Memory and Brain

Written by a leading neuropsychologist, this book brings together the widely scattered psychological and neurobiological work on memory to create a definitive overview of current knowledge. Reflecting the many levels of analysis at which this work is taking place, the book proceeds from the synapse to a review of the function and structure of neural systems and the organization of cognition. Throughout, the author places current research in historical perspective, and identifies major ideas and themes that have emerged in recent years in order to provide a solid foundation for future investigations. The book is amply illustrated and contains a useful glossary. It will be of use in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on memory, and to psychologists and neuroscientists desiring an account of memory that is informed equally by cognitive and neurobiological insights.

Table of Contents:
1: Definitions: From Synapses to Behavior 2: Memory as Synaptic Change 3: Memory and the Developing Nervous System 4: Modulation of Memory 5: Localized and Distributed Memory Storage 6: The Penfield Studies 7: Searching for Engrams: Simple Learning 8: Searching for Engrams: Complex Learning 9: Memory is Determined by Information Processing 10: Short-Term and Long-Term Processes 11: Divisions of Long-Term Memory 12: A Neural System with Memory Functions 13: Amnesia and the Functional Organization of Memory 14: Prefrontal Cortex 15: Memory and Brain: A Beginning

Review :
"The last twenty years have seen very substantial advances in the investigation of how memory is represented in the brain.... Squire's account of this work is up-to-date, lucid and comprehensive, with fine sections on the modulation of memory by hormones and neurotransmitter substances, and on the identification of brain structures crucial to... learning and long-term memory in the midline diencephalon and medial temporal region." --Nature "This is an important book...It introduces the novice to the literature on memory mechanisms as understood by scientists of the brain, from the synapse to amnesia. It describes each issue along the way from a historical perspective... This book is a painless way to learn about one of the most fascinating problems in neurobiology: how the brain encodes and retrieves memories." --The New England Journal of Medicine "A timely and readable account of the current status of memory research.... This book will have considerable value for psychologists and neuroscientists involved in the study of memory." --Science Books & Films "Provides not only an up-to-date account of the subject but also some edifying discussions of earlier research.... Squire points to an increasing interaction between psychology and neurobiology, to the mutual benefit of these disciplines. His book is clearly designed to be accessible to all parties interested in this exchange." --Science "Timely, well written, and one of a kind... combining findings from neurobiology, clinical and experimental neuropsychology, and cognitive psychology into a comprehensive account of what we now know (and do not know) about the biological bases of memory in humans and animals.... Chapters are extremely well organized with helpful illustrations...Will be a landmark in the field for years to come and is thus essential for holdings in psychology, biology, and physiology." --Choice "The strong feature of this book is undoubtedly the carefully detailed account of the neurobiological mechanisms responsible for the fundamental process of learning . . . A valuable resource for teachers, students and researchers in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience." --Times Higher Education Supplement "Squire has written an excellent introduction to memory neuropsychology because the text is not only lucid, but makes no assumptions that should not be readily apparent to someone with a basic grounding in biology and psychology." --Trends in Neurosciences "There is a wealth of material in this book. In addition to work on amnesia, Squire also examines what is known about the neuroscience of simple learning, such as habituation; explores in more detail the nature of anterograde amnesia; and investigates patients with frontal lobe damage. The prose is clear and the graphics helpful. . . . There is no excuse for any student of memory not to buy this exciting and informative book." --Contemporary Psychology