memory - memory formation

Question 1

amygdala

Answer 1

-part of the limbic system, located deep within the temporal lobe
-processes and regulates emotional reactions, particularly fear and anger

Question 2

amygdala’s role in formation of memories

Answer 2

-attaches emotional significance to memories
-plays a significant role in the formation of emotional memories, particularly fear
-however, these memories are not permanently stored in the amygdala
-involved in memory consolidation: the process of transferring new learning into long-term memory
-level of emotional arousal at the time of encoding influences the strength of the long-term memory formed of that event
-hence, we are more likely to remember events that produce strong emotional reactions than events that do not
-people with damage to their amygdala are typically unable to acquire a conditioned fear response
-they are likely to form conscious explicit memories involving the details of the experience, but not an implicit memory about the emotional qualities of that experience that would enable them to produce the fear response

Question 3

hippocampus

Answer 3

-part of the limbic system, located deep within the temporal lobe
-important for learning and memory
-connected to the amygdala

Question 4

hippocampus’ role in formation of memories

Answer 4

-crucial in the consolidation of new declarative (semantic and episodic) memories so that they are neurologically stable and long-lasting, but is not directly involved in the formation of procedural memories
-through its interaction with the amygdala, the hippocampus also plays a role in the formation of the episodic memory component of an emotional event
-when you retrieve the memory in the future, the activity of the hippocampus during memory formation allows you to remember aspects suchas where and when the event happened
-also involved in spatial memory, which is an explicit memory for the physical location of objects in space
-does not permanently store any memories itself, transfers them to the cerebral cortex for long-term storage
-links need to be established between different components of a memory to enable retrieval as a single unified memory
-occurs through interaction between the hippocampus with the cortex before the memory is gradually transferred

Question 5

case study - henry molaison

Answer 5

-henry Molaison, known as Patient H.M., underwent surgery to alleviate severe epilepsy, which involved removing large portions of his hippocampus
-surgery resulted in H.M. experiencing fewer seizures, but he developed anterograde amnesia, an inability to form new declarative memories
-surgery also caused retrograde amnesia as he was able to recall childhood events but lost the ability to recall experiences a few years before his surgery
-he was able to learn and improve his performance on various motor tasks, despite being unable to remember learning them
-H.M.’s study suggests that the hippocampus is essential for declarative memory, but not procedural memory

Question 6

cerebellum

Answer 6

-located in the hindbrain
-regulate posture and balance and coordinates fine muscle movements

Question 7

cerebellum’s role in formation of memories

Answer 7

-involved in the encoding of implicit memories such as procedural memory and classical conditioning (a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that elicits a reflexive response, and results in a learned response to that neutral stimulus)
-studies show that someone with damage to the hippocampus can be conditioned to learn a blink response but rabbits with damage to their cerebellum will not

Question 8

cerebellum’s role in storage of memories

Answer 8

-permanently stores implicit memories of simple reflexes acquired through classical conditioning
-temporarily stores procedural memories such as motor skills
-however, not their long-term storage; well-learned motor responses are believed to be stored in the cerebral cortex