A cell assembly theory of hippocampal amnesia
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 21, 2026

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
1Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
Recent memories are more susceptible to amnesic loss than older memories, the time scale being much longer than can reasonably be explained by a passive chemical or morphological change. A possible explanation is that memories are initially sustained by "soft", easily produced but ephemoral, synaptic changes to which are later added "hard" changes that are more durable but require repeated synaptic activity over a long period to become established. "Soft" synapses are assumed to be concentrated in parts of the limbic system, "hard" synapses in the neocortex. The theory can also explain why objects encountered by patients with anterograde amnesia never become familiar to them.
More Related Videos
14:27Investigating Long-term Synaptic Plasticity in Interlamellar Hippocampus CA1 by Electrophysiological Field Recording
Published on: August 11, 2019
10:45Preparation of Acute Slices from Dorsal Hippocampus for Whole-Cell Recording and Neuronal Reconstruction in the Dentate Gyrus of Adult Mice
Published on: April 3, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory
Storage
Role of Hippocampus in Memory
Amnesia
The severity and duration of memory loss vary depending on the type and underlying cause. Amnesia is classified into two main types: retrograde and anterograde.
Retrograde amnesia is marked by the loss of memories formed before the onset of the condition. Patients may recall distant past events but often forget those occurring shortly before the incident.
Anterograde...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology