Download -Louie Klaire Kat SAQ Outline Explain how biological factors may

-Louie
Klaire
Kat
SAQ Outline
Explain how biological factors may affect one cognitive process
This paper will explain how brain damage may affect long-term or shortterm memory by focusing on relevant research studies that look into one
biological, as well as cognitive, process of memory. Recent research by Kandel
(2000) has given more insight into the relationship between biology and
memory on a neuronal level. He studied snails and looked into the synaptic
changes in brain structure, which correlate with memory. However, it is the case
studies of Clive Wearing (Sacks, 1997) and HM by Milner and Scoville (1957) of
anterograde amnesia that gives us the most insight into the correlation between
biological factors and cognitive processes.
The case of Clive Wearing (Sacks, 1997) is the rarest of its kind. This is due
to the fact that he suffered from both anterograde and retrograde amnesia,
which prevents him from making new memories and losing his old memory, with
a few exceptions. Clive wearing still remembers how to play the piano, meaning
that the part of the brain that is concerned with music or playing an instrument
is different from the parts of Clive Wearing’s was not affected. This is because he
had a complication of an infection, Herpes simplex encephalitis that affects his
hippocampus, which prevented the transfer of memories from the STM to the
LTM. This further supports the MSM (multi store model) because this case study
shows that there are two separate stores of memory, the LTM and the STM –
showing a clear biological factors and memory. Clive Wearing also showed that
he had a brief understanding of current events, if asked properly. This shows
that there is some form of neural plasticity because he can still retain some form
of memory more than the 30-second time span he usually has. Again, we can see
that specific brain areas related to the cognitive function of memory. However,
the fact that some of his memory functions remain enact show that more
research is required to come to more concrete conclusions about this.
Further insight into the relationship between brain structures and memory
comes from the the case study of HM, researched by Scoville (1957), gives us
insight to a man who has suffered from memory disorders and who is always
living in the past. Scoville discovered that the memory disorder that HM suffered
from was severe anterograde amnesia and slight retrograde amnesia, which gave
him the inability to form new memories but the ability to remember memories of
his childhood. When HM was operated on to help his epilepsy, it was made clear
to the researchers that his hippocampus was damaged with the use of modern
technology, such as the MRI. HM was unable to form new long-term memories
with new events or semantic knowledge. From this discovery, Scoville was able
to localize the disorder with the left and right temporal lobes, as they can be
involved in the formation of semantic and episodic memories. However, in a
memory experiment involving the recall of previously presented numbers,
conducted by Corkin (2002), his performance was no worse that that of regular
subjects and it showed that HM’s memory did not entirely rely on the medial
temporal structures. This case study does demonstrate a clear connection
between brain structures and memory, but it also suggests that memory is a
distributed process, since some areas of his memory remained intact. Although
the evidence from such case studies is compelling, the results are difficult to
generalize because they are isolated unusual cases.
In conclusion, studies such as Clive Wearing and HM show an evident
correlation between biological factors, such as brain damage, and cognitive
process, such as memory. However, because there are limitations to the case
study method and the complexity of the brain, it is difficult to come to concrete
conclusions about the relationship between brain damage (biological factors)
and memory. Further research and the use of Brain Imaging Technology will
give us more insight into this topic.