Biology Of Memory

Biology of Memory investigates the biological basis of memory and covers topics ranging from short- and long-term post-perceptual memory to memory storage processes, memory microstructures, chemical transfer, and neuronal plasticity. The activity of neuronal networks in the thalamus of the monkey is also examined, along with integrative functions of the thalamocortical visual system of the cat. Comprised of 20 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the mechanisms that inhibit or interfere with short- and long-term memory, followed by a discussion on different retrieval mechanisms for short- and long-term memory. The reader is then introduced to the role of short- and long-term memory in the formation, retention, and utilization of associations, together with the link between memory and the medial temporal regions of the brain. Subsequent chapters focus on anatomical and chemical changes in the brain during primary learning; cellular models of learning and cellular mechanisms of plasticity in Aplysia; trace phenomena in single neurons of hippocampus and mammiliary bodies; and plasticity in single units in the mammalian brain. The book concludes with a description of Occam (Omnium-Gatherum Core Content Addressable Memory), a computer program for a content addressable memory in the central nervous system. This monograph will be useful to biologists, behavioral psychologists, neuropsychologists, neurophysiologists, biophysicists, and biochemists as well as computer scientists and mathematicians.

The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

Learning and Memory: A Biological View is a comprehensive textbook about the neurobiology of learning and memory. Topics covered include developmental approaches to the memory process; anatomical correlates of neuronal plasticity; drugs that modulate learning and memory; and biochemical correlates of learning and memory. The link between aging and memory is also discussed, along with electrophysiological approaches to the study of memory. Comprised of 12 chapters, this book begins with a review of historical traditions that influenced research on the biological basis of learning and memory. Experimental findings suggesting that the engram for a simple classically conditioned skeletal response may be in the cerebellum are also presented. The next chapter emphasizes the importance of anatomical mechanisms that could mediate learning, plasticity, and memory storage in young and adult animals. Subsequent chapters explore the influence of peripheral hormones and particularly opioid peptides on complex behavior such as learning and memory; the contribution of individual neurotransmitter systems to learning; the psychopathology of aging; and long-term potentiation as a model of the way the central nervous system stores information. Learning in complex vertebrate systems and direct stimulation of various brain nuclei are also examined. The final chapter presents a neurobehavioral analysis of the structure of memory formation that utilizes lesions and explores human memory pathology. This monograph is intended for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and research workers in the field of memory.

What is memory and where in the brain is it stored? How is memory storage accomplished? Two scientists responsible for some of the fundamental research in the field answer these key questions in Memory: From Mind to Molecules, the first book for a general readership to offer an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of memory from molecules and cells to brain systems and cognition.

The story of Nobel Prize–winning discoveries regarding the molecular mechanisms controlling the body’s circadian rhythm. How much of our fate is decided before we are born? Which of our characteristics is inscribed in our DNA? Weiner brings us into Benzer's Fly Rooms at the California Institute of Technology, where Benzer, and his asssociates are in the process of finding answers, often astonishing ones, to these questions. Part biography, part thrilling scientific detective story, Time, Love, Memory forcefully demonstrates how Benzer's studies are changing our world view--and even our lives. Jonathan Weiner, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Beak of the Finch, brings his brilliant reporting skills to the story of Seymour Benzer, the Brooklyn-born maverick scientist whose study of genetics and experiments with fruit fly genes has helped revolutionize or knowledge of the connections between DNA and behavior both animal and human.