Physiological & Types of Memory [Memory]

Anatomy of Memory

retrograde amnesia

person loses memories for events that occurred prior to the injury

anterograde amnesia

person loses memories for events that occur after the injury

entire hippocampal region & adjacent areas in cortex

critical for many types of LTM

medical temporal lobe memory system

key role

consolidation of memories

hypothetical process involving gradual conversion of new, unstable memories into stable, durable memory codes stored in LTM

hippocampal area

widely distributed areas of cortex

allows new memories

become independent

gradually integrated with other memories

subject to modification when reactivated

temporarily returned

unstable state

restablized

reconsolidation

memories weaken / strengthen / updated

take into account more recent info

make LTM more adaptive

updating process

introduce distortion

Neural Circuitry of Memory

specific memories depend on localized neural circuits

create unique, reusable pathway which signals flow

memory formation → alternations in synaptic transmission

neurogenesis

formation of new neurons

sculpting of neural circuits that underlie memory

new brain cells

dentate gyrus of hippocampus

suppress neurogenesis

memory impairment

many types of learning tasks

↑ neurogenesis

enhanced learning

Declarative vs Nondeclarative

declarative

handles factual information

nondeclarative

memory for actions, skills, conditioned responses & emotional memories

procedural memories

execute these actions

conscious, effortful processs

largely automatic

require little effort & attention

performance deteriorates

think too much what they're doing

more vulnerable to forgetting

Semantic vs Episodic

subdivided declarative memory

episodic

personal facts

sematic

general facts

made up of chronological, or temporally dated, recollections of personal experiences

record of things done / seen / heard

encoding

rapid, automatic

little / no conscious effort

allow one to reexperience past

general knowledge that is not tied to the time when information was learned

associated with 'sense of knowing'

Prospective vs Retrospective

retrospective

remembering events from the past / previously learned information

prospective

remembering to perform actions in the future

easy to forget

interruptions & distractions

failures

serious consequences

sleep deprivation

increase prospective memory failures

major mistakes

deficit

'absentminded'

older adults more vulnerable to problems with prospective memory