About the organization of memories – a neurobiological model for understanding unconscious memory/recall

Abstract

Summary: Memory and recall encompass many levels of functioning, from molecular processes in nerve cell nuclei, right to complex network architecture. These functional levels are often mixed. A model is presented here that covers both the cellular components as well as the network levels. One can accept that with new experiences and their storage, many areas of the brain cortex are simultaneously activated. These complex arousal patterns are reduced stepwise in the associative region of the brain, similar to a complex digital image that is significantly reduced through algorithms – examples are the program icons on a computer screen. Memories are partially reconstituted arousal patterns that are essentially generated from simple stored patterns and refined with locally saved information at intersections of the cerebral network. Keywords: cortex – hippocampus – image processing – synapses – epigenetic tags – limbic system – associative thalamus – subcortical memory – cortical processing hierarchy – memory consolidation – memory recall – post traumatic stress reaction – visual priming