Introduction to Memory and Cases of Amnesia

These flashcards cover key concepts related to memory, amnesia cases, and the roles of different types of memory.

Memory is really important because you are, in essence, your __________.

memory

Motor skills, like riding a bike, driving a car, even __________, all of these are based on being able to remember how to move different parts of your body.

walking

Riebel's law is essentially that __________ memories that we have are more resistant to disruption than new memories.

older

HM was born in 1926 and had significant seizures by the age of __________.

10

The surgical procedure to damage part of the brain as a treatment for various conditions was known as __________.

frontal lobotomy

After the surgery, HM's seizures largely disappeared, but he lost approximately __________ years of memories before the surgery.

10

HM essentially had both __________ and __________ amnesia, losing memories from the past and being unable to form new ones.

anterograde, retrograde

__________ memory is knowing what something is, often a conscious recollection of facts and experiences.

Declarative

__________ memory is knowing how to do something, often without conscious awareness.

Procedural

HM's impairment was contrasted with KC, who could remember facts but lost many different __________ experiences.

personal

Hippocampal damage typically results in loss of __________ memories and affects spatial navigation abilities.

episodic

London taxi drivers were studied to show changes in the __________ related to their extensive geographical knowledge and navigation skills.

hippocampus

Individuals with __________ autobiographical memory (HSAM) have exceptional memory without the need for mnemonic devices.

highly superior

When asked to imagine a scene, individuals with hippocampal damage may provide fewer __________ in their descriptions.

sensory details

Episodic memory encompasses the ________, ________, and ________ of specific experiences.

what, where, when

Damage to the hippocampus can impair __________ memory in animals, as shown in studies with rats navigating mazes.

spatial

The __________ is crucial for processing and storing episodic memories and is often affected in neurodegenerative conditions.

hippocampus

Patients with bilateral hippocampal damage may navigate main roads but struggle with __________ ones.

minor