thalamus
3 - basal ganglia
- this fines tunes the motor function to perform the action
Procedural memory, which is a form of implicit memory is a type of long-term memory involving how to perform different actions and skills. Essentially, it is the memory of how to do certain things, like riding a bike, tying your shoes, and running. The basal ganglia, located in the base of the forebrain and top of the midbrain is key for this type of memory. In Henry Molaisons case when his medial temporal lobes were removed, did this affect his procedural memory?
- no appeared unaffected, suggesting basal ganglia was not affected
- relies on basal ganglia instead of medial temporal lobe, where hippocampus is located
Procedural memory, which is a form of implicit memory is a type of long-term memory involving how to perform different actions and skills. Essentially, it is the memory of how to do certain things, like riding a bike, tying your shoes, and running. The basal ganglia located in the base of the forebrain and top of the midbrain is important in procedural memory. In the Henry Molaison case where his medial temporal lobes were removed (specifically the hippocampus), procedural memory was unaffected. Has research shown that procedural memory can still be learned and retained?
- yes
- mirror tracing and reading indicate we can still learn
- Henry Molaison could not remember doing test but developed procedural memory through mirror tracing
- the skills become part of his procedural memory, which is a form of implicit memory
Priming is a phenomenon whereby exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus and is an example of implicit memory (things that need no consciousness to recall them). In the priming study in anterograde amnesia patients they were asked to draw pictures of objects with a little of the objects already drawn. What did this study reveal?
- patients can develop implicit memory with the help of priming
- this is what Henry Molaison was able to due using mirror tracing
- shows that memories they do not need to consciously retrieved
- BUT they have no memory of learning the new skills
When we look at implicit (do not need to consciously think to remember) and explicit (need to consciously think to remember) memory, which is affected by anterograde amnesia?
- implicit = not affected, still ride a bike, drive a car
- explicit = affected, cannot remember how to add, multiple etc…
Episodic memory is a form of explicit memory. What is episodic memory?
1 - conscious recollection of a personal experience (what and where something happened?
2 - unconscious recollection of a personal experience (what and where something happened?
1 - conscious recollection of a personal experience (what and where something happened?
- essentially what, where and when
Which part of the brain do all declarative, also referred to as explicit (episodic and semantic) memories require?
1 - medial temporal lobe including the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions
2 - occipital lobe including the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions
3 - frontal lobe including the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions
4 - medial temporal lobe including the amygdala and parahippocampal regions
1 - medial temporal lobe including the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions
- henry molaison was terrible at this
Larry Squire originally indicated that all declarative, also called explicit memories (episodic and semantic) are dependent on the medial temporal lobe. BUT, what did he suggest in relation to declarative memories over time?
1 - once hippocampus and amygdala are full, the memories will be removed
2 - once hippocampus and amygdala are full, memories will be stored elsewhere in the brain
- over time, declarative memories become consolidated to other brain regions
- like hippocampus and amygdala are full, lets put them elsewhere
The standard model of consolidation indicates that the initial memory trace is critical in the early encoding of a memory (essentially how you remember the initial memory). However, Larry Squire suggested that something happens to that memory over time, which is what?
- the memory is transferred to the cortex
- the hippocampus is no longer required for retrieval
- suggests patients with medial temporal damage may still be able to retrieve information
Retrograde amnesia, where retro means the past, means that patients cannot remember memories before injury. However, what has recent research shown about semantic (memories, facts, figure, etc) memories, which is a form of declarative/explicit memory?
- patients with retrograde amnesia can recall semantic memories (conscious recollection about general world knowledge, facts, concepts, symbols, math and language)
- likely to be due to memories being stored in cortex and not the hippocampus which would be damaged in the medial temporal lobe
Semantic dementia is a form of dementia affecting semantic memory, where patients lose the ability to match words, sounds, images to their meanings, not restricted to one sensory input. Which part of the brain is generally affected?
- lateral temporal cortex
