Memory, Aging, and the I-function Essay -- Biology Essays Research Pap

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 Alzheimer's Disease, and for the role of the "I-function" in learning and recollection. Memory, in general, can be broken down into different forms, being divided according to the functions it serves and the duration for which it holds. Neurobiologically, to qualify as a "memory," an input must both "cause enduring changes in the nervous system, and be affected by emotional and motivational 'sets'" (1).What is meant in that description is that a memory has to have some root in the brain, must induce some change so that the nervous system undergoes some physical change in addition to the ontological change brought about by being in the class of things affected by the input, and must, in turn, affect other forms of behavior. No memories are ever neutral from a behavioral standpoint. The main functional division among memories is between so-called ""declarative" and "procedural" memories. The former consists of what are termed "episodic" or "semantic" memories. Declarative memories are formed by events, and are brought back in specific contexts and with distinct meanings. "Procedural Memories," on the other hand, include cla... ...rapha.htm 11) Atrophy of CA1 hippocampal synapses in aging adults , http://www.centraal.nl/ 12) Geary, James. "Should we just say no to smart drugs?" Time 5 May 1997., http://www.time.com/time/magazine/1997/int/970505/science.should_we_jus.html 13) Bachman, Laura. "Aging and Intellectual perfromance among educated older adults , http://callisto.gcsu.edu/JNBS/article1-2.html 14)This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. Contribute Thoughts | Search Serendip for Other Papers | Serendip Home Page http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/cgi-bin/comments