Memories: Molecules and Circuits

Memory can be typically de?ned as the brain function enabling the encoding, storage and retrieval of sensory information. In operational terms, this de?nition implies that our central nervous system not only processes various sensory modalities, be they visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory or gustatory, but is also capable of forming, organizing and conserving memory traces for extended periods of time. At both psychological and physiological levels, there is now a consensus that memory must no longer be seen as a unitary phenomenon but rather as an ensemble of dynamic processes, each one being subserved by different brain regions organized into multiple memory systems that support different forms of memory and that constantly interact to ensure optimal performance during any given cognitive challenge. Despite remarkable progress achieved over the last 30 years in our understanding of the neural bases of cognitive processes and associated pathologies, the questions of how, where and when memory traces are formed in the brain remain central issues and continue to fuel much debate in the ?eld of cognitive neuroscience.

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Memories: Molecules and Circuits

The questions of how, where and when memory traces are formed in the brain remain central issues in Cognitive Neuroscience. How do neuronal systems encode, consolidate and retrieve memory? How are memories embedded into complex neuronal networks? How do molecular mechanisms modulate the neuronal plasticity and functioning of these networks during memory processing? What are the fundamental units of computation in the brain? Thanks to the development of novel approaches, including transgenic techniques, functional brain imaging, multiple cell recording, functional genomics and proteomics, the last decade has been witness to dramatic advances in the neurobiology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuropathology of learning and memory processes.

This volume surveys the recent advances and provides an integrative view of molecular, cellular, and systems level mechanisms underlying cognitive processes in both animals and humans. Current state of the art and future avenues are discussed by distinguished scientists who provide not only an overview of the underlying neurobiology of cognitive processes from a basic science standpoint, but who also focus on clinical and therapeutic aspects surrounding impairments associated with disorders that affect cognition.

Contenu
The Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychology of Declarative and Nondeclarative Memory.- Dynamics of Hippocampal-Cortical Interactions During Memory Consolidation: Insights from Functional Brain Imaging.- From Molecule to Memory System: Genetic Analyses in Drosophila.- Towards a Molecular and Cellular Understanding of Remote Memory.- Post-Activation State: A Critical Rite of Passage of Memories.- Reactivation-Dependent Amnesia: Disrupting Memory Reconsolidation as a Novel Approach for the Treatment of Maladaptive Memory Disorders.- The Organizing Principles of Real-Time Memory Encoding: Neural Clique Assemblies and Universal Neural Codes.- Making and Retaining New Memories: The Role of the Hippocampus in Associative Learning and Memory.- Entorhinal Grid Cells and the Representation of Space.- The Prefrontal Cortex: Categories, Concepts, and Cognitive Control.- Molecules that Disrupt Memory Circuits in Alzheimer's Disease: The Attack on Synapses by A? Oligomers (ADDLs).