Medical neuroscience

1. Hippocampus and
method of loci
Domina Petric, MD

2. Hippocampus
• Small organ located within the brain's medial
temporal lobe and forms an important part of
the limbic system.
• Limbic system regulates emotions.
• The hippocampus is associated mainly with
memory, in particular long-term memory.
• It also plays an important role in spatial
navigation.

3. Hippocampus
Wikipedia.org

4. Memory
The hippocampus plays a role in the formation of
new memories and in the detection of new
surroundings, occurrences and stimuli.
Alzheimer’s disease affects the hippocampus first
and severely, before other parts of the cortex (the
frontal lobes later).
Memory is usually the first affected in Alzheimer’s
disease: the ability to make new memories.

5. Mental illnesses
In schizophrenia and some severe
depressions, the hippocampus appears to
shrink.
There is recent evidence that this shrinkage
can be reversed and perhaps prevented with
effective treatment in patients with
depression and bipolar disorder.

6. Hippocampus and estrogen
• The hippocampus is known to be directly
affected by estrogen.
• There is research on the role of estrogen in
preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
• Estrogen increases synaptic density in the
hippocampus especially.
• Synaptic density is the number of connections
to other nerve cells.

7. Spatial navigation and spatial
memory

8. Behavioral inhibition

9. Method of loci
• The method of loci is also known as the memory palace technique
or the journey method.
• The method of loci was invented more than 2000 years ago.
• It was widely used by the Greeks and later the Romans to
memorize and give speeches that could last for hours.
• The Romans mentally placed the key points of their speech in
locations along a familiar route through their city or palace.
• To remember a key point, they represented it by a concrete item,
and visualized that item somehow interacting with a particular
location.

10. Method of loci
Each location serves as a
hook, to which you
visually connect whatever
you want to remember.
You accomplish this by
creating an image or
scene in mind, in which
the location and the
memorized item interact.

11. Example of journey
The room that is visualised:
• chair
• computer
• telephone
• balcony
• wardrobe
Associated tasks or items:
• I have to study the lesson for my
exam (I visualise myself sitting in
the chair and studying).
• I have to mail my friend about my
new seminar.
• I have to call my other friend.
• I have to go to my training.
• I have to buy myself a new
sweater and I will do it at the
evening.

12. Conclusion
• Hippocampus is probably very important
in creating your mental juorney (method
of loci).
• Hippocampus plays important role in
creating new memories.
• In the method of loci very important is
ability to create a mind map (mental
journey is a type of mind map).

13. Mind map
A mind map is a highly effective way of getting information in
and out of your brain.
It is a creative and logical means of note-taking and note-
making that maps out the ideas.
Mind mapping converts a long list of monotonous information
into a colorful, memorable and highly organized diagram that
works in line with the brain's natural way of doing things.

14. Five essential characteristics of
mind mapping:
• The main idea, subject or focus is crystallized in a
central image.
• The main themes radiate from the central image as
branches.
• The branches comprise a key image or key word drawn
or printed on its associated line.
• Topics of lesser importance are represented as twigs of
the relevant branch.
• The branches form a connected nodal structure.
http://www.mindmapping.com/theory-behind-mind-maps.php

15. Brain hemispheres
Dr. Roger Sperry (Nobel Prize) confirmed
that the evolutionarily latest part of the
brain, cerebral cortex, is divided into two
major hemispheres.
Those hemispheres performe a
comprehensive range of intellectual tasks,
called cortical skills.

16. Cortical skills are:
•logic
•rhythm
•lines
•color
•lists
• daydreaming
• numbers
• imagination
• word
• gestalt (seeing the
whole picture)

17. Brain integration

18. Conclusion
In the method of loci
hippocampus together with
brain hemispheres creates a
mental journey (mind map)
to boost the memory and
also creative thinking.

19. Literature
• http://www.news-medical.net/health/Hippocampus-
Functions.aspx (By Dr Ananya Mandal, MD)
• http://psycheducation.org/brain-tours/memory-learning-
and-emotion-the-hippocampus
• Wikipedia.org
• http://remembereverything.org/memory-palace-the-
method-of-loci
• http://www.mindmapping.com/theory-behind-mind-
maps.php