The Hippocampus Is a Curved Structure

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Hippocampus literally means sea horse. Anatomists like to name brain structures after things that they think those brain structures resemble. The hippocampus is vitally important for establishing these new declarative memories of what you know and what you know how to do. In order to really understand the role of the hippocampus in memory, in particular, explicit, declarative and explicit procedure memory, we have to look to a clinical case.

This episode I explain the mechanisms by which different types of memories are established in our brain and how to leverage the amount and timing of key neurochemicals and hormones, such as adrenaline (aka epinephrine) and cortisol, to improve your learning and memory abilities. I describe multiple science-based protocols to do this, including repetition, caffeine, emotional states, deliberate cold exposure, sleep, meditation, and the role of vision, including taking “mental snapshots.” I also describe how exercise and an associated hormone, osteocalcin, can improve cognitive ability and memory formation. I also describe unique aspects and forms of memory such as photographic memory, extreme facial recognition (aka super recognition), and the phenomenon known as déjà vu.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Memory, Improving Memory

(00:03:09) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT

(00:07:54) Sensory Stimuli, Nervous System & Encoding Memory

(00:11:12) Context & Memory Formation

(00:13:46) Tool: Repetition, Improving Learning & Memory

(00:17:11) Co-Activation and intensity Neuron Activation

(00:20:50) Different Types of Memory

(00:25:40) Memory Formation in the Brain, Hippocampus

(00:28:00) Hippocampus, Role in Memory & Learning, Explicit vs. Implicit Memory

(00:31:49) Emotion & Memory Enhancement

(00:36:44) Tool: Emotion Saliency & Improved Memory

(00:41:42) Conditioned-Placed Avoidance/Preference, Adrenaline

(00:47:14) Adrenaline & Cortisol

(00:49:35) Accelerating the Repetition Curve & Adrenaline

(00:53:03) Tool: Enhancing Learning & Memory - Caffeine, Alpha-GPC & Stimulant Timing

(01:00:50) Tool: Enhancing Learning & Memory - Sleep, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)

(01:04:48) Tool: Enhancing Learning & Memory - Deliberate Cold Exposure, Adrenaline

(01:08:42) Timing of Adrenaline Release & Memory Formation

(01:12:36) Chronically High Adrenaline & Cortisol, Impact on Learning & Memory

(01:15:12) Adrenaline Linked with Learning: Not a New Principle

(01:17:25) Amygdala, Adrenaline & Memory Formation, Generalization of Memories

(01:22:20) Tool: Cardiovascular Exercise & Neurogenesis

(01:27:00) Cardiovascular Exercise, Osteocalcin & Improved Hippocampal Function

(01:29:59) Load-Bearing Exercise, Osteocalcin & Cognitive Ability

(01:34:41) Tool: Timing of Exercise, Learning & Memory Enhancement

(01:37:29) Photographic Memory

(01:38:49) “Super Recognizers,” Facial Recognition

(01:41:46) Tool: Mental Snapshots, Photographs & Memory Enhancement

(01:49:12) Déjà Vu

(01:53:24) Tool: Meditation, Daily Timing of Meditation

(02:02:21) How to Enhance Memory

(02:05:51) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

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