Memory in the Cerebral Cortex: Approach to Neural Networks in the Human and Nonhuman Primate [Hardcover]

Joaquín M. Fuster (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0262061716 | ISBN-13: 978-0262061711 | Edition: 1

Neural memory remains largely a mystery despite all the attention it has received. Prompted by this observation, Joaquin M. Fuster presents the insights of more than three decades of empirical research on the neural processes by which memory is formed, stored and retrieved. This text focuses on the neocortex, where individual memory is deposited and represented, and offers a new taxonomy of memory that should accommodate the rapidly changing nature of the field and the various disciplines involved. Spanning the field from neuroanatomy to modelling, the volume brings together all that is presently known about the role of the cerebral cortex of the primate in memory with the intent of substantiating - or refuting - current theories and ideas of neural memory, including those proposed by the author himself. Up to now, empirical knowledge of neural memory has come chiefly from neuropsychology, the study of the effects of brain lesions on cognitive functions which, despite its value, yields a static picture of memory. This book brings that picture to life through methodologies that only recently have become available. For the neuroscientist, it offers a new view of neural memory and suggests new experiments to unravel it. For the cognitive psychologist, it provides a novel way of dealing with mnemonic function that makes neural sense, while pointing out the dangers of compartmentalizing cognitive functions. Here the computer modeller and the systems theorist should find hints and encouragement to search for the manner in which the brain really handles memory, and the neurologist and the psychiatrist should find ideas on what could have gone wrong with their patient who remembers something falsely or not at all.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fuster's Memory in the Cerebral Cortex is a brilliant exampleof an integrative, neural theory of memory by one of the pioneers ofmemory physiology. The thesis described in the book combines the powerof neuroscience tools with those from cognitive and computer scienceto grapple with this universally recognized puzzle of the mind andbrain. The book provides an excellent introduction to corticalfunction and memory research as well as an especially lucid review ofthe organizing principles of the connectivity, ontogeny, andhierarchical organization of the cerebral cortex.... This booksparkles with so many ideas, so much intelligence, such a wealth ofexcellent data, that I was sorry to reach the end. I recommend it mosthighly." Matthew L. Shapiro , Contemporary Psychology

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Joaquín M. Fuster M.D., is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and memberof the Brain Research Institute, at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is author of The Prefrontal Lobe.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 372 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1 edition (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262061716
• ISBN-13: 978-0262061711
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,790,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive & Direct Understanding of Memory Formation., June 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Memory in the Cerebral Cortex: Approach to Neural Networks in the Human and Nonhuman Primate (Hardcover)

Dr. Joaquin Fuster, in Memory in the Cerebral Cortex : An Empirical Approach to Neural Networks in the Human and Nonhuman Primate, has organized and integrated a wealth of neurobiological and neuropsychological information concerning cortical memory processing and formation. He provides the reader with a clear and succinct understanding of how the cerebral cortex processes information for ultimate storage into memory. The book starts with an overview of cortical specialization of function and then examines developmental issues and memory formation, different models for understanding memory networks, provides a detailed, but concise, description of perceptual and motor memory organization, examines the dynamics of cortical memory retrieval and attention, as well as the phenomenology of memory. In response to this book's thorough and concise presentation, I highly recommend its review by the many professionals who study and work with cortical memory.