What's the limbic System and what does it have to do with Memory?
January 19th 2009 12:56
Signature Tune
Well may you ask but remember my recent post on the amygdala and the hippocampus?
They are part of the limbic system so I thought I'd try to at least give you an idea of how that system comes together and what it has to do with memory.
And these are extracts from the notes of a lecture and I have included the author's name
According to Kandel (2000), ". . . memory is the process by which that knowledge of the world is encoded, stored, and later retrieved." "Memory is a phase of learning . . . learning has three stages: 1. acquiring, wherein one masters a new activity . . . or memorizes verbal material . . . 2. retaining the new acquisition for a period of time; and 3. remembering, which enables one to reproduce the learned act or memorized material. In a narrower sense learning merely means acquiring skill . . ." (Sargent & Stafford, 1965).
There are actually two basic kinds of learning and memory. One is declarative or explicit; the other is non-declarative or implicit. Knowledge of facts–what we know about places, things and people–and the meaning of these facts is explicit memory.
Some people will further parcel explicit memories as episodic (we remember events) or semantic (we remember facts).
Now the role of the limbic system in all of this memory has already been mentioned when we referred to the amygdala and the hippocampus which you now know form part of the limbic system.
The limbic system has a lot to do with emotions and when we have an emotional input into what we see or do that memory becomes more graphic and is remembered much more than something relatively mundane without an emotional input.
Memories of past events if you care to recall them spring readily to mind if they were accompanied by your emotions and if it is a particularly unpleasant experience you can become traumatized, just think about it.
Part of these explanations come from a book the author of which I am unable to acknowledge as the web reference I used did not show it.
I have included the effects of stress felt through the amygdala and its relationship and effects on body systems as I thought that would be of interest to many.
My objective was to show you how the amygdala and hippocampus fit into the limbic system and to acquaint you some more with aspects of memory which I know are quite complex but just getting a general idea should do you.
Any comments would be appreciated.
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