Memory and MCS: Memory of smell

[Guest guest]

This is interesting information in the transcripts on CNN's series

on Memory that might be interesting to people with MCS. It mentions

a part of the brain that memorizes smell and thought it might be

interesting to MCS people:

link to article:

<http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0503/27/se.01.html>

Put word 'smell' into Edit/Find or read excerpt below but it is out

of context without article:

" Not all memories are created equal.

The amygdala be couple inches in here.

University of California-Irvine researcher Larry Cahill studies how

emotion affects memories. His test subjects view a slide show of

emotionally charged pictures and pictures that are more innocuous.

They then immersed their hands in ice water to trigger stress

hormones.

LARRY CAHILL, PHD, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE: When an

emotional event happens, and the stress hormones are flowing, those

stress hormones serve the initial fight or flight reaction that

everybody knows about. Learn about that in high school.

But these same stress hormones we think have a second longer term

reaction.

GUPTA: That second reaction? Stress hormones feeding back to the

brain through the amygdala, located a couple of inches in from your

ear on either side of your brain.

It helps you remember more clearly and longer. Have you ever

wondered why a smell can trigger such a strong memory? Once again,

the amygdala may hold the answer.

CAHILL: The amygdala is this key structure in the whole emotion and

memory world. And guess which sense goes straight into the amygdala?

Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Go from the air straight in.

It's your nose.

There's basically two synapses between an odor hitting your nose and

activating your amygdala.

GUPTA: Our memories of smell are emotionally powerful, but not

always specific. Since September 11th, researchers say many New

Yorkers report being saddened by the smell of smoke.

DANIEL SCHACTER, PHD, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Our memory is not a tape

recorder. And what it's very good at is retaining the general sense

of our experiences, the meaning, the gist, if you will of what

happened to us. "

<http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0503/27/se.01.html>