The Thalamus

Author: Michael M. Halassa

Hardcover

A broad survey of current scientific knowledge of the thalamus encompassing anatomy, physiology, computational mechanisms and cognition.

The thalamus is a central structure in the mammalian brain, providing a hub for communication within and across distributed forebrain networks. Research in this area has experienced a revolution in the last decade. This ambitious reference work takes a broad approach, encompassing anatomy, physiology, computational mechanisms and cognition.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

A broad survey of current scientific knowledge of the thalamus encompassing anatomy, physiology, computational mechanisms and cognition.

Description

The thalamus is a key structure in the mammalian brain, providing a hub for communication within and across distributed forebrain networks. Research in this area has undergone a revolution in the last decade, with findings that suggest an expanded role for the thalamus in sensory processing, motor control, arousal regulation, and cognition. Moving beyond previous studies of anatomy and cell neurochemistry, scientists have expanded into investigations of cognitive function, and harness new methods and theories of neural computation. This book provides a survey of topics at the cutting edge of this field, covering basic anatomy, evolution, development, physiology and computation. It is also the first book to combine these disciplines in one place, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of thalamus research, and will be an essential resource for students and experts in biology, medicine and computer science.

Critic Reviews

“'The thalamus is one of the most remarkable structures in the brain, central for such fundamental functions as relaying of sensations, sleep, attention, cognitive flexibility, and consciousness. What is the thalamus and what does it do? By comprehensively assembling insights of experts at the frontier of thalamic research, this volume brings new light to the brain's inner room.' Doris Tsao, University of California at Berkeley, USA”

'Michael Halassa has done a superb job selecting the contributors for the chapters of The Thalamus, who range from the long-standing authorities in the field to some new and fresh voices. It will be of real value to neuroscience students and researchers in the field.' Robert Desimone, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
'The thalamus is one of the most remarkable structures in the brain, central for such fundamental functions as relaying of sensations, sleep, attention, cognitive flexibility, and consciousness. What is the thalamus and what does it do? By comprehensively assembling insights of experts at the frontier of thalamic research, this volume brings new light to the brain's inner room.' Doris Tsao, University of California at Berkeley, USA

About the Author

Michael M. Halassa is an Associate Professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in the Biomedical Sciences, an award given to immigrants who have made 'lasting contributions to American society through their extraordinary achievements in biomedical research.'