What leads to sensitisation or habituation in non-declarative learning?
Increased or decreased of excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP)
Classical conditioning is similar to sensitization but more complex, why?
→ Timing is critical
→ Classical and operant conditioning use same neural mechanisms
Where does procedural learning happen?
More in frontal brain areas (sensorimotor cortex, basal nuclei, parietal and cerebellar regions)
- Anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, head of caudate nucleus, hippocampus, medial temporal lobe
What happens during procedural learning?
- Sequential execution
- Trial and error learning until automatism takes place
- Recall of memory without conscious thought → implicit memory
- Formation of new habits requires neostriatum
Can implicit and explicit memory systems work at the same time?
Yes they run parallel
What’s the difference in explicit memory to implicit and where does it happen?
→ Explicit though is characterized by constant conscious recall of factual knowledge about people, things and places
Storage mainly in medial temporal lobe, hippocampus
….. memory is only recalled through performance
Implicit
…. Memory involves conscious recall
Explicit
What’s the key message to remember in the shift from implicit to explicit and vice versa?
Both systems run together not separately and overlap
E.g. driving requires external feedback and practice to learn and maintain (explicit) but over time certain processes become automatic (implicit)
What happens in the shift to automaticity?
- Associated with reduction of brain activity in several regions (e.g. cerebellum, promoter cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- Some evidence that basal ganglia activity increases
- Aging and pathology can impair brain‘s ability to control movements automatically → dual-task performance etc. can be impaired
What are the 10 principles of experience dependent plasticity?
- Use it or lose it
- Use it and improve it
- Specificity
- Repetition matters
- Intensity matters
- Time matters
- Salience matters
- Age matters
- Transference
- Interference
What is the vicious cycle theory of pain?
- Stereotypical increase in activity of muscles that are painful or move painful regions
- Muscle activity causes ischaemia from vascular compromise
- This activity then becomes source of further pain due to
accumulation of pain metabolites - Predicts systematic increase in activity mediated by spinal mechanisms
What can not be explained by the vicious cycle theory of pain?
Cannot explain reduced muscle activity and non-systematic changes
What are key characteristics of the old pain adaptation theory?
- Activity of a muscle that is painful or produces painful movements is uniformly inhibited
→ Activity of muscles opposing the movement is facilitated - May suggest to limit activity to relieve pain → very unlikely to restore proper function then…
What are key characteristics of the new pain adaptation theory by Hodges?
- From micro level (motoneuron discharge) to macro level (whole muscle activity)
- Aims to account for variation in adaptation in motor control
→ Rather than stereotypical adjustments in behavior predicted by existing theories
Motor plasticity may be enhanced by training without pain provocation and with high quality feedback
What is the first principle of Hodges pain adaptation theory?
Pain is associated with an adaption in motor behavior that
-> Involves redistribution of activity within and between muscles
What is the second principle in Hodges‘ pain adaptation theory?
Pain is associated with an adaption in motor behavior that
-> Changes the mechanical behaviour such as modified movement and stiffness
What is the third principle in Hodges pain adaptation theory?
Pain is associated with an adaption in motor behavior that
Leads to “protection” from further pain or injury, or threatened pain or injury
→ e.g. change in activity to prevent voluntary movements, more load on pain-free structures to enable healing
What is the 4th principle of Hodges pain adaptation theory?
Pain is associated with an adaption in motor behavior that
Is not explained by simple changes in excitability, but involves changes at multiple levels of the motor system.
These changes may be complementary, additive or competitive.
What is the 5th principle of Hodges pain adaptation theory?
Pain is associated with an adaption in motor behavior that
Has short-term benefit, but with potential long-term consequences due to factors such as increased load, decreased movement, and decreased variability
