Chapter 9: Learning and Memory
9.1: Introduction to Learning and Memory
Austin Lim, Ph.D.; David Graykowski; and Alexandrina Guran, PhD (Editor)
Think back to your favorite birthday party. Which of your friends were there? What did you do, where did you go, and did you have cake? Did you get gifts?
The ability to perform this task depends on our ability to create and recall memories. According to our current understanding of the neuroscience of learning, the underlying biology of a memory mainly consists of subtle changes among synapses distributed across several brain areas. Our ability to learn new facts, recount the events of last week, or to perform new motor skills is the result of learning-induced neural plasticity. In this chapter, we will consider different aspects of learning and memory, starting from the behavioral level down to the molecular changes responsible for memory formation, as well as some disorders that disrupt healthy memory processes.
