biological psychology 2 (5)

what are associations?

links between experiences → basis of memory

what is an engram?

physical trace of a memory in the brain

when is engram activated?

when similar stimuli are encountered

Lashley’s key finding?

memory is distributed across cortex

evidence on Lashley’s findings

location of damage didn’t matter, size did (memory is not localized in one spot)

What is Hebb’s rule?

Neurons that fire together wire together

what changes during learning?

synaptic strength (efficacy of transmission)

what did Kandel show?

learning change synaptic response

role of hippocampus?

encoding long-term memories

what does morris water maze tast?

spatial learning

what is spatial learning?

the ability to learn and remember where things are in space

result of hippocampal damage?

cannot learn platform location

what is long term potential?

long lasting increase in synaptic strength

where observed long term potential?

hippocampus

key receptors in long term potential?

NMDA and AMPA

What happens first in LTP?

AMPA active at baseline

what triggers NMDA activation?

intracellular signalling→synaptic strengthening

final effect of LTP?

More AMPA receptors

more glutamate release

what happens if NMDA receptors are removed?

LTP impaired + learning impaired

what are place cells?

neurons firing in specific locations

function of place cells

create cognitive map

what is neural replay?

re-activation of neural patterns during sleep

when does neural replay occur?

during sleep (especially NREM)

what is a sharp-wave ripple?

brain activity to memory replay

sleep signals?

sleep spindles, slow waves

what does active system consolidation propose?

hippocampus communicate with cortex during sleep

what happens during sleep?

overall decrease in synaptic strength

why is synaptic homeostasis is useful?

improves efficiency and memory

what does sequential consolidation combine?

system + synaptic consolidation

what does sleep do besides strengthening memory?

transforms memory→creativity

mechanisms of transforms memory?

Unitizzation, assimilation, abstraction