Mechanisms of Memory, Third Edition is the only available comprehensive overview of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying higher-order learning and memory. Focusing on mechanisms relevant to hippocampus-dependent memory formation, the book progresses systematically from behavior to cellular physiology to the molecular and genetic levels. Moreover, it integrates modern discoveries concerning learning and memory disorders, from inherited disorders to aging disorders to psychiatric disorders. It emphasizes results from the cutting edge of contemporary methodologies, such as genetic engineering, molecular biology, complex behavioral characterization, cellular physiology, epigenetics, and molecular structure. The third edition has been expanded to include eight new chapters covering the role of the prefrontal cortex in short-term and working memory, recent discoveries regarding the CNS dopamine system and its implications for reward-based learning, glial cell function in memory formation, the role of altered protein synthesis in long-term memory formation, AMPA receptor trafficking and regulation, and the role of epigenetics in memory formation. A new chapter on the basics of statistical analysis in the design and interpretation of behavioral experiments is of critical importance for students and early career researchers embarking on their own research in this area, and a new chapter on memory dysfunction in psychiatric disorders highlights the clinical relevance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of memory. Mechanisms of Memory continues to be the standard work on all aspects of learning and memory, and is essential reading for students and researchers alike. Presents a unified view of memory mechanisms, from behavior to genes Discusses clinically relevant memory disorders in the context of modern molecular research Provides numerous practical examples on how to implement a research program in the learning and memory area Offers a balanced treatment of the strengths and weaknesses inherent in modern experimental design Emphasizes hippocampus-dependent memory formation while also drawing examples from many different brain regions, types of learning, and various animal model systems.
Mechanisms of Memory