BRAIN REGIONS

INVOLVED IN THE
STORAGE OF LTM
• interactions between specific regions of the brain (cerebral cortex, hippocampus,
amygdala and cerebellum) in the storage of long-term memories, including implicit
and explicit memories.
LTMS ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS
MULTIPLE BRAIN LOCATIONS
INCLUDING:
• Cerebral Cortex
• Hippocampus
• Cerebellum
• Amygdala
HIPPOCAMPUS
-Located just above the ear, deep in the brain in temporal lobe area, tubular
and curved shaped.

-
-Turns short term memories into long term memories.

-Crucial in encoding and consolidation explicit memory (new semantic and

episodic memories) to ensure long term storage is long lasting.

- Not directly involved in formation of implicit memories.

- Once this information has been converted into a useable form, it is stored
within the cerebral cortex to be retrieved for later use.

-Doesn’t permanently store memories itself. It transfers them to cerebral

cortex for long term storage (where it was initially processed). Think of the
hippocampus as a train station).

-Could have hippocampus surgically removed and still encode and store
memories for motor skills and classically conditioned responses

-Connected to amygdala and for this reason plays a vital role in formation
of emotional memories, particularly the explicit memory component of an
emotional event.
 CEREBRAL CORTEX
- Thin outer wrinkly looking layer that covers the cerebrum
The cerebral cortex is connected to virtually all parts of the brain

Explicit semantic and episodic memories are widely distributed

throughout the cortex.

Episodic and semantic memory tends to be permanently stored in areas

where the relevant information was processed.

Example going to a rock concert, the name of the band will be stored in
frontal lobe, images of the band in occipital sounds of their performance
in auditory context (temporal lobe).
When retrieving this memory, the cerebral cortex plays a crucial role in
gathering and bringing the separate parts together to be reconstructed as
a single integrated memory. Can be likened to a jigsaw puzzle.
- Located just above and interconnected to the hippocampus.

- Processes and regulates emotional reactions, particularly emotions such as fear

and anger and aggression

- Involved in encoding and consolidating (forms) emotionally charged memories

(not storage) especially classically conditioned memories – but does not store
them.

- Level of emotional arousal at the time of encoding influences the strength of

the LTM being formed.

- People with damaged amygdala cannot learn to fear things that signal danger,
express fear in appropriate situation and lose learned fear.

- When we have an emotional experience, adrenaline is released which induces

noradrenaline in the amygdala. -Noradrenaline stimulates the amygdala to attach
more emotional significance to the experience and signals to the hippocampus to
encode and ensure long term storage of relevant emotional details during the
memory consolidation process

- Not involved with emotional memories that does not involve fear (happy
AMYGDALA
pleasant memories).
-Located at the base of the brain, looks like cauliflower. Contains CEREBELLUM
most of the neurons.
-It is involved in encoding implicit memories, particularly procedural
memories.
- The cerebellum is also the storage site for implicit procedural
memories, due to the cerebellum being involved in the
processes of motor control, coordination and balance.

-Permanent storage of simple reflexes acquired through classical

conditioning.
-Involved in encoding and temporary storage of implicit procedural
memories
--Damage to the cerebellum makes it difficult to time and coordinate
muscle control for everyday activities such as walking talking
brushing teeth etc.