LIMBIC SYSTEM & MEMORY

***THINK HOME

KNOW THAT THE LIMBIC SYSTEM CONSISTS OF TELENCEPHALIC, DIENCEPHALIC, MESENCEPHALIC & SENSORY COMPONENTS
 Limbic System consists of 4 structures: HOME
o Hypothalamus – homeostasis
o Olfactory Cortex – olfaction (smell)
 Has direct connections to hippocampus & amygdala
o Hippocampus – memory
o Amygdala – emotion
 Diencephalic:
o Hypothalamus & nuclei
o Nuclei in Thalamus
 Anterior Nucleus (found in anterior region of thalamus)
 Dorsomedial Nucleus (found in medial region of thalamus)
o Nuclei in Epithalamus – Habenular Nuclei
 Telencephalic:
o Subcortical (not organized as cortex)
o Allocortex (3 layers)
o Juxtallocortex/Periallocortex (4-5 layers)
 Mesencephalic:
o Limbic Midbrain Area
 Ventral Tegmental Area=involved in reward & pleasure states; dopaminergic
 Get other inputs from sensory (i.e. visual, auditory, & somatic sensation)

WHAT ARE THE REGIONS/NUCLEI OF HYPOTHALAMUS THAT ARE RELATED TO LIMBIC SYSTEM? HOW ARE ALL THE COMPONENTS OF LIMBIC
SYSTEM CONNECTED? HOW DO THEY “PRESERVE THE SPECIES”?
 Hypothalamus=important in survival of species
 Consists of primitive functions; what keeps us alive
 5 F’s:
o Fight
o Flee
o Feeling
o Feeding
o Fornicating (Fuck)

WHAT ARE THE OTHER CORTICES BESIDES NEOCORTEX?

 Neocortex=6 layers
 Allocortex=3 layers
 Juxtallocortex=4-5 layers
o Cingulate Gyrus
 Amygdala & basal forebrain do not have definitive layers

WHERE IS THE AMYGDALA LOCATED? WHAT IS ITS FUNCTION?

 Found in medial temporal lobe; found rostral to hippocampus
 Function=EMOTION & DRIVE
 Connected to hypothalamus=elicit autonomic responses depending on how we’re feeling about a situation
 Doesn’t have definitive cortical layers
 Gets input from:
o Visual Association Cortex
o Auditory Association Cortex
o Somatosensory Association Cortex
o Visceral Cortex
o Hypothalamus
  Amygdala is hard to study in humans; but can study in animals
o i.e. stimulate amygdala in animals, animals become more aggressive

WHAT IS KLUVER-BUCY SYNDROME? WHAT IS INHIBITED IN THESE ANIMALS?

 Kluver-Bucy Syndrome=bilateral amygdaloid lesion
 Animals become placid & tame; act inappropriately – mate w/ inanimate ojections
 Will exhibit Visual Agnosia=inability to recognize objects or faces

HOW CAN PHARMACEUTICAL AGENTS BLOCK CHOLINERGIC NEURONS? HOW DOES IT AFFECT BASAL FOREBRAIN & MEMORY FUNCTION?
 Basal Forebrain is made up of:
o Septal Nuclei
o Diagonal Band of Broca
o Nucleus Basalis (of Maynert)
 Cholinergic (Ach) Neurons=main function in CNS is attention, learning & memory

WHAT IS THE PAPEZ CIRCUIT? WHAT STRUCTURES ARE INVOLVED? HOW IS IT IMPORTANT TO LIMBIC SYSTEM FUNCTION?
 Papez Circuit=important for formation & storage of new memories
 Structures involved:
o Hippocampus
o Entorhinal Cortex
o Mammillary Body
o Anterior Nucleus of Thalamus
 Pathway:
o Hippocampus → Mammillary Body
 Done via Fornix
o Mammillary Body → Anterior Nucleus of Thalamus
 Done via Mammilothalamic Tract
o Anterior Nucleus of Thalamus → Cingulate Gyrus
 Via Internal capsule
o From Cingulate to certain areas of cortex; pieces of
memory sent to different areas (parahippocampal region)
 Via cingulum bundle

HOW IS THE LIMBIC SYSTEM IMPORTANT TO MEMORY?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE B/W SHORT & LONG-TERM MEMORY?

 Short-term=working memory (planning and attention)
 Long-term:
o Declarative – episodic & semantic
o Non-declarative – procedural

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES B/W DECLARATIVE, WORKING & PROCEDURAL MEMORY?

Declarative Working Procedural

*two types: *type of short-term memory *”how-to” skills & procedures
-Episodic=memory of life events *i.e. trying to memorize phone # & once you have called *motor memory
-Semantic=memory of meanings & #, can no longer recall # *involves basal ganglia & cerebellum
understanding *magic # is 7
*during sleep it will be consolidated *limited in storage *problems w/ procedural are seen w/
***Virtually unlimited storage capacity & *all in prefrontal cortex Huntington’s or Parkinson’s
storage duration *repetition is key
 Photographic (Eidectic Memory):
o Some scientists do not believe it exists

WHAT ARE THE 4 ASPECTS OF NORMAL MEMORY FUNCTION? WHY IS SLEEP IMPORTANT TO MEMORY?
 Nutritional status  Procedural Memory is improved/enhanced w/ sleep
 Level of Stress o Window is small; NEED to get sleep that night
 Temperature o Sleep consolidates info
 Blood Oxygenation  Declarative/Episodic Memory is not improved by sleep but
 Sufficient sleep is needed for optimal mental performance can help retain/consolidate facts

WHY IS THE HIPPOCAMPUS IMPORTANT TO MEMORY FORMATION?

 Hippocampus is Greek for seahorse

 Hippocampus=structure responsible for deciding what information should be stored as memories
 WHAT ARE THE BASICS OF LTP (LONG TERM POTENTIATION)? HOW IS IT IMPORTANT TO CONSOLIDATION OF INFORMATION?
 LTP=long lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission resulting from high frequency
stimulation of a presynaptic cell; paired w/ depolarization of postsynaptic cell
 Cells w/in region (glutamatergic); go in & stimulate CA3 to CA1
 LTP remains high over time; the harder we blast the axon=higher the potential of
excitability
 In Hippocampus:
o Glutamatergic
o AMPA & NMDA receptor
o NMDA is blocked by Mg
o Ca2+ rushes in & pushes off Mg & Triggers LTP
 LTP triggers changes
o Can insert more receptors or change metabolism
o Long term changes

WHY IS THE STORY OF PATIENT H.M. IMPORTANT? WHAT TYPE OF MEMORY LOSS DID HE
EXHIBIT?
 Patient H.M. demonstrated that memories are stored in cortex
 Patient H.M. had middle temporal lobe removed=removal of hippocampus
 Resulted in Anterograde Amnesia=could not form new memories or learn
anything new
 Also had no change in intellect or perceptual abilities; could acquire new
motor skills

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF AMNESIA?

 Lesion to Medial Temporal Lobe
o Fornix Lesions=minor disruption of memory functions
o Bilateral Hippocampal Lesions=Major Disruption of Memory
Functions
o Unilateral Hippocampal Lesions=little to no impairment

TYPE OF AMNESIA DAMAGE? SYMPTOMS?

ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA Bilateral medial temporal lobe damage Cannot form new memories
RETROGRADE AMNESIA Broad lesions; trauma Cannot retrieve memories prior to brain injury
INFANTILE AMNESIA N/A Cannot remember episodic memories from before 3-4 years of age; Limbic
system & Memory Structures are not fully developed
PSYCHOGENIC AMNESIA N/A; related to psychological emotional Cannot recall episodes or personal information; usually traumatic,
response stressful, or emotional experience
TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNEISA N/A Temporary, transient loss of memory that is not related to any cause or
condition
HOW DOES ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, KORSAKOFF’S SYNDROME, & WERNICKE’S ENCEPHALOPATHY RELATE TO MEMORY?
 Alzheimer’s Disease=neuronal degeneration that affects the hippocampal formation, temporal cortex & basal forebrain
o Plaques attack medial temporal lobe
 Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
o Common in alcoholics
o Cannot absorb B1 = thiamine deficiency
o Affects mammillary bodies, dorsomedial nucleus of thalamus, cerebellar vermis, CN III, IV, VI, VIII
o Get encephalopathy, ophthalmoplegia & ataxia
o Prolonged deficiency=Korsakoff’s Syndrome
 Patients have severe anterograde & retrograde amnesia, disorientation & confabulation (make up stories but patient
believes them to be true)

HOW DO MEMORY FUNCTIONS RELATE TO PREFRONTAL CORTEX?

 Prefrontal Cortex=short-term memory/working memory
 Important for Executive Functions; keeps you classy
o Social responsibility
o Goals
o Planning