What is the Profile of Memory Consolidation in Populations with Developmental Disability?

Abstract

The aim of the literature review is to explore the trajectories of hippocampal-dependent memories in typical and atypical populations. Memory is linked to the development of neural circuitry within the brain. The development of synaptic connections aid in the ability to process and consolidate memories. At the system level, the hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory processing and hippocampus-dependent memory has a protracted development. A memory system stores "features and attributes" of concepts so that retrieval of information is efficient and able to be produced through language. This allows for features to be placed into representations, forming congruent memories, that are then able to be retrieved and later expressed. In conclusion, Hippocampal dysfunctions result in memory deficits. These deficits are specific to different memory profiles. For example, the Down syndrome population has issues with associating an object with a location; William syndrome population has issues with inhibition and recall; lastly, the Autism Spectrum Disorder population has issues with projecting themselves into an fictional scenario and complex-information processing.