This chapter discusses memory and amnesia. It defines amnesia as a deficit in memory caused by brain damage, disease, or psychological trauma. There are two main types of amnesia - retrograde amnesia, which is the inability to retrieve information acquired before an accident or operation, and anterograde amnesia, which is the inability to transfer new information into long-term memory. Amnesia can be caused by diseases like Alzheimer's or head injuries. Specific brain areas involved in memory include the hippocampus, medial temporal lobe, and parts of the prefrontal cortex. Memories are stored diffusely throughout the brain in areas related to the original experience.

1. Chapter 9:
MEMORY AND
AMNESIA
Physiological Psychology (PSY2023)

2. LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
• By the end of this chapter, students
should be able to:
• Define amnesia
• Describe amnesia caused by
disease
• Explain the amnesia that caused by
head injury

3. Learning
• Deals with how
experience changes
the brain.
Memory
• Deals with how these
changes are stored
and subsequently
reactivated.

4. MEMORY
Short-term memory
storage of new
information for brief
periods of time while
a person attends to it
Long-term memory
storage of new
information once the
person stops
attending to it

5. MEMORY
• Long-term memory
• Implicit memories - long-term memories that are demonstrated by
improved test performance without conscious awareness.
• Procedural memory includes your knowledge of how to perform
various tasks, ranging from simple to complex.
• Priming refers to the process by which a past experience increases
the accuracy or quickness of a response.
• Explicit memories - conscious long-term memories.
• Semantic memories are explicit memories for general facts or
information
• Episodic memories are explicit memories for the particular events

6. WHAT IS
AMNESIA
• Amnesia (from Greek meaning
"without memory”) is a deficit in
memory caused by brain damage,
disease, or psychological trauma.
• Amnesia can also be caused
temporarily by the use of various
sedatives and hypnotic drugs.
• The memory can be either wholly or
partially lost due to the extent of
damage that was caused

7. • Case studies also show
that amnesia is
typically associated
with damage to the
medial temporal lobe.
• In addition, specific
areas of the
hippocampus are
involved with memory.

8. TYPE OF AMNESIA
RETROGRADE AMNESIA ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA

9. Retrograde Amnesia
• Is the inability to retrieve information
that was acquired before a particular
date, usually the date of an accident or
operation.
• In some cases the memory loss can
extend back decades, while in others the
person may lose only a few months of
memory.

10. ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA
• Is the inability to transfer new
information from the short-term store
into the long-term store.
• People with this type of amnesia cannot
remember things for long periods of
time.
• These two types are not mutually
exclusive - both can occur within a
patient at one time.

11. CAUSES OF AMNESIA
AMNESIA CAUSED BY DISEASE
AMNESIA THAT CAUSED BY HEAD
INJURY

12. AMNESIA
THAT
CAUSED BY
HEAD INJURY
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
• Korsakoff s syndrome is a disorder of memory
that is common in people who have
consumed large amounts of alcohol
• The disorder is largely attributable to the
brain damage associated with the thiamine
deficiency that often accompanies heavy
alcohol consumption.

13. AMNESIA THAT CAUSED BY HEAD INJURY
• Concussion is a temporary disturbance of consciousness produced by
a nonpenetrating head injury.
• Amnesia due to concussion is Posttraumatic amnesia (PTA)
• Posttraumatic amnesia (PTA):
• Coma: pathological state of unconsciousness
• lasts a few seconds or minutes, but in severe cases it can last weeks.
• After regaining consciousness, there is a period of confusion
• Usually there is permanent retrograde amnesia for events just prior
to the blow to the head & permanent retrograde amnesia for the
subsequent period of confusion
Concussion

15. AMNESIA
CAUSED BY
DISEASE
• Alzheimer’s disease is another major
cause of amnesia.
• The first sign of Alzheimer s disease is
often a mild deterioration of memory.
• Then, dementia develops and becomes so
severe that the patient is incapable of
even simple activities (e.g., eating,
speaking, recognizing a spouse, or bladder
control).
• Alzheimer s disease is terminal.

16. HOW AND WHERE IS
MEMORY STORE
• While the hippocampus & rhinal cortex are
involved in memory, memories are not
necessarily stored there.
• Memories are stored diffusely in the brain
and thus, can survive the destruction of one
specific area.
• Memories become more resistant to
disruption over time
• Memories appear to be stored in the brain
areas that participated in the original
experience that created the memory.

17. HOW AND WHERE IS
MEMORY STORE
• So far we’ve discussed 4 brain areas
with some memory storage:
Inferotemporal
cortex
Amygdala
Prefrontal
cortex
Cerebellum
and striatum

18. 1. Inferotemporal
cortex
• Areas of secondary sensory
cortex are presumed to play an
important role in store memory.
• Involved in visual perception of
object.
• Storing memories in visual
patterns.

19. 2.
Amygdala
Doesn’t seem to store the memory
itself
It is involved in strengthening
emotionally significant memories
stored elsewhere
Explains why you are better at
remembering emotion-provoking
experiences

20. • A large structure that is composed of
many anatomically distinct areas that
have different connections and functions.
• Perform fundamental cognitive process -
attention and task management during
working memory task (ability to maintain
relevant memories while a task is being
completed)
• Damage to this area does not cause
major amnesia
• However, damage to the PFC does seem
to impair 2 episodic memory abilities
• The order of events
• Working memory
3. Prefrontal cortex

21. 4.
Cerebellum
and striatum
• Neural mechanism for sensorimotor tasks.
• Cerebellum participate in storage of
memories of learned sensorimotor skill
through its various neuroplastic mechanism.
• Striatum store memories for consistent
relationship between stimuli and response.
• Implicit memories of sensorimotor learning
presumed to be stored in the sensorimotor
circuit associated with first experiencing
them
• Both also seem to be involved in non-motor
memories

22. THANK YOU