Learning And Memory From Molecules And Cells To Mind And Behavior

This book is dedicated to “learning and memory,” a concept at the heart of neuroscience. Learning is about acquiring knowledge and skills, forming memories, and how behavior changes based on past experiences. Learning is closely related to memory. Memory is about the recall and expression of what one has learned. This book presents contributions to learning and memory, ranging from molecular, cellular, anatomical, developmental, and systems to disease-oriented studies. As such, the book provides a gateway for newly interested investigators and serves as a resource for seasoned researchers of learning and memory. Targeted at students and researchers in biological, medical, and behavioral disciplines, this book offers an overview of the work that is being done in this field and highlights any gaps and areas that would benefit from further exploration. Individual chapters focus on research advances in different brain regions and experimental models. In addition, the book will contribute to the training of current and future neuroscientists.

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."

Combining a richly detailed account of scientists at work with a highly readable explanation of cutting-edge neuroscience, this book offers fascinating new insights on the cellular mechanisms of memory and learning.

‘Behavioral Neuroscience of Learning and Memory’ brings together the opinions and expertise of some of the world’s foremost neuroscientists in the field of learning and memory research. The volume provides a broad coverage of contemporary research and thinking in this field, focusing both on well established topics such as the medial temporal lobe memory system, as well as emerging areas of research such as the role of memory in decision making and the mechanisms of perceptual learning. Key intersecting themes include the molecular and cellular mechanisms of memory formation, the multiplicity of memory systems in the brain, and the way in which technological innovation is driving discovery. Unusually for a volume of this kind, this volume brings together research from both humans and animals—often relatively separate areas of discourse—to give a more comprehensive and integrated view of the field. The book will be of interest to both established researchers who wish to broaden their knowledge of topics outside of their specific areas of expertise, and for students who need a resource to help them make sense of the vast scientific literature on this subject.

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.

With real-world examples, fascinating applications, and clear explanations, this breakthrough text helps uninitiated students understand the basic ideas and human impact of groundbreaking learning and memory research. Its unique organization into three sections—Behavioral Processes, Brain Substrates, and Clinical Perspectives—allows students to make connections across chapters while giving instructors the flexibility to assign the material that matches the course. The new edition again offers the book’s signature inclusion of human and non-human studies and full-color design and images. You’ll find even more meaningful real-life examples; new coverage of learning and memory research and brain-imaging; an expanded discussion of the role of genetics in producing individual differences; new material on the role of sleep in memory, and more.

Learning and Memory presents a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of brain*b1behavior relations as they bear on learning and memory. The structure of memory is investigated from a diversity of approaches, including anatomical, pharmacological, electrophysiological and lesions, and through the use of different populations, such as invertebrate, vertebrate, and human. Features updated chapters, including a new chapter on human cognitive processes and amnesia Presents multiple views of memory Examines a diversity of levels of analysis, methods of approach, and theoretical perspectives

Of all the areas of biological science, there is, perhaps, none that has experienced in recent decades so great an increase in findings as neurobiology, the discipline that concerns memory in all of its myriad aspects. The notion of exploring memory, that capacity to store and recall individual experience, has received attention increasingly in our society. Of course, animals can exhibit astounding powers of memory, but memory is of paramount importance to human beings due to the significant role it plays in the transmission of our cultural traditions. It is tradition, after all, that ensures the passing on of qualities established by lineage, a continuous link from generation to generation, between past and present. And it is tradition that inspires bodies of thought (knowledge and customs, for example) to be handed down by a multiplicity of information bearing devices (i. e. , word, writing, picture, electronic data carriers). The objective of this book is to inform the reader in one clear volume of the groundwork which has been established in memory research from the diverse disciplines of neurobiology. It is intended, primarily, for students of medicine, zoology, biology, psychology and psychiatry, but will certainly prove to be a valuable resource to others with a healthy interest in the area.