Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
Where is the VTA found?
In the midbrain, next to the substantia nigra.
Where is the nucleus accumbens found?
The basal forebrain
What does the term prefrontal cortex refer to?
The part of the frontal lobe that is anterior to the motor cortex
What is the difference between retrograde and anterograde amnesia?
Retrograde refers to amnesia regarding events from the past, anterograde refers to the inability to form new memories
What is working memory?
A subset of STM in which we mentally manipulate the information
How is the VTA typically categorized?
Large population of dopamine neurons
The nucleus accumbens is a major component of what?
The ventral striatum
What are some of the common names for the subregions in the PFC?
Dorsolateral, dorsomedial, ventrolateral, ventromedial, and orbitofrontal
Learning to ride a motorcycle is an example of which kind of memory?
Nondeclarative
The briefest memories are held where?
In sensory buffers
Which pathways do dopamine neurons use to travel from the VTA to other areas of the brain?
Mesocortical and mesolimbic pathways
The nucleus accumbens is typically divided into which two components?
An outer shell and a central core
Which function is the PFC most commonly associated with?
Executive functions
What differentiates someone with Karsakoff's syndrome from someone with amnesia?
People with Karsakoff's syndrome confabulate memories and deny anything is wrong with them
What are the three types of nonassociative learning?
Habituation, dishabituation, and sensitization
The mesocortical pathway is involved in which functions?
Motivation, emotion, and executive functions
The nucleus accumbens is a key part of which system?
The reward system
Evidence suggests that the executive functions of the PFC are accomplished how?
By the interaction of subregions and their communication with other areas outside the PFC
Damage to either the medial temporal lobe or the medial diencephalon/mammillary bodies will prevent the formulation of what?
New declarative memories without loss of previously formed memories
What is long-term potentiation?
The stable and long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission
Which function is the mesolimbic pathway most associated with?
The reward system
The nucleus accumbens appears to be involved in responses to which kinds of stimuli?
Motivationally relevant
What is one general model of PFC function?
It receives sensory information about the external world, uses that info to plan responses, and then communicates with other areas of the brain to enact a response
The hippocampus is critical to what kind of learning?
Spatial
How can we postpone cognitive decline in old age?
Physical activity, mental activity, and adequate sleep