Memory
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Memory is fundamental to human life, and though its mechanisms have come under intense scrutiny over the last half century, much still remains a mystery. Though certain regions of the brain, such as the medial temporal lobes and the hippocampal formation are known to be involved in memory processes, it has yet to be positively determined exactly which structures are responsible for storage of which types of memory - semantic (knowledge), episodic (events) and performance - and whether or not all structures are needed for memory functions to be complete. This paper looks at some of the research and the data obtained from studying patients with various degrees of amnesia following brain damage to try and elucidate the mechanisms by which memories are stored and retrieved, and which structures cooperate in these processes. Various theories exist as to exactly what parts of the brain are necessary for storage and recall of the various types of memory and they are presented here with evidence which appears to substantiate very diverse views. Until our knowledge of the neural basis of memory is complete, we will not be able to decide which of these theories is correct, since all have some basis in established fact. Since our only evidence in man comes from people who have suffered brain damage, it has been suggested that research in non-human primates may provide the answers at least to the structural basis of memory.
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ong-term memory.
It has been suggested that the acquisition of factual knowledge can occur independently of episodic memory (Tulving and Markowitsch, 1998). Evidence comes from the study of three young patients who suffered damage to the hippocampus early in life and developed anterograde amnesia as a result. In these patients, radiological evidence showed that the damage to the brain was limited to the bilateral hippocampus whereas the temporal lobes and other areas of the brain were normal. This suggests that the hippocampus is necessary for remembering ongoing events, i.e. episodic memory, but not for the acquisition of knowledge (semantic memory). This would explain why episodic memory is more severely impaired than semantic memory in cases of anterograde amnesia due to hippocampal damage.
In the three patients referred to in this paper, Tulving and Markowitsch note that they exhibited near normal intellectual development, including speech, written language, and large amounts of factual data. Contrary to most ideas on anterograde amnesia, these patients have been able to learn and retain large amounts of information. The theory of memory proposed by the researchers who originally studied these patients is that ep
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Schmolck Squire, Tulving Markowitsch, III Statement, II Introduction, Knowledge Looking, Unresolved Issues, According Duvernoy, Squire Zola, Johnson Hyman, Abstract Memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, hippocampal formation, medial temporal, temporal lobe, brain damage, long-term memory, medial temporal lobe, memory semantic, basis memory, temporal lobes, episodic memory semantic, memory semantic memory, neural basis memory, magnetic resonance imaging,
Approximate Word count = 3930
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)
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