Scientific American December 2007
<p><b>Jul 13, 2009 </b>12:56 PM  see page 114 of Dec 2007 below.
 
see page 114 of Dec 2007 Sci Am... How do short-term memories become long-term memories by Alison Preston.
in Ask the Experts.  one page.
 
Relies on fxn of hippocampus and other medial temporal lobe structures.
 
new synapses  or  strengthening of existing synapses.
 
requires synthesis of new RNA and proteins
 
Alison Preston  "  When a memory is first formed, the hippocampus rapidly combines this distributed memory 
into a single memory thus acting as <b>an INDEX of representations in sensory cortex</b>.
As time passes,  cellular and molec. changes allow the the strength. of direct connections among the neocort regions enabling access to the memory independent of the hippocampus.
 
(so hippo. must hold together the event long enuf for consolidation to take place.
Once event is consolidated in neocortex... hippo is not needed for recall.</p>