NSB Ch 13 Learning and Memory

classical conditioning

learning an association between 2 things. no rewards/punishment are necesary

unconditioned stimulus

always produces a response

operant conditioning

reinforcement: behavior increases in strength due to rewarding consequences

punishment: behavior decreases in strength due to aversive consequences

Hebb rule

hypothesis that the cellular basis of learning = the strengthening of a synapse that is repeatedly active when the postsynaptic neuron fires

LTP (long-term potentiation)

a long-term increase in the excitability of a neuron to a particular synaptic input caused by repeated stimulation

habituation

behavior decreases because of repeated stimulus

sensitization

behavior increases

Perforant Path

1. Dentate gyrus

2. pyramidal cells of CA3

3. subicular complex

retrograde amnesia

typical

damage to hippocampus/surrounding cortex

memory loss for events immediately prior to amnestic event

anterograde amnesia

rare

damage to CA1

severe inability to make new long term memories