The main parts of the brain involved with memory are the amygdala, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the prefrontal cortex.įigure 8.07. The amygdala is involved in fear and fear memories. They have argued that memory is located in specific parts of the brain, and specific neurons can be recognized for their involvement in forming memories. However, since Lashley’s research, other scientists have been able to look more closely at the brain and memory. Many scientists believe that the entire brain is involved with memory. Although Lashley’s early work did not confirm the existence of the engram, modern psychologists are making progress locating it. Based on his creation of lesions and the animals’ reaction, he formulated the equipotentiality hypothesis: if part of one area of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of the same area can take over that memory function (Lashley, 1950). Lashley did not find evidence of the engram, and the rats were still able to find their way through the maze, regardless of the size or location of the lesion. He did this because he was trying to erase the engram, or the original memory trace that the rats had of the maze. Then, he used the tools available at the time-in this case a soldering iron-to create lesions in the rats’ brains, specifically in the cerebral cortex. First, Lashley (1950) trained rats to find their way through a maze. He was searching for evidence of the engram: the group of neurons that serve as the “physical representation of memory” (Josselyn, 2010). Recognize the roles of the hippocampus, amygdala, and cerebellumĪre memories stored in just one part of the brain, or are they stored in many different parts of the brain? Karl Lashley began exploring this problem, about 100 years ago, by making lesions in the brains of animals such as rats and monkeys.Explain the brain functions involved in memory.By the end of this section, you will be able to:
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