Question 1

When Aplysia learns a simple, classically conditioned response, structural and functional changes in the three neurons involved create a memory circuit that eventually becomes established as a long-term memory.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Aplysia is known for its ability to learn and remember simple, classically conditioned responses, and studies have shown that structural and functional changes in the neurons involved contribute to the establishment of long-term memory circuits.

Question 2

Stimulants and stress hormones tend to disrupt memory consolidation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stimulants and stress hormones tend to disrupt...

Question 3

Forming new memories involves increasing the amount of neurotransmitters produced by the neurons in the memory circuit but not the number of synaptic connections.

Accepted Answer

Forming new memories involves both the production of neurotransmitters and the strengthening or formation of new synaptic connections, a process known as synaptic plasticity.

Question 4

Brenda Milner and Suzanne Corkin are the psychologists who studied Henry Molaison (H.M.) extensively over 50 years.

Accepted Answer

Brenda Milner and Suzanne Corkin are indeed the psychologists who studied Henry Molaison (H.M.) extensively over 50 years.

Question 5

The anterograde amnesia H.M. experienced was the result of surgery that removed H.M.'s hippocampus.

Accepted Answer

H.M. underwent surgery to remove his hippocampus, which resulted in his anterograde amnesia.

Question 6

Studies of H.M. and of patients with similar kinds of brain damage have demonstrated that the implicit and explicit memory systems seem to involve different areas of the brain.

Accepted Answer

Studies have shown that the implicit and explicit memory systems are associated with different areas of the brain. For example, the hippocampus is involved in explicit memory, while the basal ganglia and cerebellum are involved in implicit memory. Patients with damage to these areas can have different types of memory impairments.

Question 7

In the fMRI study described in the Focus on Neuroscience, "Assembling Memories," the participants who had memorized the label "dog" with the sound of a dog barking showed a high level of activation in the auditory cortex when they retrieved the memory.

Accepted Answer

The study found that participants who had memorized the label "dog" with the sound of a dog barking showed a high level of activation in the auditory cortex when they retrieved the memory, as measured by fMRI. This suggests that the memory was encoded with both visual and auditory information.

Question 8

There is no evidence for a specific memory function localized to one area of the brain.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that certain areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, are crucial for specific memory functions, particularly in forming new memories.

Question 9

Some sensory neurons that are involved with the initial perception of a stimulus are later reactivated when the memory of the stimulus is recalled.

Accepted Answer

Sensory neurons involved in perceiving a stimulus send signals to the brain where they are encoded as a memory. When that memory is recalled, the same sensory neurons are reactivated, contributing to the re-experiencing of the stimulus.

Question 10

According to In Focus: H.M. and Famous People, H.M. retained the ability to form new explicit memories.

Accepted Answer

In Focus: H.M. and Famous People mentions that H.M. was unable to form new explicit memories after his surgery.

Question 11

A process called long-term potentiation strengthens the connections among neurons in a particular memory circuit, allowing them to communicate more easily.

Accepted Answer

Long-term potentiation is a well-documented phenomenon in which repeated activation of a neural circuit leads to the strengthening of synaptic connections between the neurons involved. This results in increased communication between the neurons and can play a key role in the formation and retention of memories.

Question 12

In the fMRI study described in Focus on Neuroscience, "Assembling Memories," the act of perceiving a picture activated the visual cortex. However, the act of remembering the same picture activated the left prefrontal cortex, a completely different brain area.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the fMRI study described in Focus...

Question 13

From studies of other human patients with similar kinds of brain damage, it is clear that the memory impairments H.M. experienced are highly unusual.

Accepted Answer

H.M.'s memory impairments are not highly unusual; they are consistent with what is observed in other patients with similar brain damage, particularly to the hippocampus, which affects the ability to form new memories.

Question 14

According to In Focus: H.M. and Famous People, H.M. was unable to remember either the first or last name of people who became famous after his surgery.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to In Focus: H.M. and Famous...

Question 15

The fMRI study described in Focus on Neuroscience, "Assembling Memories," showed that retrieving a sensory memory reactivates the same sensory area of the cortex that was involved in the initial perception of the event.

Accepted Answer

The fMRI study did show that retrieving a sensory memory reactivates the same sensory area of the cortex that was involved in the initial perception of the event.

Question 16

For long-term memories to become permanent and stable over time, they must undergo a physical process called memory consolidation.

Accepted Answer

Memory consolidation involves the transfer of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, and the process makes the memories stable and resistant to interference. This involves changes in the structure and function of neurons, synapses, and brain circuits over time, which supports the integration and retrieval of memories from the storage system.

Question 17

The most likely explanation for Ben's inability to remember any details of the accident in which he received a bad concussion is that he has repressed the memories.

Accepted Answer

A more likely explanation for Ben's inability to remember details of the accident is that the concussion caused memory loss, which is a common symptom of brain injuries, rather than repression.

Question 18

Neuroscientist Eric Kandel won the Nobel Prize for his discovery that diseased neurons in the hippocampus are the cause of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of neurocognitive disorder.

Accepted Answer

Eric Kandel won the Nobel Prize for his research on the biological mechanisms of learning and memory, particularly his work on the sea slug Aplysia, not specifically for discovering the cause of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease.

Question 19

People who suffer from retrograde amnesia are unable to form new episodic memories.

Accepted Answer

Retrograde amnesia affects the ability to recall past memories, not the formation of new ones. Anterograde amnesia affects the formation of new episodic memories.

Question 20

Eric Kandel's research with the sea snail Aplysia demonstrated that memory formation involves functional and structural changes in neurons.

Accepted Answer

Eric Kandel won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000 for his research on the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons, particularly in the sea snail Aplysia. His research showed that memory formation involves not only functional changes but also structural changes in neurons, specifically the growth of new synaptic connections between neurons.

Quiz 6: Memory