IRB Media Summary of Scott A. Small's Forgetting

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The first order of a neurologist's business is to listen to a patient's symptoms and clinical history. These testimonials contain rich information that helps the doctor locate the cause of the problem.#2 The second step in diagnosing memory problems is to isolate the anatomical source of the problem. Memory specialists begin localizing the lesion that is causing pathological forgetting the second a patient walks through the door.#3 The play of memory is similar between computers and brains. Our brains have three main actors that help us store, save, and retrieve memories: the posterior area, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex.#4 The basic unit of memory storage within our brains is a cell, a neuron. The dendritic spines, at the outer tips of neurons, are the information bits of our memories. They are constantly changing in size with experience, and when they grow, the connection between the neurons is strengthened, which is what happens when a new memory is formed.