Holiday Lecture Series: Mapping Memory In The Brain

Well, some people asked me what it is that turns my crank and asked me to share some videos and etc with them that I thought were cool and etc.

I just found out about these "Holiday Lecture Series" posted on youtube... by Eric Kandel.

This one being on Learning and Memory, and the disorders that plague those faculties of the mind.

Even in the first video a very clinically relevant example is put up of a man who had Herpes simplex encephalitis which apparantly did mild reterograde amnesia and extensive anterograde amnesia.

Umm, enjoy =o!

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That's quite interesting actually. To think that more than 90% of adults are in a way infected by Herpes Simplex but most people just don't know it.

Herpes can be underestimated and wrongfully diagnosed by doctors since it can also be mistaken by cold sores which is the same virus that causes herpes.

Now to be honest with you, I would've never imaged that herpes simplex could develop to the point where it could affect your memory. that kinda surprised me, I need to read more.

 

Yeah, we take many things for granted in a day-to-day basis.

Most people you ask about even AIDs/HIV, they will say its an autoimmune disorder. But they then easily glance over other research that the virus can permeate through the bloodbrain barrier (or bloodnerve barrier) and prey upon neural tissue.

Essentially any infection will have its own preferences such as astrocytes, microglia, etc (the "Glial" or glue cells is what it translates to). Or they can have a preference towards neurons (although staggering amounts of evidence points towards these once thought of as mere supporter cells (those "Glial" cells) actually have an influence upon many tasks that we thought neurons were dedicated towards ><!


But for Herpes in specifics, or well... it will be quite general.... any infection that preys upon the brain will cause extensive damage in that region. Such as in the cerebellum (right at the back and bottom of the brain), that lettuce like thing, if herpes goes haywire there and chews it up, the person will show decreased mental performance and more rigidity and less fluid movements. Frontal lobe can be impairment of judgement and restraint (prefrontal cortex is a nice one for judgement making and working memory). If it attacks the optic nerve it can impair if not blind an individual.

Its quite serious really.


edit: Because examples make things more clearly, there is things with HIV such as HIV-Associated-Dementia, and distal polyneuropathy.