Memory and Cognition

Question 1

what is cognition (simplified)?

Answer 1

integration of all sensory information to make sense of a situation

Question 2

what are association areas?

Answer 2

areas that integrate information from multiple sources

Question 3

what is the function of the hippocampus?

Answer 3

formation of memories

Question 4

what stores memories?

Answer 4

the cortex

Question 5

what is the function of the thalamus?

Answer 5

it searches and accesses memories

Question 6

what makes up the limbic system?

Answer 6

> cingulate gyrus
thalamus
hippocampus
amygdala

Question 7

what is the link between emotions and ANS responses?

Answer 7

hypothalamus

Question 8

what is responsible for instinctive or emotional behaviour?

Answer 8

the limbic system

Question 9

what drives emotional and instinctive behaviour?

Answer 9

seeking reward or punishment

Question 10

what is the effect of electrically stimulating reward areas of the limbic system in conscious patients?

Answer 10

there are intense feeling of well being, euphoria and sexual arousal

Question 11

by stimulating what areas of the limbic system gives rise to feelings of terror, anger or pain?

Answer 11

punishment areas

Question 12

describe the effect of bilateral hippocampal damage

Answer 12

there is immediate memory loss (seconds in length) and intact long term memory (from the time before the damage) but are unable to form new long term memories.
reflex memory is intact.

Question 13

what is immediate/sensory memory?

Answer 13

> lasts a few seconds
describes the ability to hold experiences in the mind for a few seconds
visual memories decay fastest
auditory memories decay slowest

Question 14

describe short term memory

Answer 14

> seconds-hours
used for short term tasks (dialling a number)
associated with reverberating circuits

Question 15

describe intermediate long term memory

Answer 15

> hours-weeks
what you did last weekend
associated with chemical adaption at the presynaptic terminal

Question 16

describe long term memory

Answer 16

> lifelong

> associated with structural changes in synaptic connections

Question 17

describe the reverberating circuits in short term memory

Answer 17

each synapse in the circuit is excitatory so a brief excitatory stimulus at A causes a long lasting neuronal activity in B as the neurons continue to excite all neurons in the pathway.

Question 18

what happens if memory in a reverberating circuit is deemed significant?

Answer 18

the reverberation results in consolidation of the memory in long term memory storage

Question 19

what happens if the reverberation is deemed insignificant?

Answer 19

the reverberation fades and no consolidation occurs

Question 20

what happens if the reverberation in short term memory is disrupted?

Answer 20

there is memory loss - amnesia

Question 21

what is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 21

the inability to form new memories

Question 22

what is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 22

inability to access old memories

Question 23

when may only retrograde amnesia be seen?

Answer 23

if only the thalamus is damaged and the hippocampus spared

Question 24

what chemical changes are seen in presynaptic neurons in intermediate long-term memory?

Answer 24

> increased Ca++ entry to presynaptic terminals

> increased neurotransmitter release

Question 25

what are the structural changes that occur in long term memory formation?

Answer 25

> increase in neurotransmitter release sites on presynaptic membrane
increase in number of neurotransmitter vesicles stored and released
increase in number of presynaptic terminals

Question 26

what is observed in the post synaptic cell in long term memory?

Answer 26

increased amplitude in graded membrane potential

Question 27

what are the two main types of long term memory?

Answer 27

> declarative/explicit

> procedural/reflexive/implicit

Question 28

describe declarative/explicit long term memory

Answer 28

abstract memory for events (episodic) and for words, rules and language (semantic).
based in the hippocampus

Question 29

describe procedural/reflexive/implicit memory

Answer 29

this is required slowly through repetition including motor memory and rules based learning.
based mainly in the cerebellum

Question 30

describe the consolidation process

Answer 30

> takes time
strengthening of synaptic connections through repetition
memory exists as electrical activity so is vulnerable to being wiped out
requires attention

Question 31

what does coding of memories result in for their storage?

Answer 31

them being stored alongside other existing memories the brain deems to be similar

Question 32

describe the papez circuit

Answer 32

cingulate gyrus > hippocampus > mammillary bodies > anterior thalamus

Question 33

between what does reverberating activity continue between until consolidation occurs?

Answer 33

> papez circuit, frontal cortex, the sensory and the association areas

Question 34

what is korsakoffs syndrome?

Answer 34

chronic alcoholism leads to vitamin b1 deficiency so there is damage of the limbic system and consolidation of memory is impaired

Question 35

what is lost in alzheimers disease?

Answer 35

cholinergic neurons throughout the brain including the hippocampus

Question 36

what do subject derived of REM sleep show?

Answer 36

significant impairment of memory consolidation for complex cognitive tasks