Psych U3 AOS2 Dot point 5

Hippocampus

A structure in the medial temporal lobe, deep within the brain and part of the limbic system.

Role of the hippocampus in encoding and consolidation

1. Plays a crucial role in the formation, encoding and consolidation (ensuring they are neurologically stable and long-lasting) of new explicit memories (semantic and episodic) and their transfer to the cortex for long-term storage.

The hippocampus is a vital processing site for explicit long-term memories. It is believed that it does not permanently store any memories itself. Instead, it transfers them to the neocortex for long-term storage, most likely in the areas that initially processed the information; e.g., visual memories are likely stored in the occipital lobe.

The hippocampus plays a significant role in establishing links between different interrelated bits of a memory by integrating new incoming information with existing information to form networks of memories. Essentially, it is the curator of your Google Drive, or personal secretary, ensuring information is filed based on semantic links; dog breeds are stored with different dog coats, etc.

The hippocampus is connected to the amygdala, which is the emotion centre of the brain. The amygdala enhances the hippocampus’s ability to consolidate memories.

Role of the hippocampus in the formation of emotional memories

1. Through interaction with the amygdala, the hippocampus plays a role in the formation of emotional memories, particularly the explicit component of an emotional event.

Role of the hippocampus in spatial memory

The hippocampus also functions to enable encoding and consolidation (and some evidence to suggest retrieval) of spatial memories, which are explicit memories for the physical location of objects in space. This allows us to navigate from place to place and to learn and remember locations.

Amygdala

A small structure in the medial temporal lobe, deep within the brain and part of the limbic system.

Key functions of the amygdala

1. Involved in the encoding and consolidation (essentially the formation of long-term memories) of implicit emotional memories, including classically conditioned fear responses
   
   

2. Enhances the consolidation and storage (by the hippocampus) of emotionally charged long-term memories. We call these memories flashbulb memories because they are as vivid and highly detailed as a picture.

Neocortex

Is the largest and most recently evolved part of the cerebral cortex, enabling higher-order cognitive functionality, which is what distinguishes us from other animals.

Key function of neocortex

1. Storage of long-term explicit semantic and episodic memories. These are stored widely throughout the neocortex, usually in the areas where the relevant information was first processed, e.g, sounds in the temporal lobe, visual images in the occipital lobe

These separate components of a memory are linked via neural pathways.

2. Every time this happens, the neural pathways fire together, strengthening the connections and the memory through the process of LTP

Basal ganglia

brain structures lying deep within the brain with extensive connections to the neocortex and other brain areas.

Key function of basal ganglia

1. Has a role in encoding, storage and retrieval of long-term implicit memories involving voluntary motor skills.

2. The basal ganglia are also involved with the encoding, storage and retrieval of implicit memories that allow habituation to occur

Cerebellum

Located at the base of the brain is the cerebellum. Latin meaning = Little brain.

Key function

1. The cerebellum is directly involved in the encoding of temporary storage and retrieval of implicit procedural memories.

2. The cerebellum does consolidate and store implicit memories of simple reflexes acquired through classical conditioning. E.g. blinking (CR) as a result of associating a sound (C ) with a puff of air to the eye (UCS).