1. Lesson 7 -
Memory
Decline and the
Healthy Ageing
Brain
Saturday, 30 March 13

2. From last Lesson........
What role does the hippocampus play in memory?
Saturday, 30 March 13

3. From last Lesson........
What role does the hippocampus play in memory?
Research suggests that the hippocampus is critical to the
formation and consolidation of memories, playing part in
deciding if information received a by the senses is worth
remembering, then organising memories before directing
them to other sections of the brain.
Saturday, 30 March 13

4. Outcomes (What you need to know and be able to do)
• Explain how memory changes over a lifespan
• Explain amnesia resulting from brain trauma and
neurodegenerative diseases including dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease
• Compare how memory declines over the lifespan
with amnesia resulting from brain trauma and
neurodegenerative diseases including dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease
Saturday, 30 March 13

5. Amnesia
Amnesia – Loss of memory, partial or complete, temporary
or permanent. Can be caused by either of:
Saturday, 30 March 13

6. Amnesia
Amnesia – Loss of memory, partial or complete, temporary
or permanent. Can be caused by either of:
Brain trauma – damage
inflicted through injury
interferes with functioning
E.g. Brain injury, stroke,
drug abuse etc
Saturday, 30 March 13

7. Amnesia
Amnesia – Loss of memory, partial or complete, temporary
or permanent. Can be caused by either of:
Brain trauma – damage
inflicted through injury
interferes with functioning
E.g. Brain injury, stroke,
drug abuse etc
Neurodegenerative disease –
decline in structure and function
of neurons E.g. Alzheimer's
disease
Saturday, 30 March 13

8. Saturday, 30 March 13

9. Retrograde Amnesia
Cant remember old information
Events before the injury lost
Usually temporary and caused by a
blow to the head
Memory of events immediately
preceding the injury are permanently
lost (interruption or consolidation)
Saturday, 30 March 13

10. Retrograde Amnesia
Cant remember old information
Events before the injury lost
Usually temporary and caused by a
blow to the head
Memory of events immediately
preceding the injury are permanently
lost (interruption or consolidation)
Anterograge Amnesia
Can’t make new Long Term memories of
events that occur after the injury –
hippocampus damage common
Cannot transfer information from STM to
LTM
Saturday, 30 March 13

11. Anterograge Amnesia
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12. Retrograde Amnesia
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13. Memory decline over the lifespan
Older people Do take longer to learn new information
STM – Depends on the task, easy one part tasks are ok.
Tasks that require divided attention are challenging for
older people.
LTM - Episodic down, Procedural same, Semantic Same
Saturday, 30 March 13

14. Memory decline over the lifespan
Not necessarily inevitable,however some natural decline is
normal. Amount of decline depends on:
• How retention is measured - Recall down, Recognition
same
• Motivation to remember
• Self confidence
• Nervous system condition
Saturday, 30 March 13