Theories of Emotion and Memory Processes

James-Lange Theory

Emotion arises from bodily sensations after stimuli.

Schachter-Singer Theory

Emotion depends on context and cognitive appraisal.

Mirror Neurons

Active during personal and observed actions.

Hippocampus in Depression

Atrophy linked to depressive symptoms.

BDNF

Neurotrophic factor related to brain plasticity.

Serotonin Syndrome

Excess serotonin causes cognitive and physical symptoms.

Symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome

Includes agitation, fever, nausea, and ataxia.

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memories before an injury occurs.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to learn new information post-injury.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated stimulus exposure.

Sensitization

Increased response to intense, repeated stimulus.

Short-term Memory

Stores information for minutes to hours.

Long-term Memory

Stores information for years to decades.

Explicit Memory

Conscious recollection of facts and events.

Implicit Memory

Unconscious memory for skills and tasks.

Semantic Memory

Facts and general knowledge, e.g., capital cities.

Episodic Memory

Personal experiences and specific events.

Cued-Fear Conditioning

Learning to associate a cue with fear.

Amygdala

Brain area critical for processing fear responses.

Long-term Potentiation

Strengthening of synaptic connections lasting weeks.

Homosynaptic LTP

Occurs at a single synapse.

Associative LTP

Strengthens weaker synapses firing with stronger ones.