- Case of Edouard Claparede: A neurologist who treated an amnesic patient.
- Repeatedly introduced himself without recognition.
- However, the patient learned to associate the doctor with pain (pinprick) and refused to shake his hand.
Types of Memory
- Working Memory:
- Short-term memory lasting about 30 seconds.
- Example: Remembering a phone number temporarily.
- Explicit Memory:
- Consciously recalled memories.
- Includes episodic memories (personal experiences) and semantic memories (facts and knowledge).
- Example: Remembering what you ate for breakfast, learning the meaning of “hegira”.
- Implicit Memory:
- Unconsciously recalled memories.
- Types:
- Motor memories: Learning to ride a bike.
- Procedural memories: Improving at mirror tracing.
- Emotional memories: Basis for phobias and PTSD.
- Perceptual memories: Recognizing patterns or objects (e.g., finding a hidden owl in a picture).
Key Points
- Amnesic patients can form implicit memories but not explicit ones.
- The brain regions involved in different types of memory are distinct.
- Implicit memories are long-lasting and not easily forgotten.
Example: Implicit Memory as Attendance Taker
- Using a picture with a hidden object (e.g., dalmatian) to determine class attendance.
- Students who attended class could identify the hidden object, demonstrating implicit memory. Emotional Memory
Neural Circuitry of Declarative Memories Hippocampus and Memory Formation Amnesia - Hollywood vs Reality Clinical Amnesia