Exam 4, Lec 1; Memory and Learning

Declarative Memory

Knowledge that can be verbally expressed

Non-declarative Memory (Procedural

Knowledge that can be demonstrated through actions

Immediate Memory

Ability to hold ongoing experiences in mind for fractions of a second.

Working Memory (Short-Term Memory)

Holds information in mind for seconds to minutes to achieve a goal; requires attention.

Long-term Memory

Retaining information for days, weeks, or a lifetime.

• Ex. Important exam information or Salient Life Events

Categories for Declarative Learning and Memory

Immediate Memory, Working Memory, Long Term Memory, and Memory Consolidation

Memory Consolidation

Requires Rehearsal

Facilitated by hippocampus and Parahippocampal cortex

Ex. Patient H.M

Delayed Non-Matching-toSample Task

Monkey’s must identify objects not previously seen, demonstrating effects of medial temporal lobe damage

• Test Object Recognition

• Task Requirement: Memory of Objects over varying delay times

Primacy Effect

Better recall of words at beginning of a list

Recency Effect

Better recall of words at the end of a list due to short term memory retention

Anterograde Amnesia

Deficit in learning new information.

Retrograde Amnesia

Deficit in recalling previous information.

Patient H.M.

Underwent Bilateral Temporal Lobectomy

Results:

• Normal IQ, perception, reasoning, motivation

• profound Anterograde Amnesia; inability to consolidate new long term declarative memories

• retained old memories pre-surgery

• Could form new implicit memories (procedural learning)

Patient K.C.

Damage led to loss of personal memory but retained knowledge in other areas

Semantic Memory (Declarative Memory)

Generalized Knowledge

Episodic Memory (Declarative Memory)

Detailed autobiographical memory.

Hippocamppal Place Cells

Neurons that activate when navigating known spaces contributing to spatial memory

New contexts lead to new neural representations of space

Memory w/ Sleep

Sleep plays crucial role in memory replay and consolidation

vital for long term storage

Karl Lashley’s Principle

Memory degradation depends on amount of cortex damage, not type

Declaracative (Hippocampus dependent)

Semantic and Episodic

Non-Declarative (Hippocampus Independent)

Procedural Skills, Priming, Conditions

Synapses Learning

Permanent behavior changes from experience

Invovles structural changes in synapses without neurogenesis

Neuroplasticity

The nervous system's potential for changes in its structure and function.

Long-term Potentiation (LTP)

Increase in synaptic strength

minutes → days → years.

Long Term Depression (LTD)

Decreases to Synaptic Strength

Years → Days → Minutes

Synaptic Plasticity

Changes in synaptic strength as a result of learning.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Population Statistics: 65 and older

Disease Progression: Slow progression, average 8 years until typically secondary illnesses

Symptoms: Characterized by dementia, memory loss, cognitive decline

Dementia

Progressive decline in mental function involving memory, language, and decision skills

Must show memory impoairment plus one of the following:

• Aphasia, Apraxia, Agnosia, Executive function problems

Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Comprehensive Evaluations:

• Health Assessments, memory tests, physical health evaluations, imaging scans (MRI, PET)

Brain Changes with Alzheimers

Loss of Corticles, Enlatged Ventricles, Reduced Brain Activity

Senile Plaques

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Senile Plaques

Extracellular deposits of β-amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

Intracellular bundles of filaments derived from normal structures in neurons, associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzehimer’s Pharmacological Treatment

Aim to counteract loss of cholinergic neurons by inhibiting ACh degradation

Alzheimer’s Anti-Amyloid Antibody Treatment

Strategies involve infusing antibodies to promote removal of amyloid deposits, slowing disease progression

Donanemab

An anti-amyloid antibody therapy recently approved for treating early Alzheimer’s Disease.