Discuss the differences between consolidation and retrieval in terms of their function and neural mechanisms.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Consolidation is the process in which the brain forms a "permanent" physical representation of a memory. Retrieval is the process of accessing memory that has already been stored. For a person to be able to remember new information or experiences, it has to be consolidated. Without consolidation, new information will be lost and not remembered - much like with H.M. His anterograde amnesia was because he was unable to consolidate any new information. According to research, the hippocampus participates in the consolidation of information. In an animal model, disabling hippocampal activity disrupted the rat's ability to remember a water-maze task. In humans, how well words and pictures were remembered was dependent on how much activation there was in the hippocampus and nearby cortex.
Research with both animal models and human participants also found that the hippocampus plays a role in retrieval. However, this area's involvement in retrieval is time limited - for information that is at least 2 years old. The prefrontal cortex is also activated during retrieval.
The neurotransmitter dopamine has been shown to play a key role in learning and memory. Studies show that blocking dopamine impairs consolidation and memory in an animal model, while increasing dopamine levels improves memory in humans.