Right temporofrontal cortex as critical locus for the ecphory of old episodic memories.

A 54 year old patient of average intelligence with a severe and enduring loss of old autobiographical memories after herpes simplex type 1 infection is described. She was tested with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery two years after the infection. Special emphasis was laid on examining different aspects of retrograde memory. The neurological examination involved MRI and SPECT. Brain damage was found mainly in the right temporofrontal region, but minor left sided damage to this region seems possible. The patient was in the normal or slightly subnormal range for all tested anterograde memory functions, but manifested severe retrograde memory deficits with respect to episodic old memories and more moderate deficits in tests of general knowledge (semantic old memories). It is concluded that the ecphory of old autobiographical memories relies heavily on an activation of the right lateral temporofrontal junction area, but that probably only some complementary left hemispheric damage to these regions will lead to major and persistent retrograde amnesia. Alternatively, the disconnection between major prefrontal and posterior cortical regions may provide a basis for retrograde amnesia

The Possible Contribution of the Amygdala to Memory

The processing of episodic memories is believed to depend on the proper functioning of so-called bottleneck structures through which information apparently must pass in order to be stored long term. These regions are seen in the basal forebrain, the medial diencephalon, and the medial temporal lobe. We here report a case with circumscribed bilateral temporal lobe damage, principally involving the amygdaloid area. Neuropsychological investigation demonstrated preserved intelligence, intact general memory and several other undisturbed cognitive functions, but a specific, affect-related, memory disorder. We conclude from these findings that the role of the amygdala is to process mnemonic events in a way that a specific emotional significance can be found and reactivated. Therefore it is suggested that the amygdala is likely to be a bottleneck structure for affect-related long-term memory functions

Near-death experience: Out-of-body and out-of-brain?

During the last decades, several clinical cases have been reported where patients described profound subjective experiences when near-death, a phenomenon called "near-death experience" (NDE). Recurring features in the accounts involving bright lights and tunnels have sometimes been interpreted as evidence of a new life after death; however the origin of such experiences is largely unknown, and both biological and psychological interpretations have been suggested. The study of NDEs represents one of the most important topics of cognitive neuroscience. In the present paper the current state of knowledge has been reviewed, with particular regard to the main features of NDE, scientific explanations and the theoretical debate surrounding this phenomenon

До питання рішення зворотних задач багатокритеріальної ідентифікації об'ємних гідромашин

The work proves the effectiveness of the parameter space investigation method for solving inverse tasks of multi-criteria identification by the example of an external gear pump with a transparent casing developed at the Wroclaw Polytechnica. The mathematical model of the object of investigation was improved by introducing the equations of radial clearance and normal backlash, which increased its adequacy and allowed to determine three input data that are absent in the technical documentation. The found values of the dedendum coefficient, backlash and radial clearance together with other known input data allow to build the 3D computer model for further investigation of pump working processes in the CFD program.У роботі обґрунтовано ефективність методу дослідження простору параметрів для рішення зворотних задач багатокритеріальної ідентифікації на прикладі шестерінчастого насоса зовнішнього зачеплення з прозорим корпусом, розробленого у «Вроцлавській політехніці». Покращена математична модель об'єкта дослідження шляхом введення рівнянь радіального і нормального бокового зазорів, що підвищило її адекватність і дозволило визначити три вихідних даних, відсутніх у технічній документації. Знайдені значення коефіцієнта висоти ніжки зуба, бічного і радіального зазорів спільно з іншими відомими вихідними даними дозволяють побудувати 3D комп'ютерну модель для подальшого дослідження в програмі обчислювальної гідродинаміки робочого процесу насоса