Learning and Memory in the Auditory System

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Learning and Memory in the Auditory System
Amy Poremba, Ph.D.
The University of Iowa Department of
Psychology Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience
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Introduction

• Examples of learning about auditory cues will be
  used to infer some general learning principles.

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• Training Rules for Discriminative Active
  Avoidance Conditioning

Danger/Fear
X
Safety
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Behavioral Learning Curve
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
footshock
tone
US
CS
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Two Types of Neuronal Plasticity
Excitation
Discrimination
Excitation
Discrimination
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning
X
Talk et al., 2004
X
Poremba and Gabriel, 1999, 2001
X
Poremba and Gabriel, 1997
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
footshock
tone
US
CS
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning
Aud. Ctx
CR
ACC
PCC
Cingulate Cortex
Amygdala
AVN
MDN
Limbic Thalamus
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Acquisition
Overtraining
ACC
PCC
Cingulate Cortex
Correct Responses
AVN
MDN
Limbic Thalamus
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Acquisition
Overtraining
ACC
PCC
Cingulate Cortex
Correct Responses
AVN
MDN
Limbic Thalamus
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Acquisition
Overtraining
ACC
PCC
Cingulate Cortex
Correct Responses
AVN
MDN
Limbic Thalamus
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning
EARLY
LATE
Aud. Ctx
CR
ACC
PCC
Cingulate Cortex
Amygdala
AVN
MDN
Limbic Thalamus
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning
Aud. Ctx
EARLY
LATE
CR
ACC
PCC
LAST?
Amygdala
AVN
MDN
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance Learning and ?
Aud. Ctx
CR
ACC
PCC
Amygdala
AVN
MDN
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance and Approach Learning
Aud. Ctx
CR
EARLY
LATE
ACC
PCC
Hippocampus
X
Amygdala
AVN
MDN
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Neural Circuit for Avoidance and Approach Learning
Aud. Ctx
CR
EARLY
LATE
ACC
PCC
CONTEXT
Amygdala
Memory Filter
AVN
MDN
INPUT
MB
MGN
CR conditioned response CS conditioned
stimulus US unconditioned stimulus ACC
anterior cingulate cortex PCC posterior
cingulate cortex MGN medial geniculate n. MDN
medial dorsal n. AVN anterior ventral n. MB
mammillary bodies LDTN lateral dorsal tegmental
n.
LDTN
US
CS
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Summary for Simple Auditory Learning
This type of learning is better with trials
spread across days rather than massed trials on
one or two days. After a certain number of
training trials, continued trials are no longer
necessary for consolidation, i.e., moving the
memory to long term storage.
There are multiple brain circuits for different
stages of the learning.
Brain structures that are important for
acquisition are not always necessary for long
term memory storage.
Types of learning may be layered, i.e., the input
system in this case is similar to the fear
conditioning system. Here the animals learn to
avoid the footshock and other brain areas are
then involved in the learning.
The context surrounding the important signals to
be learned helps attentional processing and the
learning of more than one task.
There may be multiple brain circuits even for
this simple type of task perhaps creating a
filter for which memories will be remembered.
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