Early Learning & Memory

Memory Systems & Development

Memory is not a single entity. It is characterized by many different multiple parallel systems and neural circuits that occasionally interact in convergence zones in discrete regions of the brain, like the thalamus and hippocampus. There are two catagories for memory, i.e. explicit-declarative and implicit-procedural memory. The former supports conscious and intentional thinking, is fully accessible, supports cue/stimulus dependent and independent recognition and recall, is fast-learning, flexible, and is dependent on the hippocampus and its surrounding structures. The latter learning method is basically unconscious. It is inaccessible and requires many repetitive learning trials. (Read more)

:

Infant & Childhood Imitation

Certain learning abilities are present soon after birth. Infants aged forty-two minutes old, when delayed the ability for imitating an adults facial movements, i.e. mouth openings and tongue thrusts, demonstrated increased imitative behaviors to an expressionless adult face after removal of a pacifier. Delay recognition testing by the same authors with infants the same age produced greater tongue protrusions after the tongue protrusion display disappeared and was replaced with passive-face demonstrations. (Read more)

:

Delayed NonMatch-to-Sample

Delayed nonmatch to sample (DNMS) is a commonly used paradigm to test for explicit learning and memory. The DNMS task requires the subject/child to compare a presented sample object with a previously presented comparison object and encourages the selection of a novel object with an object’s second presentation. An edible reward is given to the subject/child to encourage the novel item selection. After learning the rule for avoiding the familiar object in favor of novelty, the delay period between object demonstrations is increased from 10 to 120 seconds and the number of displayed objects requiring recollection increases. (Read more)

: