ch 13

Amnesia

Severe impairment of memory, usually resulting from injury or disease.

Anterograde amnesia

The inability to form new memories after an event.

Retrograde amnesia

Loss of memories that formed prior to an event, such as trauma or surgery.

Declarative memory

Explicit memory that includes facts and information we are consciously aware of.

A memory that can be stated or described.

Nondeclarative memory

Also called procedural memory. A memory that is shown by performance rather than by conscious recollection.

Episodic memory

Also called autobiographical memory. Memory of a particular incident or a particular time and place.

Semantic memory

Generalized declarative memory, such as knowing meanings of words without recalling learning specifics.

Hippocampus

A brain region essential for forming new declarative memories.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

Stable and long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission, considered a cellular mechanism of memory.

Neuroplasticity

Changes in the structure and function of synapses that occur with learning.

Hebbian synapse

A synapse that strengthens when both the pre- and postsynaptic neurons are activated together.

Cerebellum

A brain region involved in conditioning and skill learning, particularly nondeclarative memories.

Korsakoff’s syndrome

A memory disorder, caused by thiamine deficiency, that is generally associated with chronic alcoholism.

Confabulate

To fill in a gap in memory with a falsification. Confabulation is often seen in Korsakoff’s syndrome

The process of filling in memory gaps with fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted information.

Retrieval

The third process of the memory system, in which a stored memory is used by an organism

Encoding

The process of converting sensory input into a form that can be stored in memory.

Consolidation

The state of awareness of one’s own existence, thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

Skill learning

The process of learning to perform a challenging task simply by repeating it over and over.

Associative learning

A type of learning in which an association is formed between two stimuli or between a stimulus and a response. It includes both classical and instrumental conditioning.

Priming

A change in the way you process a stimulus due to prior exposure to it.

Instrumental conditioning

Also called operant conditioning. A form of associative learning in which the likelihood that an act (instrumental response) will be performed depends on the consequences (reinforcing stimuli) that follow it.

Sensory buffers

Briefest memories, retaining information for seconds, such as iconic memories for visual stimuli.

Short-term memory (STM)

Memory that retains information for a short duration, approximately 30 seconds without rehearsal.

Long-term memory (LTM)

Memory that retains information over a long period, potentially for a lifetime.

Place cells

Hippocampal neurons that become active when an animal is in or moving towards a specific location.

Cognitive map

A mental representation of spatial relationships in an environment.

Mirror tracing task

A skill learning task where individuals trace images seen in a mirror; used to study procedural memory.

Delayed non-matching-to-sample task

A memory test that assesses recognition by requiring participants to identify a previously unseen object.

Rehearsal

The process of repeatedly practicing or reviewing information in order to store it in memory.

Memory trace (engram)

The record laid down in memory by a learning experience.

False memories

Memories that are distorted or fabricated due to suggestive information during retrieval.

NMDA receptor

A glutamate receptor that is crucial for the induction of long-term potentiation.

AMPA receptor

A type of glutamate receptor that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the brain.

Emotional memory

Memory that is enhanced due to the emotional intensity of the experience.

Environmental enrichment

Exposure to complex environments resulting in enhanced cognitive and structural changes in the brain.

LTP induction

The process by which long-term potentiation is initiated, resulting in increased synaptic strength.

Operant behavior

Behavior that is influenced by the consequences that follow it.

Stimulation threshold

The level of stimulation required to trigger a synaptic response.

GABAergic transmission

Transmission mediated by gamma-aminobutyric acid, often resulting in inhibitory effects.

Neural circuit

A network of interconnected neurons that work together to perform specific tasks or processes.

Calcium ions (Ca²⁺)

Key ions that play a crucial role in various cellular processes, including long-term potentiation.

Glutamate

The primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, involved in synaptic plasticity.

Optogenetics

A technique that allows researchers to control neurons using light to understand brain function.

Feedback mechanisms

Processes that use the outputs of a system to regulate its activity; important in memory reconsolidation.

Neurotransmitter

Chemicals used by neurons to communicate with each other and influence various brain functions.

Dendritic branching

The process by which dendrites grow new branches; critical for learning and memory storage.

Cognitive flexibility

The mental ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts, or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously.

dorsomedial thalamus

A limbic system structure that is connected to the hippocampus.

mammillary bodies

One of a pair of limbic system structures that are connected to the hippocampus.

(so called because they are shaped like a pair of breasts)

Basal ganglia

A group of forebrain nuclei, including the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, and putamen, found deep within the cerebral hemispheres. They are crucial for skill learning.

Priming

Also called repetition priming. The phenomenon by which exposure to a stimulus facilitates subsequent responses to the same or a similar stimulus.

classical conditioning

Also called Pavlovian conditioning. A type of associative learning in which an originally neutral stimulus acquires the power to elicit a conditioned response when presented alone.

reconsolidation

The return of a memory trace to stable long-term storage after it has been temporarily made changeable during the process of recall.

habituation

A form of nonassociative learning in which an organism becomes less responsive following repeated presentations of a stimulus

tetanus

An intense volley of action potentials.

dentate gyrus

A strip of gray matter in the hippocampal formation.