Biopsychology Chapter 11: Learning, Memory, and Amnesia

These flashcards cover key concepts related to learning, memory, and amnesia based on H.M.'s case and various neurobiological mechanisms.

Anterograde Amnesia

A type of amnesia characterized by the inability to form new memories after the onset of the condition.

H.M. (Henry Molaison)

A patient who suffered from epilepsy, foci in both medial temporal lobes. Removed hippocampus and amygdala. known for his profound anterograde amnesia following a medial temporal lobectomy.

Semantic Memory

A type of explicit memory that deals with facts and general knowledge.

Episodic Memory

A type of explicit memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences.

Long-term Potentiation (LTP)

A long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from stimulating them simultaneously.

Korsakoff’s Syndrome

A chronic neurocognitive disorder caused by thiamine deficiency, often associated with alcoholism, leading to memory deficits.

Alzheimer’s Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes.

Engram Cell

A type of cell that is proposed to be involved in the storage of memory.

Object Recognition Deficits

Impairments in the ability to recognize objects, often resulting from medial temporal lobe damage.

Neuroplasticity

The ability of the brain to change and adapt as a result of experience, which is crucial for learning and memory.

Delayed Nonmatching-to-Sample Test

A memory test used to assess recognition memory in animals, where the subject must remember an object to receive a reward.

Hippocampal Place Cells

Neurons in the hippocampus that become active when an animal is in a specific location within its environment.

Metaplasticity

The concept that the history of synaptic activity influences the potential for future synaptic modifications.

Posttraumatic Amnesia

A condition characterized by the inability to recall events that occurred before or after a traumatic brain injury.

Engram

The physical trace of memory in the brain.

Consolidation

older memories stored in a more permanent form

Hippocampus and Consolidation

hippocampus holds memories until it is stored elsewhere. Transferring from short term to long term.

Jennifer Aniston Neurons - concept cells

that respond to specific concepts or familiar individuals, such as notable people or objects. Stores episodic memories and is part of the medial temporal lobes.