PSY 2301 Lecture 10: The Role of Synapses in Learning and Memory

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2301
• Professor: Andra Smith

Document Summary

The role of synapses in learning and memory. Learning is an experience that leads to a relatively permanent change in behaviour. It is caused from structural changes in the synapse, providing more efficiency. Memory is the recognition or recollection of previous experience. Neuroplasticity is the ability to compensate for physical or chemical changes in the brain and nervous system, resulting from brain trauma or injury. Habituation is when a stimulus is weakened as a response to a repeated stimulus. There is not much calcium at the habituation, less epsps, less neurotransmitters (nt) and less chance the motor neuron will have an action potential. Sensitization is when repeated exposure to a stimulus strengthens with repeated presentations of that stimulus. Moreover, it reinforces the stimulus, making the stimulus stronger than normal. Ptsd: horrible stimulus causes a reduction; responses cause heightened height responses. Between sensory and motor neuron, there is an inter neuron that releases serotonin at the pre-synaptic terminal.