Striatum and Memory

Professor Karim Nader explains that the striatum is important to learning motor tasks, such as driving or bike-riding.

When we learn how to ride a bike or learn how to drive, a lot of these skills we initially are consciously attending to. But over time they become very habitual, they become very automatic. When we're driving or when we're riding a bike, we're not thinking about all the specific motor programs that are engaged in order to do that skill successfully. The striatum is thought to be the structure that is important in terms of grouping or creating the motor program to mediate the driving, or the bike-riding, or other skills.

striatum, memory, motor, learning, automatic, karim, nader

Related Content

1239. Hippocampus and Conscious Memory

Professor Karim Nader explains that different brain regions are responsible for different types of memory. The hippocampus mediates conscious memory.

  • ID: 1239
  • Source: G2C

1237. Memory and Sleep

Professor Karim Nader discusses evidence that deep sleep can benefit learning motor skills such as riding a bike.

  • ID: 1237
  • Source: G2C

1235. Memory Re-consolidation

Professor Karim Nader discusses a theory known as reconsolidation, which posits that when a memory is re-activated, it is subsequently re-stored.

  • ID: 1235
  • Source: G2C

1234. Memory Consolidation

Professor Karim Nader explains that consolidation is a theory of memory that attributes memory formation to changes in synaptic strength and efficiency.

  • ID: 1234
  • Source: G2C

1233. Hard-wired Memories

Professor Karim Nader explains that long-term memories are traditionally thought of as being fixed in the brain.

  • ID: 1233
  • Source: G2C

1238. Fear Learning

Professor Karim Nader explains that fear learning, which is mediated by the amygdala, is different from other forms of learning.

  • ID: 1238
  • Source: G2C

1236. Memory Disruption

Professor Karim Nader explains that short-term memories are more sensitive to disruption than long-term memories.

  • ID: 1236
  • Source: G2C

850. Beating Stressful Memories

New research showing how memories take shape may lead to better treatments for unwanted memories as well.

  • ID: 850
  • Source: G2C

2096. Cerebellum

The cerebellum monitors and regulates motor behavior, particularly automatic movements. It contains more neurons than the rest of the brain and is a site of neurogenesis.

  • ID: 2096
  • Source: G2C

833. Basal Ganglia and Learning

The basal ganglia, a group of interconnected brain areas located deep in the cerebral cortex, have proved to be at work in learning, the formation of good and bad habits, and some psychiatric and addictive disorders.

  • ID: 833
  • Source: G2C