Learning And Memory Summary Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is the definition of learning?
A modification in behaviour due to gaining knowledge or skill
Involves acquiring new information.
What is memory?
The ability to retain and recall learned information or experiences
Types include explicit (declarative) and implicit (non-declarative).
What are the two types of explicit memory?
- Declarative (conscious recall)
- Implicit (unconscious memory)
Implicit memory includes skills like riding a bike.
Which brain region is associated with declarative memory?
Hippocampus and limbic system
Emotional memory is linked to the amygdala.
What did Karl Lashley’s experiments suggest about memory storage?
Memory is distributed across the cortex, not localized
Memory loss related to the size of the lesion, not its location.
What was the outcome of Wilder Penfield’s temporal lobe stimulation?
Patients reported experiential flashbacks
Suggests that the temporal lobe holds detailed memory traces.
What were the effects of the medial temporal lobes removal in Henry Molaison (H.M.)?
- Declarative memory severely impaired
- Procedural memory intact
- Short-term memory preserved
- Long-term memory formation impaired
The hippocampus is essential for forming new declarative memories.
What is the difference between explicit and implicit memory?
- Explicit Memory: Conscious recall, measured with recall tests
- Implicit Memory: Unconscious recall, measured with fragment tests or performance
Example of explicit memory: remembering a word list; implicit example: completing a word puzzle.
How does practice affect memory storage?
Short-term memory becomes long-term through practice
Without repetition, memory is lost.
What does Hebbian Learning state?
Neurons that fire together, wire together
This principle is the basis of synaptic plasticity.
What was the result of the goldfish study on protein synthesis?
No long-term memory formed when injected with a protein synthesis inhibitor
Protein synthesis is required for memory consolidation.
What does synaptic plasticity refer to?
Long-lasting changes in the strength of synapses
It is thought to be the main mechanism of memory formation.
What are the two key mechanisms of synaptic plasticity?
- Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): Strong stimulation → stronger synapse
- Long-Term Depression (LTD): Weak stimulation → weaker synapse
LTP occurs in the hippocampus, while LTD occurs in the cerebellum.
What role does calcium (Ca²⁺) play in LTP?
Enters via NMDA receptors and activates protein cascades
This enhances presynaptic neurotransmitter release and postsynaptic receptor sensitivity.
What does CREB stand for and its role in memory?
Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein; activates genes that produce proteins to strengthen synapses
Involved in long-lasting changes in neuron structure and function.
What did Ramon y Cajal propose about dendritic spines?
They are the structural basis of memory
He was the first to describe them as “espinas” (spines).
What was observed in rats after eyeblink conditioning in Leuner et al.’s study?
Trained group had higher dendritic spine density
Suggests associative memory increases dendritic spines.
What is the effect of enriched environments on neuroplasticity?
- Increase in dendritic spine formation
- Increase in synaptic density
- Neurogenesis (even in adult brains)
- Brain resilience with age
Enriched environments include toys, physical activity, and novel stimuli.
What are the main components involved in the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory?
- Neurotransmitter release
- Gene activation (e.g. CREB)
- Structural changes (e.g. dendritic spine growth)
Heavily relies on neuroplasticity.
What is the definition of neuroplasticity?
The brain’s ability to reorganise through experience
Continues in adulthood and supports learning.
What is the process of memory consolidation?
Stabilising a memory after learning
Involves changes at synaptic and molecular levels.
True or False: Procedural memory is preserved in cases of amnesia.
True
H.M.’s case illustrates this preservation.
