CH 11: Learning, Memory & Amnesia Flashcards
List the 4 specific memory tests used to assess H.M.’s anterograde amnesia.
- Digital Span +1 Test
- Block-Tapping Memory-Span Test
- Mirror-Drawing Test
- Incomplete-Pictures Test
- Pavlovian Conditioning
Describe the Digital Span +1 Test - what did it test?
- Digital Span +1 Test:
- Repeat 5 digits revealed to him at 1s intervals
- -> Then add 1 new digit at end
- Tests verbal long-term memory
Describe the Block-Tapping Memory-Span Test - what did it reveal?
- Block-Tapping Memory-Span Test:
- Tap array of 9 blocks in front of him in same sequence as the tester did
- Showed that his amnesia not restricted to verbal memory
Describe the Mirror-Drawing Test - what did it reveal?
- Mirror-Drawing Test:
- Draw line w/in boundaries of target
- -> Repeat over 3 days
- -> Got better each time
- -> Indicates retention of task but didn’t remember actually doing task before
- Showed that his anterograde amnesia didn’t involve ALL long-term memories
Describe the Incomplete-Pictures Test - what did it reveal?
- Incomplete-Pictures Test:
- Showed HM form new long-term memories
Describe the Pavlovian Conditioning.
- Pavlovian Conditioning
- Hear tone just before puff of air admin to eye
- Repeat until tone alone elicited an eye blink
Describe the 1st major scientific contribution of H.M.’s case.
- Showed that the medial temporal lobes play important role in memory
- Challenged previous view that memory functions diffusely throughout brain
- ^Research to relate individual brain structures to specific mnemonic (memory-related) processes
Describe the 2nd major scientific contribution of H.M.’s case.
- Bilateral medial temporal lobectomy abolished ability to form certain kinds of long-term memories w/o disrupting performances on tests of short-term memory or remote memory
- Support theory that there’s diff models of storage for short-term, long-term & remote memory
Describe the 3rd major scientific contribution of H.M.’s case.
- Reveals that an amnesic patient may claim no recollection of a previous experience while demo memory for it via improved performance
- Ppl w/ amnesia lose ability to form explicit memories while maintaining ability to form implicit memories
Distinguish b/w EXPLICIT memories & IMPLICIT memories.
- EXPLICIT Memories = conscious long-term memories
- IMPLICIT Memories = memories that are expressed w/o conscious awareness
Describe MEDIAL TEMPORAL LOBE AMNESIA.
What are its major features?
Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia:
= Amnesia ass. w/ bilateral damage to medial temporal lobes
- Its major features = anterograde & retrograde amnesia for explicit memories, w/ preserved intellectual functioning.
What has research on Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia taught us about learning & memory?
- Assess implicit memory via REPETITION PRIMING TESTS = seeing list of words, then given fragments of those words & asked to fill in the blanks
- -> Amnesic complete them well despite having no explicit memory of seeing the original list
- -> Discovery of 2 memory systems = explicit & implicit
Describe the difference b/w SEMANTIC & EPISODIC memories.
Explicit long-term memories come in 2 varieties:
- SEMANTIC Memories = explicit memories for general facts/info
- EPISODIC Memories = explicit memories for particular events of one’s life
- ppl w/ Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia have difficulty w/ episodic memories
- -> aka have trouble remembering specific life events even though memory for general info is normal
Describe GLOBAL CEREBRAL ISCHEMIA.
- The interruption of blood supply to entire brain
- Often suffers from Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia
Describe TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA.
- Sudden onset of severe anterograde amnesia & moderate retrograde amnesia for explicit episode memory that’s transit (= only last b/w 4-6hr)
- Occurs in otherwise normal adults
Describe the case of R.B..
- Underwent cardiac bypass surgery but suffered brain damage bc pump circulating his blood to body while heart was disconnected broke down
- -> Obvious brain damage was restricted largely to the PYRAMIDAL CELL LAYER or just 1 part of the hippocampus - CA1 SUBFIELD
- -> Suggested that hippocampal damage can prod Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia
- RB suffered Transient Global Amnesia
- -> Abnormalities to the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus
- -> Its sudden onset suggested it was stroke-induced
Describe KORSAKOFF’s SYNDROME - describe its symptoms.
Korsakoff’s Syndrome:
= Memory disorder common in ppl who have consumed ^^alcohol
Advanced stages characterized by:
- Sensory & motor problems
- Extreme confusion
- Personality changes
- Risk of death from liver, GI or heart problems
- Amnesia here is similar to Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia
- -> ie) Early stages = anterograde amnesia for explicit episodic memories
- -> However as disorder progresses, retrograde amnesia also develops
Describe the etiology of the amnesia of Korsakoff’s syndrome.
- Attributable to brain damage ass. w/ thiamine deficiency which accompanies heavy alcohol consumption
Describe the symptoms & amnesia effects of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD):
= Progressive disorder w/ mild deterioration of memory until dementia develops
–> so severe patient incapable of simple activities
–> terminal
Pre-dementia patients:
- Major anterograde & retrograde deficits in tests of explicit memory
- Deficits in short term memory & some types of implicit memory
Describe the etiology of the amnesia of AD.
- ^Reduced levels of acetylcholine
- -> Degeneration of basal forebrain = main source of acetylcholine
–> **Acetylcholine depletion = cause of Alzheimer’s dementia
- But acetylcholine is NOT only factor!
- -> Brain damage is ^^diffused
Define POST-TRAUMATIC AMNESIA.
- Amnesia produced by a non-penetrating head injury (=blow to head w/o penetrating skull)
Summarize the effects of a closed-head injury on memory (3).
- A blow to head produces coma
- When victim regains consciousness, there’s a period of confusion
- When period of confusion ends, victim has retrograde amnesia for events that occurred during the period right before the blow to head, & anterograde amnesia for events that occurred during period of confusion
Define MEMORY CONSOLIDATION.
- Storage of older memories have been strengthened
Describe the classic view of memory consolidation.
CLASSIC VIEW - Hebb:
- Memories are stored in short term by neural activity reverberating in closed circuits
- -> Circuits susceptible to disruption (ie. blow to head)
- -> Eventually induce structural changes in involved synapses
- -> Provides stable long-term storage