7.2 Procedural and Declarative Memory

Memory plays a crucial role in motor learning. Procedural memory, an implicit system, helps us automate motor skills through practice. Declarative memory, an explicit system, provides conscious knowledge about tasks and strategies.

These memory types work together during skill acquisition. Initially, declarative memory dominates as we learn rules and strategies. With practice, procedural memory takes over, allowing automatic execution. Understanding this interaction helps optimize motor learning and performance.

Procedural vs Declarative Memory

• Procedural memory is a type of implicit, long-term memory that stores information about how to perform motor skills, cognitive skills, and routines. It plays a crucial role in motor learning by enabling the acquisition, retention, and execution of motor skills without conscious awareness.
• Declarative memory is a type of explicit, long-term memory that stores factual information, events, and experiences that can be consciously recalled and verbalized. It contributes to motor learning by providing knowledge about the goals, rules, and strategies associated with motor skills.
• Procedural memory supports the automatization of motor skills through practice, allowing for efficient and fluent performance without requiring conscious attention to the details of the movement.
• Declarative memory facilitates the initial stages of motor learning by providing a cognitive framework for understanding the task requirements, guiding attention, and supporting problem-solving and decision-making processes.

Characteristics of Memory Types

Implicit vs Explicit Nature

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• Procedural memory is implicit and unconscious, while declarative memory is explicit and conscious.
• Procedural memory is accessed automatically and effortlessly, whereas declarative memory requires intentional retrieval and effort.
• Procedural memory is expressed through performance and is difficult to verbalize, while declarative memory can be easily communicated and described.

Acquisition and Retention

• Procedural memory is acquired gradually through repetition and practice (learning to ride a bicycle), while declarative memory can be acquired rapidly through a single exposure or episode (remembering a phone number).
• Procedural memory is more resistant to forgetting and interference, while declarative memory is more susceptible to decay and interference over time.
• Procedural memory is task-specific and context-dependent (tying shoelaces), while declarative memory is more flexible and can be generalized across different contexts and situations (recalling historical facts).

Memory Interaction in Motor Skills

Roles in Skill Acquisition

• During the early stages of motor learning, declarative memory plays a dominant role in providing explicit knowledge and strategies for performing the skill (understanding the rules of a sport), while procedural memory gradually develops through practice.
• As practice continues, procedural memory becomes increasingly involved in the execution of the motor skill, leading to automatization and reduced reliance on declarative memory (dribbling a basketball without thinking about each movement).
• Declarative memory can guide attention and provide feedback during practice, facilitating the refinement and optimization of the motor skill through procedural learning mechanisms.

Integration and Performance

• Procedural memory can influence the retrieval and application of declarative knowledge during motor performance, such as selecting appropriate strategies or adapting to changing task demands (adjusting tennis serve based on opponent's position).
• The interaction between procedural and declarative memory enables the integration of explicit knowledge with implicit motor representations, supporting the development of skilled performance.
• In some cases, an over-reliance on declarative memory can interfere with the expression of procedural memory, leading to performance decrements under pressure or in high-stakes situations (choking under pressure during a championship game).

Neural Substrates for Motor Memory

Procedural Memory Structures

• Procedural memory is primarily associated with the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and supplementary motor area (SMA) in the brain.
  • The basal ganglia are involved in the acquisition and automatization of motor sequences and habits (learning a dance routine).
  • The cerebellum plays a critical role in motor adaptation, error correction, and the fine-tuning of motor skills (adjusting golf swing based on feedback).
  • The SMA is involved in the planning and coordination of complex motor sequences and the integration of sensory feedback with motor commands (executing a gymnastics routine).

Declarative Memory Structures

• Declarative memory is primarily associated with the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus and surrounding cortical areas, as well as the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
  • The MTL is critical for the formation and consolidation of new declarative memories, as well as the retrieval of previously learned information (recalling the steps of a dance choreography).
  • The PFC is involved in the executive control of memory, including the selection, monitoring, and manipulation of declarative knowledge during motor learning and performance (focusing attention on key aspects of a motor skill).
• The interaction between procedural and declarative memory systems is mediated by neural connections between the basal ganglia, cerebellum, MTL, and PFC, allowing for the integration of implicit and explicit processes during motor skill acquisition and performance.
• Neuroimaging studies have shown that the relative engagement of procedural and declarative memory systems changes over the course of motor learning, with a shift from declarative to procedural mechanisms as skills become more automated and refined (decreased prefrontal activity and increased basal ganglia activity with practice).