Learning and memory

Question 1

What are the 2 categories of long-term memory

Answer 1

Declarative and non-declarative

Question 2

What are the 2 categories of declarative memory?

Answer 2

Episodic - memory for events

Semantic - memory for facts

Question 3

What are the 4 categories of non-declarative memory?

Answer 3

1. Procedural
2. Priming and perceptual learning
3. Non-associative learning
4. Classical conditioning

Question 4

Define priming

Answer 4

Improvement in identifying/processing stimulus after having observed it previously

Question 5

Define classical conditioning

Answer 5

previously neutral stimulus (CS) paired with another stimulus (US) then provokes response (UR)

Question 6

What is non-associative learning

Answer 6

Learning that does not involve the association of two stimuli to produce a behavioural response

1. Habituation
2. Sensitisation (opposite of habituation)

Question 7

What is often associated with deficits in episodic memory?

Answer 7

MCI prior to Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, chemotherapy and treatment for depression

Question 8

What area of the brain is most associated with episodic memory?

Answer 8

The hippocampus

Question 9

How do scrub-jays show episodic-like memory?

Answer 9

Remember when and where they cached food - will retrieve waxworms first but only if stored a short time ago

Question 10

Why are bird brains often a bad model?

Answer 10

• Very different brains to mammalian brains - hard to adopt homologous approach
• Little known about bird brains and behaviour

Question 11

What have experiments shown of rat episodic memory?

Answer 11

Will remember what and where they stored, but not when. They will prefer cheese regardless of 1h or 25h interval

Question 12

What have object experiments shown in rats?

Answer 12

Explore objects that were unfamiliar more, and familiar objects within new environments which shows a memory for what, where and which (episodic like?)

Question 13

What is the chemistry of Long Term Potentiation (LTP)?

Answer 13

• NMDA receptors allow Ca2+ into the cell once activated
• Ca2+ sets in motion cascade where more AMPA receptors are inserted into the post-synaptic membrane
• Stronger response to stimulation from the presynaptic cell

Question 14

What 3 things are needed for long-lasting memory?

Answer 14

1. Short term LTP
2. Chemical tag at synapse to attract proteins
3. Proteins stabilise changes induced by LTP

Question 15

Define spatial memory

Answer 15

Map-like cognitive representation of familiar environments, an element of episodic memory but can also be spatial semantic memory

Question 16

Who was the first to suggest that humans and rats may have a cognitive map of familiar environments?

Answer 16

Edward C. Tolman

Question 17

What areas of the brain are associated with navigation?

Answer 17

• Activation in the right hippocampus present during accurate navigation
• Posterior hippocampus is larger in experienced London Taxi drivers (same not seen for bus drivers)

Question 18

What have hippocampal lesions in rats shown?

Answer 18

Impaired navigation when using a water maze

Question 19

What type of cell are responsible for remembering specific locations?

Answer 19

Place cells - rats have specific cells that fire in specific places

Question 20

What cells are responsible for detecting distance travelled?

Answer 20

Grid cells present in the Medial Entorhinal Cortex (MEC)

Question 21

Which cells inform us of what direction we are facing?

Answer 21

Head direction cells

Question 22

What is allocentric navigation?

Answer 22

The idea that we navigate our way relative to landmarks