Memory, Aging, and the I-function Essay - 2013 Words

Memory, Aging, and the I-function Folk wisdom has long noted that as individuals age, they experience decline in memory performance such that many accept cognitive decline and even senility as normal affects of aging, along with graying hair and wrinkled skin. The effects of time on the brain in humans is more complex than simple gradual decay until one shuffles off the mortal coil, as it were. The implications of memory loss, and cases in which cognitive function does not decline, has implications for our understanding of how memory works in general, the treatment of debilitating diseases such as Alzheimers Disease, and for the role of the I-function in learning and recollection. Memory, in general, can be broken down into†¦show more content†¦The most studied case of this phenomenon is the Aplysias gill withdrawal (1). The most commonly invoked distinction among memories, however, is the split between short and long-term memories. Short term memory immediately follows exposure to an input and decays rapidly, while long term memory has both unlimited capacity and slow decay. The difference between the two lies in types neural plasticity, the idea that synaptic connections between neurons are malleable. In the former case, no long-term changes occur, while in the latter, there is a fundamental change in neural structure to correspond with the changes in input. In cases of facilitation, where there is less input required to get a desired output, or a case in which memory makes the task easier to perform. Any temporal increase in synaptic potential is the result of changes in the presynaptic transmitter release, although additional messengers are active in inducing long-term change through phosphorylation and the synthesis of new proteins. Some believe that short-term memory may be the product of temporary changes in the shape of neuron spinesShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Neurobiology of Memory and Aging1680 Words   |  7 PagesNeurobiology of Memory and Aging I lost my keys again, my mother exclaimed at dinner a few nights ago, I really am getting old. This use of old age as a justification for memory deficits is extremely common. Many people relate old age with loss of memory and other neurobiological functions. Why is it that aging seems to go hand in hand with losing and forgetting things? Is there a neurobiological explanation for this phenomenon? It is clear to neurobiologists that aging results inRead MoreIn Living Organisms, There Is A Common Process That Occurs,1748 Words   |  7 Pagesthat is known as aging. Aging is process that begins the day that we are born and only ends on the day that die (Woodrow, 2002). 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