Transcript 2-3-physiology_of_memory

WHS AP Psychology
Unit 2: Memory (Cognition)
Essential Task 2-3:
Describe the physiological systems of memory with specific
attention to long-term potentiation and the brain regions
where memories are stored.
Information Processing
Model
1. Encoding
gone
Long Term
Memory
2. Storage
3. Retrieval
External
Stimuli
All the rest
Sensory
Registers
Retrieval
Short Term
Memory
Essential
Task
2-:
Outline
• Physiology of Memory
– Process:
• long-term potentiation
• Stress hormones
– Where: Brain Structures
• Hippocampus
• Where the memories are processed
How are the Memories Stored?
Synaptic Changes
Long-Term
Potentiation (LTP) A
long-lasting change in
the structure or
function of a synapse
that increase the
efficiency of neural
transmission.
Stress Hormones & Memory
Heightened emotions (stress-related
or otherwise) make for stronger
memories.
Hormones such as Epinephrine act on
brain centers in the brain
Extreme stress undermines learning
and later recall
How does this apply to an exam?
Brain structures
• Hippocampus: turns STM into LTM
• The hippocampus (named after its resemblance to
the seahorse, from the Greek hippos meaning
"horse" and kampos meaning "sea monster")
Where Are Memories Stored?
Biological Forgetting Factors
• Damage to the Hippocampus
– Difficulty forming new memories
– Diminished in Alzheimer’s patients
• Neurotransmitters play a role
– Acetylcholine
– Alzheimer’s patients show low levels of this
• Decay theory
– Memories deteriorate because of the passage
of time
– Distractor Studies – information fades from
STM