Cognitive Neuroscience Module 6 Flashcards

A comprehensive set of flashcards reflecting the key concepts from the Cognitive Neuroscience module on memory, including types, mechanisms, and case studies.

Memory

The acquisition, retention, and later use of information acquired from new experiences.

Encoding

The process of changes in the nervous system created by the experience, leading to memory traces.

Storage

The stabilization of memory traces for long-term retention, also known as consolidation.

Retrieval

Accessing stored memory traces triggered by a retrieval cue.

Amnesia

A loss of memory for experiences or information despite otherwise normal cognitive function.

Anterograde Amnesia

An inability to form new memories for information or life events occurring after brain damage.

Retrograde Amnesia

A loss of memories for information or life events that occurred before brain damage.

Childhood Amnesia

Little or no memory for the first few years of life, often due to hippocampal immaturity.

Learning

The acquisition of memories, typically to improve performance on a specific task.

Working Memory

A type of temporary memory that includes storage and manipulation of information.

Long-Term Memory

A more persistent type of memory that stores information over extended periods.

Declarative Memory

Explicit memory that can be consciously recalled such as facts and events.

Nondeclarative Memory

Implicit memory that does not require conscious thought, such as skills and conditioning.

Priming

A change in the processing of a stimulus due to a previous encounter with the same or a related stimulus.

Skill Learning

Gradual improvement in the performance of tasks due to repeated practice.

Conditioning

Simple responses to associations between stimuli or between a stimulus and a response.

Perceptual Priming

Priming that occurs when the test cue perceptually resembles the prime.

Conceptual Priming

Priming that occurs when the test cue is conceptually related to the prime.

Indirect Priming

Priming that occurs when the subject produces a word associated with the prime.

Patient K.F.

A case study of a patient with impaired working memory but intact long-term memory.

Patient H.M.

A case study of a patient who could not form new long-term memories after surgery.

Neuropsychology

The study of the relationship between brain function and behavior.

Bilateral Resection

Surgical removal of both sides of the medial temporal lobe, which can lead to severe amnesia.

Episodic Memory

A type of declarative memory that involves recollection of specific events.

Semantic Memory

A type of declarative memory that involves facts and general knowledge.

Cerebellum

A brain structure that plays an important role in conditioning and motor control.

Basal Ganglia

A group of nuclei in the brain associated with a variety of functions including motor control.

Motor Cortex

The area of the brain responsible for planning, initiating, and directing voluntary movements.

Hippocampus

A critical part of the brain involved in the formation of new memories.

Repetition Suppression

A decrease in neural response to a stimulus after repeated presentations.

Shallow Processing

A type of encoding that leads to weaker memory traces compared to deeper processing.

Episodic vs. Nondeclarative Memory

Differentiation between memories that can be consciously recalled versus those that cannot.

Motor Skill Learning

A form of nondeclarative memory that involves learning motor tasks.

Cognitive Skill Learning

Improving problem-solving skills that require the use of various cognitive abilities.

Weather Prediction Task

An example of cognitive skill learning that involves implicit learning of probabilities.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

Learning process where behaviors are influenced by consequences such as rewards or punishments.

Eyeblink Conditioning

A form of classical conditioning where a tone signals an impending puff of air to the eye.

Place Strategy

A goal-directed behavioral response adopted during learning tasks.

Response Strategy

A habitual response approach formed through extensive learning and experience.

Perceptual Learning

Involves improved perception of stimuli through practice and experience.

Neural Mechanisms of Memory

The brain processes and structures involved in storing and recalling different types of memory.

Implicit Learning

Learning that occurs without conscious awareness or intention.

Explicit Learning

Learning that requires conscious awareness and intention.

Neural Activation Patterns

Changes in brain activity associated with varying memory tasks and learning.

Neuropsychological Evidence

Evidence from case studies that helps distinguish between different types of memory functions.

Functional Role of Corpus Callosum

The function of the brain structure that connects the left and right hemispheres.

fMRI Adaptation

A technique used to measure brain activity based on the principle of repeated stimulus exposure.

Memory Consolidation

The process of stabilizing a memory trace after it has been encoded.

Retrieval Cues

Stimuli that trigger the recall of stored information.

Memory Traces

Encoded representations of experiences or information in the brain.

Hemispheric Connections

Links between the two hemispheres of the brain that contribute to cognitive functions.

Motor Adaptation

The process of adjusting motor skills in response to changes in the environment.

Cognitive Abilities

Mental capabilities that include reasoning, problem-solving, and planning.

Sensory Information

Data received through the senses that is processed by the brain.

Deciding Reaction Strategies

The process of determining which behavioral response to make in a learning context.

Subliminal Encoding

Encoding that occurs without conscious awareness, often used in priming research.

Dorsal and Ventral Visual Pathways

Two pathways in the brain involved in visual processing.

Neural Basis of Memory Systems

The underlying brain structures that differentiate various memory types.