NSCI 201 Learning and Memory

Declarative memory

available to consciousness and can be expressed by language

Nondeclarative memory

not available to consciousness

sensory memory

lasts milliseconds, limited in number

short-term memory

lasts minutes, hours can be consolidated to long-term memory

long-term memory

lasts forever, limitless number

working memory

sharply limited, requires repeating to remember

episodic memory

events

semantic memory

facts, word definitions

Memory engram

collection of neurons, location in brain reoresenting a memory

Grandmother cells

one neuron is dedicated to an idea

Distributed representation

one cell per unique stimulus

Place cells

fire at specific locations in space

Grid cells

encode ‘hotspots’ that make a grid pattern

Retrograde amnesia

Loss of memory prior to trauma

Anterograde amnesia

Loss of memory after trauma

procedural memory

Skills and Habits (Driving a car)

conditioned memory

Associative learning (green means go)

classical conditioning

A response becomes associated with a neutral stimulus

Unconditioned stimulus

elicits response without training, inherently rewarding

conditioned stimulus

no response until after training, neutral cue