Exploring the Thalamus

Practically all information reaching the cerebral cortex, and thus all of the messages that reach consciousness, pass through the thalamus, a centrally placed part of the brain that, in humans, is roughly the size of a walnut. Despite the obvious importance of the thalamus as a relay, its role in controlling the flow of information to the cortex has only recently begun to be understood. In Exploring the Thalamus, two senior neuroscientists whose research careers have focused heavily on the thalamus, have joined forces to provide a view of its role in the dynamic control of information to the cerebral cortex. They provide an innovative and unified account of its functional organization and introduce the novel suggestion that the thalamus serves a critical role in controlling not only how messages pass to the cortex from other parts of the brain, but also how messages pass from one part of the cerebral cortex to another. 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 researchSherman, S. Murray is the author of 'Exploring the Thalamus' with ISBN 9780123054609 and ISBN 0123054605.