The Neuroscience of Learning and Memory

In this April 4 class, Jeanette Norden, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Emerita, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, explores how the brain learns and remembers. These lectures will provide the foundation information necessary to the understanding of the lectures which will follow. A special emphasis will be given to systems in the brain that underlie learning and memory, attention and awareness. These introductory lectures will be followed by a lecture on how different areas of the brain encode different, specific types of information—from the phone number we need only remember for a few minutes or less to the childhood memories we retain for a lifetime. We will also address the "mistakes of memory" which give insight as to how the brain actually encodes our life experiences. The last group of lectures in this series will focus on the many clinical conditions that can affect different types of learning and memory. Lastly, we will focus our discussion on the accumulating evidence that aging need not be associated with significant memory loss. We will discuss advancements in neuroscience that indicate ways to keep your brain healthy as you age. To learn more about Vanderbilt, visit http://www.vanderbilt.edu.