NEURAL PROCESSES 1
Neural processes related to learning and memory
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NEURAL PROCESSES 1
Neural processes related to learning and memory
Memory can be defined as an alteration in behavior which has been brought about by particular experiences, whereas learning is the process by which memories are acquired. The portion of the limbic system which is generally responsible for these functions is located within the frontal lobe and is referred to as the hippocampus. Nerve cells in the brain, also referred to as neurons, are able to communicate with one another by means of electrical impulses which are transmitted through synapses. The plasticity of,or the ability of these synapses to take in information, determines the ability to store memories which in turn, determines the ability to learn. Long-term potentiation is the process by which synaptic plasticity is achieved, i.e. “when the axons that make connections to the pyramidal neurons of the hippocampus are exposed to a high-frequency stimulus, the amplitude of the excitatory potential measured in these neurons is increased for a long period” (Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, n.d.)In order to retrieve information which has been stored in long-term memory, chemicals or neurotransmitters are activated. These chemical messengers fire electrical impulses between synapses allowing the information to be recalled. Short-term memories are temporarily stored in the area of the brain known as the cortex. “The early phase of LTP involves glutamatergic transmission; postsynaptic processes that produce enhanced sensitivity or receptors to glutamate as well as enhanced release of transmitter substance. In the late phase of LTP, protein synthesis leads to changes in cell structure and formation of new synapses” (Mann, 2008). Learning and the acquisition of memories are accumulated and formed and recalled in a four-step process; encoding, consolidation, storage and finally, retrieval.
NEURAL PROCESSES 1
References
Canadian Institute of Neurosciences. (n.d.). Long-term potentiation. The brain from top to bottom. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from
Mann. (2008, July 21). Chapter 19 - Learning and Memory. UNMC. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from