things I don't understand (5-8)

Question 1

define learning

Answer 1

the strengthening of responses or the formation of new responses to stimuli due to repetition or practice

Question 2

define memory

Answer 2

the storage and retrieval of knowledge gained through learning

Question 3

what does STM involve

Answer 3

covalent modifications of pre-existing proteins at synapses by kinases

Question 4

what does LTM involve

Answer 4

CREB-mediated gene expression, new mRNA and protein synthesis

Question 5

how many neurons in aplysia

Answer 5

20,000 large identifiable nerve cells

Question 6

does aplysia have a brain

Answer 6

nooooo, just a collection of ganglia - hence why they are easy to study

Question 7

what is the full name of c. elegans

Answer 7

Caenorhabditis elegans

Question 8

what does CREB stand for

Answer 8

cAMP response element binding protein

Question 9

what happens if you microinject CRE oligonucleotides into sensory neurones co-cultured with motor neurons

Answer 9

CREB cannot bind and activate genes = prevents protein expression

• this selectively blocked long term facilitation

Question 10

what is apCREB2

Answer 10

a crab repressor that contributes to the LTF process

Question 11

what happens if anti-apCREB2 antibodies are injected into sensory neurones of aplysia

Answer 11

when their is a single pulse of serotonin, it is able to induce long term facilitation lasting days (when it should of only activated short term facilitation)

Question 12

what is the storage place for LTM

Answer 12

the neocortex

Question 13

what is the parietal cortex responsible for

Answer 13

consolidation and retrieval

Question 14

how do rats with beta-amyloid perform in the Morris water maze

Answer 14

impaired performance

Question 15

when conducting electrophysiology on Schaffer collateral cells, what Hz is used

Answer 15

50-100 Hz

Question 16

name 3 peieces of evidence suggesting LTP is the basis of memory formation

Answer 16

1. NMDA receptor antagonists impaired learning of the Morris water maze (wasn’t inhibited just slowed)
2. KO mice with no NMDA receptor in the CA1 subfield have impaired memory and LTP
3. protein synthesis blockers prevent LTM formation

Question 17

LTP is associative, what does this mean, give an example

Answer 17

it pairs stimuli together
e.g. in the perruchet effect (air puff and tone = strengthens the synapse and results in blinking response)

Question 18

what does long low frequency of Schaffer collateral cells do

Answer 18

decrease the size of the response in the CA1 subfield

Question 19

what is the behavioural relevance of LTD

Answer 19

may be involved in behavioural flexibility - mice with impaired LTD are unable to learn a new location in the Morris water maze

Question 20

how may new neurons be implicated in learning

Answer 20

they migrate out from the dentate gyrus and become highly sensitive to LTP

Question 21

what is the evidence that neurogenesis is involved in learning

Answer 21

genetic ablation of neurogenesis impairs performance in the Morris water maze task

Question 22

what happens in memory consolidation

Answer 22

temporary labile memory is transformed into stable long-lasting memory

this involves transfer from the hippocampus to the neocortex

Question 23

what is a hypothesised cause of dreams

Answer 23

researchers speculate that neural replay that consolidates memory is the basis of dreams

Question 24

mice with hypo function of what channel show reduced recognition of novel objects 24 hours post experiment

Answer 24

CaV1.2 channels

Question 25

what were the different theories backed by Tolman and skinner

Answer 25

Tolman = cognitive learning theory
skinner = behaviourism

Question 26

what were tolmans ideas about learning

Answer 26

he thought animals do more than merely respond to stimuli, they act on beliefs, attitudes and changing conditions, and they strive towards goals