This article begins by analyzing specific regions of the medial temporal lobe. The regions discussed are the amygdala, rhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and the hippocampal formation. Each of these areas is responsible for different aspects of explicit memory. The amygdala is responsible for the memory of emotionally charged events. This memory is triggered when a person experiences certain emotional stimuli. The rhinal cortex deals with recognition memory. This memory tells a person if they have had any prior experience a certain event or stimulus. The parahippocampal gyrus deals with space. This part of the brain helps a person to recognize and learn about spatial situations. The hippocampal formation helps a person “bind” together pieces of an episode. By doing this it keeps the information close. This area seems to be the most complex. This can be determined by the fact that researchers are still debating on the functions of this region of the brain. It is felt that the hippocampal formation holds multiple functions.Researchers have been studying the affects of stress on these different regions of the brain, and they have found that stress affects each differently. Studies show that stress actually enhances the function of the amygdala, which strengthens the memory stored here. Consequently, the opposite reaction occurs in the hippocampal formation. Stress actually disrupts the aspects of spatial and explicit memory that are stored here. According to studies, with certain amounts of stress all forms of explicit memory could be enhanced. While high levels of stress can impair some areas and help others. Navarro 2I thought that this article was very interesting. Although it was somewhat confusing, I found some of the information to be quite informing. It taught me something that I did not know, which is that stress can be good for your memory. I always thought of stress as a bad...
