Brain Facts chapter 4

Who was a patient who had permanent amnesia after having surgery to remove hippocampus was removed to solve his epilepsy problem?

Henry Molaison (H.M.)

What is a loss of memory?

amnesia

What consists of the hippocampus and parahippocampal regions and encodes and transfers new explicit memories to long-term memory?

medial temporal lobe

What are memories of facts, data, and events?

declarative memory

What is a type of declarative memory memory of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world -- state capitals, word definitions, adding and subtracting, dates and meanings of historical events?

semantic memory

What is a type of declarative memory of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place?

episodic memory

What is a limbic system structure (two lima bean like structures) involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear, aggression, and "fight or flight" situations?

amygdala

What is the amygdala shaped like and is Greek for?

almond

What region of the brain plays a distinct role in processing the "what" information about specific events?

parahippocampal region

What refers to memory that is stored effectively in the brain and may be accessed over an extended period of time?

long-term

What is a type of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information? (ex: remembering a phone number, sum, an image)

working memory

What is the frontmost portion of the frontal lobes important for attention, working memory, decision making, appropriate social behavior, and personality?

prefrontal cortex

What is memory for the physical environment; it includes things such as location of objects, direction, and cognitive maps?

spatial memory

What are cells found in the hippocampus whose activity becomes associated with particular parts of a familiar environment?

place cells

What are cells found in the entorhinal cortex (near the hippocampus) representing coordinates for your brain to track your position in space when landmarks or external cues are absent?

grid cells

What is long-term memory that stores motor skills, habits, and simple classically conditioned responses? (ex: riding a bike, eating). Involves the basal ganglia, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum.

nondeclarative (or implicit or procedural) memory

What is the ability of synapses to change and remodel? This is essential in creating new memories.

synaptic plasticity

What is a neuron that sends the signal?

presynaptic neuron

What is a neuron that receives the signal?

postsynaptic neuron

How are neural messages sent?

1. Presynaptic neurons sends signal though neurotransmitters to the postsynaptic neuron.

2. The receptors bind with the neurotransmitters.

3. The receptors convert that to an electrical system.

4. The receptors recycle or break down the neurotransmitters to receive new signals.

What molecules are important in the formation of long-term memories?

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and cAMP-respond element binding protein (CREB)

What is an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation? Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

Increases glutamate which causes an increase in calcium ions which activates more cAMP molecules which also activates CREB.

long-term potentiation (LTP)

What is a prolonged decrease in response at a synapse where the axons have been less active than certain other axons afferent to that neuron?

Decrease in glutamate and calcium ions.

long-term depression (LTD)

What is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain? It is excitatory, binds to receptors, and is important for memory.

glutamate

What serves as second messengers -- signaling molecules that set off a chain of molecular events within cells?

calcium ions

What is molecules in the cell acting as a second messenger that activates enzymes to increase the number of synaptic receptors and making the synapse more sensitive?

cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)

What is a protein that switches on the genes responsible for the development of new protein? Gets activated by cAMP.

cAMP-respond element binding protein (CREB)

What is a type of non-declarative memory involved with memory of emotional responses? Uses the amygdala.

emotional memory

What is a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience?

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

What are the 6 basic emotions according to Paul Ekman?

anger, fear, surprise, disgust, sadness, happiness

What brain structure gives you a feeling of disgust (tastes bad when eating spoiled food), a feeling of pain, and links feelings, social emotions, and conscious actions?

insula

What is gray matter surrounding the cerebral aqueduct of the midbrain that is believed to play a role in the sensation of pain and stress responses like defensive, reproductive, or maternal behaviors? Pain-reducing compounds of morphine and oxycodone is clustered here.

periaqueductal gray

What is a neurotransmitter that regulates motor behavior, motivation, pleasure, and emotional arousal -- the reward system?

dopamine

What is a pathway for the cognitive processing of rewards and motivation? ventral tegmental area (VTA) -> nucleus accumbens "the reward pathway"

mesolimbic pathway

What is a dopamine-rich area in the forebrain that is critical in the physiology of reward?

nucleus accumbens

What is a major node in the reward path that monitors reward and punishment by acting as an inhibitor of dopamine?

lateral habenula