Table of Contents

Abbreviations Used.
Introduction.
The Nerve Cells of the Thalamus.
The Afferent Axons to the Thalamus.
Intrinsic Cell Properties.
Synaptic Properties.
Function of Burst and Tonic Response Modes in the Thalamocortical Relay.
Maps in the Brain.
Two Types of Thalamic Relay.
Drivers and Modulators.
Overview.

Promotional Information

Key Features:
* Focuses on thalamocortical interrelationships
* Discusses important problems concerning the function and structure of the thalamus
* Concludes each chapter with thought-provoking questions requiring future research

Reviews

"[The book] is not a textbook but a report from the trenches, a down-and-dirty look at the brain as it appears to two observers who have seen it from close at hand. It deserves to be read a few pages at a time, with thoughtful breaks..." --Richard Masland, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston in TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES (2001) "While their [Sherman and Guillery] conclusions are based on a broad synthesis of established findings, much of what they have to say is new and exploratory. The book is not intended to be a definitive thesis on the thalamus, but an offering to consider with them the functional applications of what is known about circuit structure and physiology in the thalamus. Thus, we are invited to join Sherman and Guillery in "Exploring the Thalamus." As our guides and instructors in this adventure, they present and interpret an impressive amount of information." -Jon H. Kass, Vanderbuilt University, in the JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE (2001)