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Presenting the work of researchers who are at the forefront of the study of memory mechanisms, this volume addresses a wide range of topics including: physiological and biophysical studies of synaptic plasticity, neural models of information storage and recall, functional and structural considerations of amnesia in brain-damaged patients, and behavioral studies of animal cognition and memory. The book's coverage of diverse approaches to memory mechanisms is intended to help dissolve the borders between behavioral psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, and neurophysiology.
Gene therapy is at the forefront of current techniques that aim to re-establish functional connectivity, after an insult to the brain, spinal cord or peripheral nerves. Gene therapy makes the most of the existing cellular machinery and anatomical networks to facilitate molecular changes in DNA, RNA and proteins aiming to repair these disrupted connections. For instance, gene therapy is currently being used to target genes in conditions including spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, stroke and multiple sclerosis, amongst others. The various delivery routes include viral-vectors, genetically modified cellular implants, naked DNA/RNA, liposomes, Cre-Lox re...
The neuroscience of why bad habits are so hard to break—and how evidence-based strategies can help us change our behavior more effectively We all have habits we’d like to break, but for many of us it can be nearly impossible to do so. There is a good reason for this: the brain is a habit-building machine. In Hard to Break, leading neuroscientist Russell Poldrack provides an engaging and authoritative account of the science of how habits are built in the brain, why they are so hard to break, and how evidence-based strategies may help us change unwanted behaviors. Hard to Break offers a clear-eyed tour of what neuroscience tells us about habit change and debunks “easy fixes” that aren...
Lifelong Machine Learning, Second Edition is an introduction to an advanced machine learning paradigm that continuously learns by accumulating past knowledge that it then uses in future learning and problem solving. In contrast, the current dominant machine learning paradigm learns in isolation: given a training dataset, it runs a machine learning algorithm on the dataset to produce a model that is then used in its intended application. It makes no attempt to retain the learned knowledge and use it in subsequent learning. Unlike this isolated system, humans learn effectively with only a few examples precisely because our learning is very knowledge-driven: the knowledge learned in the past he...
This volume brings together authors working on a wide range of topics to provide an up to date account of the underlying mechanisms and functions of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in the adult brain. With an increasing understanding of the role of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis it is possible to envisage improvements or novel treatments for a number of diseases and the possibility of harnessing these phenomena to reduce the impact of ageing and to provide mechanisms to repair the brain.
Recently, several pioneering discoveries have identified new roles of stress and steroid hormones in modulating CNS functions. Specifically, glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, sex hormones and neurosteroids have been shown to affect synaptic receptors and ion channels and therefore regulate in a complex manner physiological processes ranging from homeostatic to cognitive functions. Likewise, in some disorders of the nervous system, steroid hormones have been shown to play different roles: either favoring or combating the disease process. In this Frontier Research Topic, we have put together leaders in the field to provide novel opinions on the effects of steroid hormones on synaptic transmission and plasticity from ion channels to pathophysiological processes. We expect critical reviews of the work that has been conducted recently in this area and enrich these discussions with the novel, exciting new findings.
Hebb's postulate provided a crucial framework to understand synaptic alterations underlying learning and memory. Hebb's theory proposed that neurons that fire together, also wire together, which provided the logical framework for the strengthening of synapses. Weakening of synapses was however addressed by "not being strengthened", and it was only later that the active decrease of synaptic strength was introduced through the discovery of long-term depression caused by low frequency stimulation of the presynaptic neuron. In 1994, it was found that the precise relative timing of pre and postynaptic spikes determined not only the magnitude, but also the direction of synaptic alterations when tw...