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