Functional Neuroanatomy of Memory

Lee, Sung Hoon

Abstract

Longterm memory is encoded in the neuronal connectivities of the brain. The most successful models of human memory in their operations are models of distributed and self-organized associative memory, which are founded in the principle of simultaneous convergence in network formation. Memory is not perceived as the qualities inherent in physical objects or events, but as a set of relations previously established in a neural net by simultaneousy occuring experiences. When it is easy to find correlations with existing neural network structures, memory is automatically encoded in cerebral cortex. However, in the emergence of informations which are complicated to classify and correlated with existing networks, and conflictual with other networks, those informations are sent to the subcortex including hippocampus. Memory is stored in the from of templates distributed actoss several different cortical regions. The hippocampus provides the from of templates distributed across several different cortical regions. The hippocampus provides detailed maps for the conjoint binding and calling up of widely distributed informations. Knowledge about the distribution of correlated networks can transform the existing networks into new one. Then, hippocampus consolidats new formed network. Amygdala may enable the emotions to influence the information processing and memory as well as providing the visceral informations to them. Cortico-striatal-pallido-thalamo-cortical loop also play an important role in memory function with analysis of language and concept. In case of difficulty in processing in spite of parallel process of informations, frontal lobe organizes theses complicated informations of network analysis through temporal processing. With understanding of brain mechanism of memory and information processing, the brain mechanism of mental phenomena including psychopathology can be better explained in terms of neurobiology and meuropsychology.