The Neuroscience of Learning - Literature review Example

Neurobiology The topic on neurobiology chosen for this paper is on the article The neuroscience of learning. Learning is more complicated than justnurture and teaching. The neurophysiologic basis of learning is important for doctors and nurses to understand. Many advances in this field have been made recently. The more that is learned about the neurophysiologic, the more diverse teaching methods can be used for individuals with normal brain activity and brain damaged individuals. The theory of multiple intelligences, as it concerns neurophysiologic, is also explored in this article. Some experts agree, while others disagree. This article asserts that nurses are in the position to use neurophysiologic concepts in order to educate patients in a more efficient manner. Today the neuroscience of learning is far from complete. Scientists are getting answers to some questions, but the brain still remains a mystery to be studied. What has been learned is long-term memory have the aspects of “Long-term potentiation (LTP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) responsive element binding (CREB protein activation” (Collins, 2007). Mirror neurons are essential in learning action tasks (Collins, 2007). Finally, Gardner (1983) identified that different portions of the brain are responsible for different learning abilities. Memory classification is essential to understanding how the brain learns and processes information. Short-term memory and long-term memory are two of the more common terms used when classifying memory. Long term memory consists of declarative and nondeclarative forms. This can be broken down further into semantic memory and episodic memory (Miyashita; 2004). Semantic and episodic memories are located in the hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe (Squire, 2004). Semantic memories are fact based. Episodic memories are based on an individual’s experience of events. Nondeclarative memories are divided into three categories. Procedural memories are skill orientated. Sensory memories are perceptual representations. Simple classic conditioning is emotional memories. The following chart explains: Collins (2007) explain that learning and long-term memory are related. Without memory, knowledge could not be learned and recalled. Mirror neutrons are neutrons in the brain that help learning new tasks, by repeating and copying tasks. Collins (2007) reports: Mirror neurons were discovered in the monkey premotor cortex in the early 1990s. They were named mirror neurons because they fire both when and individual performs an activity and when the individual observes that same activity being performed by another individual. These mirror neurons help the brain by not only repeating tasks, but also by observing the task that is being learned. Collins (2007) reveals that Hebb rule, LTP and CREB protein are related to learning. Short-term memories must be turned into long-term memories. A structural change must occur within neurons for this process to happen (Collins, 2007). The Hebb rule bolsters this argument: Let us assume that the persistence or repetition of a reverberatory activity (or ‘trace’) tends to induce lasting cellular changes that add to its stability.… When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite a cell B and repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that As efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased. (Hebb, 1949) Hebb’s rule was first noticed in the LTP. Another hypothesis is that “a cAMP second messenger system with protein phosphatases determines when LTP can occur at synapses” (Collins, 2007). This however is unknown, only speculated at this time. Finally, Gardner (1983) asserts that “different areas of the brain are responsible for different competencies.” The following chart shows the different competencies that Gardner found: The problem with Gardner’s theory is that he has been unable to identify which parts of the brain are responsible for each learning area. Some areas of Gardner’s intelligence overlap in cognitive parts of the brain (Klein, 1997). Collins’ article tries to tie in the benefits of learning neuroscience to nursing. This can be helpful in not only teaching fellow nurses, patient’s families, and patients. It has been noticed that different individuals learn differently. Some people learn by sight, others by hearing, and yet others by a hands on method. When further research can be done into how the brain neurologically processes memory and learning, then teaching will become easier. This will benefit nurses by allowing them to effectively train fellow nurses. Since teaching a patient’s family about aftercare is important, nurses could teach patient’s families on how to better treat their loved ones. Finally, patients with brain injuries can be retrained to have fulfilling lives. If that is not possible, at least nurses can teach caregivers what to expect. This allows caregivers to understand and be less frustrated with brain injury patients, by allowing them to know what to expect. Collins (2007) explains: Because practice and repetition are major factors in committing information to long-term memory, important material needs to be repeated and emphasized. Neuroscience teaches us several ways that material can be emphasized. A powerful technique is to build on existing learning networks. This approach incorporates new learning experiences into existing long-term memory. Nurses can take the knowledge and help patients and others learn in unique ways. An example would be a person that learns by repeating a task using the mirror neurons could be taught by a nurse how to complete a task by repetition. Collins wrote a good article, but the ending was not expansive enough. There were no references on the last page, only speculation. It would have been better to either elaborate about nurses and neuroscience learning or not to include the part about nurses or patient care at all. If I would have written the article, I would have elaborated on examples of nurses and patient interaction, which would also include other studies. If more research would have been done on nurses, patients, especially brain damaged patients, and a patient’s family would have made this paper much better. On the other hand, this article was very informative on neuroscience of learning. It showed where memory neuroscience is today and how it affects learning. Classification of memory, Mirror Neurons, the Hebb rule, LTP, and CREB proteins were all explained. The lack of information, like which parts of the brain are affected by the classification of memory was due to the process of science, not the author’s lack of research. This area was explored fully by the author. The summary was not satisfactory. It was too short. Plus the summary focused on the nurses’ role in neuroscience and learning. The majority of the paper had to do with the neuroscience of learning, not the nurses’ role or patient education. I would have created a better conclusion that encompassed my whole paper entirely. The neurophysiologic basis of learning is vital for all to understand. Many advances in this field have been made recently, but scientists have not learned everything about how the brain works. The more that is learned about the neurophysiologic, the more diverse teaching methods can be used for individuals with and without brain damaged. Nurses can learn from neurophysiologic sciences to help patients and their families. Over all Collins’ article was informative and based on the current knowledge of the neuroscience of learning. References Collins, J.W. (2007). The neuroscience of learning. Continuing Education, 39(5), 305-310. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books. Hebb, D.O. (1949). The organization of behavior. New York: Wiley.  Klein, R.M. (1999). The Hebb legacy. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 53, 1-3. Miyashita, Y. (2004). Cognitive memory: Cellular and network machineries and their top-down control. Science, 306, 435-440. Squire, L.R. (2004). Memory systems of the brain: A brief history and current perspective. Neurobiology of learning and Memory, 82, 171-177. Read More