The Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory An Introduction

by Eichenbaum, Howard

• ISBN13: 9780195141757
• ISBN10: 019514175X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-07
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This clear and accessible textbook introduces students to the brain's remarkable capacity for memory. It begins with a history of thinking and research on the biological bases of memory, highlighting discoveries about the brain made in a "Golden Era" of neuroscience around the turn of the20th century. This is followed by presentation of our current understanding of the neurobiology of memory, organized into sections corresponding to the book's four major themes. The first is Connection, and it considers how memory is based on alterations in the communication between nerve cells.Research on the physiology and biochemistry of neurons has revealed a cascade of molecular events and structural changes that enhance or weaken the connectivity of nerve cells in support of memory. The second theme is Cognition, which considers the psychological structure of memory. Early work onthis topic involved controversy over the basic cognitive processes that underlie memory, and modern research has shown that these characterizations reflect distinctions among qualitatively different forms of memory. The third theme is Compartmentalization, the notion that the different forms ofmemory are accomplished by distinct brain systems. Recent research has revealed parallel memory systems that separately mediate our ability for conscious recollection, our capacity to acquire skills and habits, and our acquisition of emotional attachments and aversions. The fourth theme isConsolidation, the process by which memories are transformed from a labile trace into a permanent store. Scientists have shown that there are two distinct stages in memory consolidation, one involving cellular mechanisms that underlie a fixation of changes in the neuronal connection strengths andthe other involving a reorganization and restruction of the circuits that store and retrieve memories. The book assumes little background knowledge from biology or psychology, and is intended as a text for use in undergraduate courses on memory and cognitive science, and for early graduate students in neuroscience, cognitive science, or biology. It encapsulates the major concepts in the field, andmakes this area of research accessible to students who pursue a variety of related disciplines.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Four Themes in Research on the Neurobiology of Memory	1	(26)
Part I Connection: The Cellular and Molecular Bases of Memory	27	(52)
Neurons and Simple Memory Circuits	29	(24)
Cellular Mechanisms of Memory: Complex Circuits	53	(26)
Part II Cognition: Is There a ``Cognitive'' Basis for Memory?	79	(92)
Amnesia---Learning about Memory from Memory Loss	85	(20)
Exploring Declarative Memory Using Animal Models	105	(34)
Windows into the Workings of Memory	139	(32)
Part III Compartmentalization: Cortical Modules and Multiple Memory Systems	171	(112)
The Cerebral Cortex and Memory	175	(20)
Multiple Memory Systems in the Brain	195	(18)
A Brain System for Declarative Memory	213	(24)
A Brain System for Procedural Memory	237	(24)
A Brain System for Emotional Memory	261	(22)
Part IV Consolidation: The Fixation and Reorganization of Memories	283	(56)
Two Distinct Stages of Memory Consolidation	285	(26)
Working with Memory	311	(28)
Final Thoughts	339	(2)
Glossary	341	(12)
References in Figure Captions	353	(4)
Index	357