UNIT 3 THE CONSCIOUS SELF

1. UNIT 3THE CONSCIOUS SELF AREA OF STUDY 2 MEMORY

2. CONSOLIDATION THEORY • Proposes that structural changes occur in brain neurons when something new is learned, and immediately after learning • These neuronal changes require a period after learning takes place to ‘consolidate’ • If memory formation is disrupted during consolidation, information may not be embedded in LTM and may be lost • The information being remembered is vulnerable to disruption for at least 30 minutes • It is believed that the hippocampus plays a crucial role in consolidation

3. CONSOLIDATION THEORYRESEARCH ON CONSOLIDATION THEORY We can conduct research on people who have experienced brain trauma or have received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to provide evidence of consolidation theory These people are frequently unable to report any memory of events immediately before the accident or treatment In many instances they cannot remember anything that occurred during a period of 30 minutes before the brain trauma (Squire & Kandel 1999) HUDSPETH, McGAUGH & THOMSON (1964) – RAT MAZE

4. CONSOLIDATION THEORYRECONSOLIDATION • After memory is activated and retrieved from LTM, it needs to be consolidated again in order to be stored back in LTM • GAZZANIGA & HEATHERTON (2006) • Rats injected with drugs that interfere with memory storage after a memory has been activated • Rats were unable to reliably or accurately recall information that was once stored in LTM • This suggests that newly reconsolidated memories may differ from their original versions

5. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 7.6 (pg.296)

6. AMNESIA • Refers to the loss of memory, either partial or complete, temporary or permanent • Anterograde amnesia • Retrograde amnesia

7. AMNESIA • Brain trauma caused by an inflicted or acquired head injury commonly results in some kind of amnesia • Severity of injury determines type of amnesia • Typically a temporary loss of consciousness followed by a period of confusion • The period forgotten generally decreases over time, often leaving some ‘residual’ amnesia of only a few seconds to a minute for events preceding the injury • The duration of amnesia can vary: • (KOLB & WHISHAW 1996)

8. AMNESIA • There are many different kinds of amnesia: • People can become amnesic for the meaning of nouns, but not verbs (and vice versa) • People can become amnesic for animals but not humans • People can become amnesic for human faces but not objects • Sometimes only STM is affected • Some people have difficulty learning new information • People have difficulty accessing information from LTM

9. AMNESIAANTEROGRADE AMNESIA Occurs when brain trauma causes loss of memory for information or events after the trauma occurs • Memories of information or events experienced prior to the trauma still remain • People with anterograde amnesia lose the ability to form or store new memories • KORSAKOFF’S SYNDROME • A neurodegenerative disease involving severe memory disorders associated with brain damage, deep within the middle of the brain where the thalamus is located • Mainly occurs in people who are chronic alcoholics • They have relatively normal IQ, are alert and attentive, appear motivated

10. AMNESIARETROGRADE AMNESIA Occurs when brain trauma causes loss of memory for information or events before the trauma occurs • The memory loss may extend back a few moments, days, weeks or sometimes years • Usually temporary in nature and often caused by a blow to the head • READ EXAMPLE OF RITCHIE RUSSELL (pg.299) • People who experience retrograde amnesia typically find that their inability to remember information and events leading up to the brain trauma gradually disappears • They find the period right before the trauma is never recovered

11. HOMEWORK LEARNING ACTIVITY 7.7 (pg.300)