Biopsychology Discussion Response

Original Question:

Forum Assignment for the Week:

Several of the most fascinating biopsychology research questions about memory have to do with the connection between human consciousness and the location in the brain and function of memory processes. What makes memories feel so real is that the neurobiological process of recollecting an experience is in some ways identical to the process of experiencing it in the first place. After viewing the two videos below, imagine what it would be like if your memory only had a 30 second maximum capacity; that is, if in a half-minute or less you forgot everything you just experienced, including information received from your environment and its accompanying feelings?  What do imagine your greatest challenges in everyday living would be?  What about positives?  If you had to come up with some what would they be?

Learning & Memory located at: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-15791973

Clive Wearing - The Man with No Short-term Memory located athttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwigmktix2Y&feature=player_embedded

Reply t the following response with 200 words minimum.  (please make response as if having a conversation, respond directly to some of the statements in below post.)

The video introduced to class is very interesting, I did not know that such issues existed and I cannot imagine how hard it is to live with such condition. Just by having certain disabilities that would prevent a person from been able to deal with day to day life is very disturbing; I would not imagine how several symptoms at once combine can do. Not been able to function with the environment and enjoy life must be a traumatic situation which psychologically and individual could be distressed. Clive Wearing case has really called my attention; I could not believe when I saw the video and he was losing track of his memories while Deborah was there visiting him. She had to mention him about their daughter’s marriage about twice and there was an instant where he got distracted and it was like was not there at all. 

As I was looking for more information on Clive I found that he suffers from anterograde and retrograde amnesia; based on the sources that I used as reference, Clive contracted herpesvirus encephalitis which consist on herpes simplex virus that attacked his central nervous system.  Another interesting fact was that he was not able to find about this condition is that they are unable to control emotions as we can perceive in the video. Clive develop an extreme case of amnesia due to his illness; the virus affected the hippocampus and we might infer is an area of extreme important for long and short term memories.

Is hard to see life go and life in a world were from 7 to 30 seconds there is a change; something to the mind of an individual and it is hard to understand how can a person be so enthusiast in their moment to moment consciousness and learn to deal with such barrier. Things such as waking up every 20 seconds restoring his memories every 30 seconds that his minds resets. It is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel with such condition; despite the difficulty to maintain memories and now been able to keep a normal life he is able to play the piano and feel emotions; I do not see the moment where he has room to be depressed and I suspect when the moment approaches it only last a few. Along with the positive he does not see to suffer from the stress of society and since he has the inability to control his emotions his brain is still transmitting signal to places that are non-respondent.