Skip to main content

Cognitive Algorithms and Systems of Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, and Their Learnings

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Perception-Action Cycle

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems ((SSCNS))

  • 1460 Accesses

Abstract

Explicit (declarative) memory, the memory that can be “declared” in words or languages, is made up of two dissociated parts: episodic memory and semantic memory. This dissociation has its neuroanatomical basis–episodic memory is mostly associated with the hippocampus and semantic memory with the neocortex. The two memories, on the other hand, are closely related. Lesions in the hippocampus often result in various impairments of explicit memory, e.g., anterograde, retrograde and developmental amnesias, and semantic learning deficit. These impairments provide opportunities for us to understand how the two memories may be acquired, stored, and organized. This chapter reviews several cognitive systems that are centered to mimic explicit memory, and other systems that are neuroanatomically based and are implemented to simulate those memory impairments mentioned above. This review includes the structures of the computational systems, their learning rules, and their simulations of memory acquisition and impairments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, J.R. (1983). The architecture of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.R., Bothell, D., Lebiere, C., and Matessa, M. (1998). An integrated theory of list memory. Journal of Memory and Language 38: 341–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.R., and Matessa, M.P. (1997). A production system theory of serial memory. Psychological Review 104: 728–748.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.R., Bothell, D., Byrne, M.D., Douglass, S., Lebiere, C., and Qin, Y. (2004). An integrated theory of the mind. Psychological Review 111: 1036–1060.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez, P., and Squire, L. (1994). Memory consolidation and the medial temporal lobe: a simple network model. Proceedings of the National Academic Science USA 91: 7041–7045.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aggleton, J.P., and Brown, M.W. (1999). Episodic memory, amnesia and the hippocampal–anterior thalamic axis. Behavioral Brain Science 22: 425–489

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Anon (1996). Previous cases: hippocampal amnesia. Neurocase 2: 259–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baddeley, A.D., Vargha-Khadem, F., and Mishkin, M. (2001). Preserved recognition in a case of developmental amnesia: implications for the acquisition of semantic memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 13: 357–369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Battaglia, F.P., Sutherland, G.R., and McNaughton, B.L. (2004). Hippocampal sharp wave bursts coincide with neocortical “up-state” transitions. Learning & Memory 11: 697–704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bloch, V., Hennevinm, E., and Leconte, P. (1979). Relationship between paradoxical sleep and memory processes. In: Brazier M.A. (ed), Brain mechanisms in memory and learning: from the single neuron to man (pp. 329–343), Raven: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Budiu, R., and Anderson, J.R. (2004). Interpretation-based processing: a unified theory of semantic sentence processing. Cognitive Science 28: 1–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butters, M.A., Glisky, E.L., and Schacter, D.L. (1993). Transfer of new learning in memory-impaired patients. Journal of Clinical Experimental Neuropsychol 15: 219–230.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drescher, G. (1991). Made-up minds. Cambridge, MA: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fishbein, W. (1970). Interference with conversion of memory from short-term to long-term storage by partial sleep deprivation. Communications in Behavioral Biology 5: 171–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gluck, M.A., Meeter, M., and Myers, C.E. (2003). Computational models of the hippocampal region: linking incremental learning and episodic memory. TRENDS in Cognitive Neuroscience 7: 269–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, R., and Pearlman, C. (1974). Cutting the REM nerve: An approach to the adaptive role of REM sleep. Perspectives in Biology & Medicine 17: 513–521.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, N.J., and Squire, L.R. (1980). Preserved learning and retention of pattern analyzing skill in amnesia: Dissociation of knowing how and knowing that. Science 210: 207–209.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, A.M., and Quillian, M.R. (1969). Retrieval time from semantic memory. Journal of Learning and Verbal Behavior 8: 240–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eichenbaum, H. (2004). Hippocampus: cognitive processes and neural representations that underlie declarative memory. Neuron 44: 109–120.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fosse, M.J., Fosse, R., Hobson, J.A., and Stickgold, R.J. (2003). Dreaming and episodic memory: a functional dissociation? Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 15: 1–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foulkes, D. (1985). Dreaming: a cognitive-psychological analysis. Erlbaum: Hillsdale.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabrieli, J.D.E., Cohen, N.J., and Corkin, S. (1988). The impaired learning of semantic knowledge following bilateral medial temporal-lobe resection. Brain Cognitive 7: 151–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graf, P., and Schacter, D.L. (1985). Implicit and explicit memory for new associations in normal and amnesic subjects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition 11: 501–518.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Granger, R., Wiebe, S.P., Taketani, M., and Lynch, G. (1996). Distinct memory circuits composing the hippocampal region. Hippocampus 6: 567–578.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harnad, S. (1990). The symbol grounding problem. Physica D, 42: 335–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobson, J.A., and McCarley, R.W. (1977). The brain as a dream-state generator: An activation-synthesis hypothesis of the dream process. American Journal of Psychiatry 134: 1335–1348.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kitchener, E.G., Hodges, J.R., and McCarthy, R. (1998). Acquisition of post-morbid vocabulary and semantic facts in the absence of episodic memory. Brain 121: 1313–1327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Isaacs, E.B., Vargha-Khadem, F., Watkins, K.E., Lucas, A., Mishkin, M., and Gadian, D.G. (2003). Developmental amnesia and its relationship to degree of hippocampal atrophy. PNAS 100: 13060–13063.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, W.B. (1989). A computational approach to hippocampal function. In: Hawkins R.D., Bower G.H., (eds.), Computational models of learning in simple neural systems (pp. 243–305). Orlando, FL: Academic.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Levy, W.B. (1996). A sequence predicting CA3 is a flexible associator that learns and uses context to solve hippocampal-like tasks. Hippocampus 6: 579–590.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Louie, K., and Wilson, M.A. (2001). Temporally structured replay of awake hippocampal ensemble activity during rapid eye movement sleep. Neuron 29: 145–156.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, M.A. (2004). Long-Term Potentiation and Memory. Physiol Reviews 84: 87–136.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, D. and Kieras, D. (1997). A computational theory of executive cognitive processes and human multiple-task performance: part 1, basic mechanisms. Psychological Reviews 104: 3–65.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McClelland, J.L., McNaughton, B.L., and O’Reilly, R.C. (1995). Why there are complementary learning systems in the hippocampus and neocortex: insights from the successes and failures of connectionist models of learning and memory. Psychol Reviews 102: 419–457.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McCloskey, M., and Cohen, N.J. (1989). Catastrophic interference in connectionist networks: The sequential learning problem. In Bower G.H. (ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 24, pp. 109–165). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNaughton, B.L., and Morris, R.G.M. (1987). Hippocampal synaptic enhancement and information storage. Trends Neuroscience 10: 408–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meeter, M., and Murre, J.M.J. (2005). Tracelink: A model of consolidation and amnesia. Cognitive Neuropsychology 22: 559–587.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Minton, S. (1990). Quantitative results concerning the utility of explanation-based learning. Artificial Intelligence 42: 363–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murre, J.M. (1996). TraceLink: a model of amnesia and consolidation of memory. Hippocampus 6: 675–684.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, R.E., and Sperry, R.W. (1953). Interocular transfer of a visual forma discrimination habit in cats after section of the optic chaism and corpus callosum. Anatomy Record 115: 351–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newell, A. (1990). Unified theories of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Kane, G., Kensinger, E.A., and Corkin, S. (2004). Evidence for semantic learning in profound amnesia: an investigation with patient H.M. Hippocampus 14: 417–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly, R.C., Norman, K., and McClelland, J.L. (1998). A hippocampal model of recognition memory. In: Jordan M.I., Kearns M.J., Solla S.A., (eds.), Neural information processing systems, (Vol. 10, pp. 73–79). Cambridge, MA: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlides, C., and Winson, J. (1989). Influences of hippocampal place cell firing in the awake state on the activity of these cells during subsequent sleep episodes. Journal of Neuroscience 9: 2907–2918.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pearlman, C. (1971). Latent learning impaired by REM sleep deprivation. Psychonomic Science 25: 135–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poe, G.R., Nitz, D.A., McNaughton, B.L., and Barnes, C.A. (2000). Experience dependent phase-reversal of hippocampal neuron firing during REM sleep. Brain Research 855: 176–180.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Postle, B.R., and Corkin, S. (1998). Impaired word-stem completion priming but intact perceptual identification priming with novel words: evidence from the amnesic patient H.M. Neuropsychologia 36: 421–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ribot, T. (1881). Les maladies de la memoire. Paris: Germer Baillare.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schank, R. (1995). Information is suprises. In: Brockman J. (ed.), The third culture. New York: Simon and Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. (2003). Are life episodes replayed during dreaming? Trends in Cognitive Sciences 7: 325–327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scoville, W.B., and Milner, B. (1957). Loss of recent memory after bilateral hippocampal lesions. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 20: 11–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Searle, J. (1980). Minds, brains, and programs. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3: 417–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolenshy, P. (1997), Connectionist modeling, In Haugeland, J. (ed.), Mind design II. London: MIT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sperry, R. (1982). Some effects of disconnecting the cerebral hemispheres. Science 217: 1223–1226.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Squire, L.R. (2004). Memory systems of the brain: A brief history and current perspective. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 82: 171–177.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Squire, L.R., and Alvarez, P. (1995). Retrograde amnesia and memory consolidation: a neurobiological perspective. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 5: 169–177.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Squire, L.R., and Zola, S.M. (1998). Episodic memory, semantic memory, and amnesia. Hippocampus 8: 205–211.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Staba, R. J., Wilson, C. L., Fried, I., and Engel, J. J. (2002). Single neuron burst firing in the human hippocampus during sleep. Hippocampus 12: 724–734.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R. (2004). Desiderata for cognitive architectures. Philosophical Psychology 17: 343–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R., and Alexandre, F. (eds.) (1997). Connectionist: symbolic interpretation; from unified to hybrid approaches. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R., Merrill, E., and Peterson, T. (2001). From implicit skills to explicit knowledge: a bottom–up model of skill learning. Cognitive Science 25: 203–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R. (1995). Robust reasoning: integrating rule-based and similarity-based reasoning. Artificial Intelligence 75(2): 241–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, R. (1999). Accounting for the computational basis of consciousness: a connectionist approach. Consciousness and Cognition 8: 529–565.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E. (1983). Elements of episodic memory. Cambridge: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tulving, E., Hayman, C.A.G., and Macdonald, C.A. (1991). Long-lasting perceptual priming and semantic learning in amnesia: a case experiment. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition 17: 595–617.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teyler, T.J., and DiScenna, P. (1986). The hippocampal memory indexing theory, Behavioral Neuroscience 100: 147–154.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vargha-Khadem, F., Gadian, D.G., Watkins, K.E., Connelly, A., Van Paesschenm, W., and Mishkin, M. (1997). Differential effects of early hippocampal pathology on episodic and semantic memory. Science 277: 376–380.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wallenstein, G.V., Eichenbaum, H.B., and Hasselmo, M.E. (1998). The hippocampus as an associator of discontiguous events. Trends Neuroscience 21: 317–323.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, C. (1989). Learning with delayed rewards. Ph.D. Thesis, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M.A., and McNaughton, B.L. (1994). Reactivation of hippocampal ensemble memories during sleep. Science 265: 676–679.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, F.A. (1994). The dreaming Universe. New York: Simon & Schuster.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zachary, W., Lementec, J., and Ryder, J. (1996). Interface agents in complex systems. In Nituen, C. and Park, E. (eds.), Human interaction with complex systems: conceptual principles and design practice. Needham, MA: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Q. (2005). An artificial intelligent counter. Cognitive Systems Research 6: 320–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Q. (2009a). A computational account of dreaming: learning and memory consolidation. Cognitive Systems Research 10: 91–101.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Q. (2009b). A consequence of failed sequential learning: A computational account of sdevelopmental amnesia. Cognitive computation 1: 244–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qi Zhang .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zhang, Q. (2011). Cognitive Algorithms and Systems of Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, and Their Learnings. In: Cutsuridis, V., Hussain, A., Taylor, J. (eds) Perception-Action Cycle. Springer Series in Cognitive and Neural Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1452-1_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics