What is Memory

Attention to important Memory An active system of the brain that processes, stores organizes, alters, and recovers incoming information. The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information The ability to store and retrieve information over time Attention to important or novel information Sensory input rehearsal Encoding External Events Sensory Memory Short-term Memory Long-term Memory Encoding Retrieving Decay Decay Information Lost Information Lost ?

Memory as a three stage model Sensory Memory immediate initial recording of sensory information lasts only seconds responsible for conceptualization of world as smooth and continuous iconic sensory memory holds an exact copy of visual information for a split second echoic sensory memory holds an exact copy of auditory information for a split second

Short Term and Working Memory briefly stored information remains active if “worked on” or rehearsed limited by time (about 15 to 20 seconds) and space (about 7 items) Working Memory active maintenance of information in short term storage malleable in operation as long as you are using it can be likened to computer RAM e.g. looking at your cards and the cards on the table while playing poker; remembering the bets and how it relates to your hold.

OK – let’s try a little test: Long Term Memory relatively permanent, seemingly limitless information system may lasts hours, days, years becomes “week” overtime subject to loss (forgetting) OK – let’s try a little test:

PLANETS MOUNTAIN ANIMALS APOLOGY BEDROOM INTERNET CASTLES GRAMMAR EYEBROW ANTIQUE BURGERS PRINTER MOSQUITO WINDMILL VOLUME COWBOYS JOURNAL

The Serial Position Effect probability of accurate recall is a function of the item’s position in a list term coined by Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1870) German philosopher first researcher to sytematically study memory created nonsense syllables e.g. TOV, ZOF, ZEC, WOG memorized lists of syllables over days and analyzed the pattern of forgetting made up of the primacy and recency effect

primacy effect recency effect items at beginning of list in long term store recency effect items at end of list in working memory items in middle of list pushed out of working memory but have not had sufficient rehearsal to be in long term memory

Processing of Memory Encoding Automatic Encoding transforming sensory information into memory the processing of sensory information into memory extracting meaning from sensory input may be automatic or effortful Automatic Encoding unaware of incidental information e.g. space, time, unimportant information about surroundings learning outside the target e.g. learning to shoot skeet also teaching you about parabolic flight

Example of Automatic Encoding Experiment Subjects told to press buzzer when light flashes became faster and faster without realizing what they were learning lights were flashing in a pattern sujects became so fast they anticipated the light

How long does it take to find the blue square?

Did you get faster at spotting the blue square? What pattern did you learn? Did you set out to learn a pattern?

Effortful Encoding requires conscious effort and sustained attention Rehearsal (memorizing) conscious repetition of information maintains info in working memory for continued encoding Elaborative Encoding actively relating new information to knowledge base e.g. 2a + 1b = c is more likely to “stay with you” if you equate it with 2 nickels + 1 dime = c

Visual Imagery Encoding Semantic Encoding considering the meaning of words as apposed to just the structure of the words e.g. cow, hay, milk Acoustic Encoding considering the sound of words (rhyming or lyrical) e.g. cow (wow), hay (day), milk (????) Visual Imagery Encoding creating a mental “picture story” of information especially effective if combined with semantic processing try to create visual and semantic encoding for the following information: damage to the hippocampus may cause anterograde amnesia

Organizational Encoding processing the relationship among a series of items aids in memory because you are essentially “chunking” info

Chunking (7 +/- 1) Mnemonics organizing items into manageable units 7 digits in telephone numbers horizontal organization 1776149218121941 Mnemonics any device or method used to aid memory Stephanie’s poems “This guy is Mike and bourbon he like” “This girl is skinny and her gin is minney” “Baldy will fall if he has another high ball”

Long Term Memory Explicit (declarative) “knowing that” Implicit (non-declarative) “knowing how” Episodic (biographical events) Semantic (words, ideas, concepts) Procedural (Skills) Conditioned Responses

Amnesias Infantile or Childhood Amnesia Hysterical or Fugue Amnesia loss of memory may be temporary or permanent can be caused by trauma, brain injury, disease, toxins Infantile or Childhood Amnesia inability to recall events prior to about 2.5 years of age likely due to immature brain structures and lack of sophisticated language Hysterical or Fugue Amnesia follows a traumatic event in the persons life inability to recall events immediately prior to and during the event

Transient global amnesia Korsakoff’s Syndrome caused by alcohol abuse progressive, irreversible neurological damage Traumatic amnesia neural damage caused by blow to the head often transient duration related to degree of injury Transient global amnesia temporary loss of all extremely rare most common among older persons with vascular disease

Retrograde Amnesia Anterograde Amnesia associated with brain damage inability to retrieve memories from the past Anterograde Amnesia inability to remember new information

Henry Gustav Molaison Patient H.M. underwent surgery in 1953 to correct profound intractable seizure disorder suffered anterograde amnesia implicit memory spared explicit memory for past events spared explicit memory for new events lossed

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Additional facts about HM short term memory was normal can repeat a list of seven digits without error had an above normal IQ didn’t know his age or the year or that his parents died had some retrograde amnesia for the 10 years just prior to the operation had profound anterograde amnesia

fencing foil entered through his nostril and damaged Patient NA fencing foil entered through his nostril and damaged left dorsal thalamus mammillary bodies resulted in retrograde amnesia some anterograde amnesia as well -successive MRI scans of NA facing patient -lesion indicated by dark arrows missing mammillary bodies indicated by lighter arrow in A, B, and C

Korsakoff’s Syndrome alcoholism is major cause loss of vitamin B1 (thiamine) first described by Russian neurologist SS Korsakoff in 1887 patients suffer retrograde amnesia first forget many items or events of the past if item or event happens to be recalled correctly, pt. has no feeling of familiarity with it behavior marked by confabulation as disease progresses there is anterograde amnesia as well caused by damage to the thalamus and mammillary bodies

Patient K.C. suffered hematoma following motorcycle accident resulted in neurological damage Figure 1. Magnetic resonance imaging slices showing K.C.'s pathology. (a) Axial view showing severely atrophic right and left hippocampus (arrows). (b) Axial view showing controls' intact right and left hippocampus (arrows). (c) Coronal view showing severe atrophy of the right and left hippocampus (arrows) and atrophy of the right and left parahippocampal gyri (arrowheads). (d) Coronal view showing controls' intact right and left hippocampus (arrows) and right and left parahippocampal gyri (arrowheads). (e) Midsagittal view showing relatively preserved posterior cingulate (arrows). (f) Axial view showing left medial occipital infarction (arrow).

exemplifies semantic vs. episodic memory KC is unable to retrieve any personal memory of his past general knowledge of the past is intact plays chess well but cannot remember when he learned or from whom Can acquire new semantic knowledge but cannot acquire new episodic knowledge all personal reference is gone

Clive Waring suffered viral encephalitis resulted in high temperature and neural damage both anterograde and retrograde episodic amnesia sparing of implicit memory and some semantic memory