L12: Learning, Memory, Amnesia

memory involves _________

• reconstruction based on subsequent experiences

remembering ‘gist’ (over time) helps us (3)

• anticipate and respond to future situations

  • (+) gist is adaptive

  • (-) may lead to erroneously recalling words or information that is semantically or perceptually related to the gist

strategies for memory consolidation (3)

• Mental imagery (memory palace)

• Spaced retrieval

• Match study modality with test modality

memory imagery pathway (memory palace)

draw it

• stimulus → sensory memory → working memory → ← long term memory

memory systems pathways (starting with sensory memory)

draw it

amnesia + 2 types (3)

• partial or total loss of memory due to brain damage

  • retrograde

  • anterograde

retrograde amnesia (2)

• loss of memory for events before brain damage

• problem retrieving old memories

anterograde amnesia (2)

• inability to form memories for events after brain damage

• problem creating new memories

case study: Clive Wearing (3)

• no trouble remembering details from childhood

• cannot form new memories

• procedural memory intact

Case study: Jason Bourne

• cannot remember anything prior to two weeks ago

• procedural memory is intact

explicit memory → 2 types

what is it

• 2 types: episodic → experiences/events

  • semantic → facts/concepts

episodic/autobiographical memory (3)

• recall of single episodes/events centered on the self

• memory of life experiences

• e.g. memory of you walking into a café for a cappuccino

semantic memory (2)

• facts/concepts; knowledge of historical events;

• e.g. cappuccino is 1/3 foam, 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk

neural structures involved in explicit memory storage (3)

1. frontal lobe: storage (ie. VLPFC for episodic memory)

2. temporal: storage for verbal/nonverbal (spatial, face) memories

3. parietal: storage for place memories

other neural structures involved in explicit memory (3)

1. rhinal: semantic memory

2. amygdala: emotional memory

3. hippocampus: episodic memory, spatial memory

what roles do each lobe play in memory (4)

1. frontal lobe: storage (ie. VLPFC for episodic memory)

2. temporal: storage for verbal/nonverbal (spatial, face) memories

3. parietal: storage for place memories

4. occipital: storage for visual implicit memories

implicit memory what is it + types (4)

non-declarative memory

1. procedural: motor skills

2. classical conditioning: conditioned response

3. priming

procedural learning/memory (2)

• motor skills (e.g. riding a bike, snowboarding; playing the guitar)

• language skills

classical conditioning

• learning of pairing of neural stimulus w another stimulus that elicits bhvr

priming

• initial stimulus presentation sensitizes brain to later presentation of same stimulus

neural structures involved in implicit memory

1. basal ganglia: habit + procedural learning

2. motor cortex: acquisition of implicit knowledge

3. cerebellum: classical conditioning

role of frontal cortex in ________

working memory → short term

working memory (aka temporal, short-term memory) (5)

• memory for recent events and their order/sequence

• three main types:

  • what = object recognition (ventral stream of sensory processing)

  • where = spatial location (dorsal stream of sensory processing)

  • when = sequence/order

🧠 What does the 2-back task measure, and how does it relate to episodic memory?

• ✔ Measures working memory and ability to monitor, update, and compare information over time

• Involves components of episodic memory:

  • What = identity of the stimulus

  • When = its temporal position (e.g., 2 steps ago)

  • Where = its spatial position (in some N-back versions)

neural structures involved in working memory

• frontal regions subserve working memory

• hippocampus + prefrontal cortex:

  • work in bidirectional relationship to support working memory

after bilateral hippocampus removal, H.M. suffered from what kinds of amnesia

• severe anterograde

• moderate retrograde amnesia

H.M. showed intact ___(3)___

1. procedural memory

   

2. implicit memory

   

3. working memory

   

H.M. showed better _____ than _____ memory

• implicit than explicit

summary of patient H.M. (5)

• Anterograde Amnesia: unable to learn any new information after surgery

• Retrograde Amnesia: unable to remember any memories in 1 to 2 year period before his surgery

• Implicit Memory: able to learn implicitly (e.g. procedural skills given intact basal ganglia/cerebellum)

• Working Memory: normal functioning (intact prefrontal cortex)

• Other aspects: no change in his personality, intelligence, language,

  perceptual abilities

transient global amnesia (4)

• Acute onset of anterograde amnesia

  • Usually transient (2-12 hours)

  • However, some evidence for permanent loss

• No retrograde amnesia

chronic herpes simplex encephalitis (3)

• Insula damage produces retrograde amnesia

• MTL damage produces anterograde amnesia

  • Clive Wearing

Alzheimer’s Disease (3)

• Deficits in WM (encoding)

• Problems with some forms of Implicit Memory (verbal)

• Intact Implicit Motor (sensorimotor)

Korsakoff Syndrome (3)

• Acute onset of retrograde and anterograde amnesia

• Confabulation (i.e. fabricate memories)

• Ataxia and ophthalmoplegia (return to normal in chronic cases)

Korsakoff Syndrome caused by ____ (2)

• Caused by severe thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency

  • typically due to chronic alcoholism or malnourishment

Alzheimer’s Disease caused by (2)

• Begins with cell loss in MTL – anterograde amnesia

• Subsequent damage to frontal/temporal cortex – retrograde amnesia

transient global amnesia caused by

Caused by transient ischemic attack, in rare cases migraines