The Synaptic Organization of the Brain

Abstract Synapses are the contact sites that enable neurons to form connections between each other in order to transmit and process neural information. Synaptic organization is concerned with the principles by which neurons form circuits that mediate the specific functional operations of different brain regions. One of the aims of this book is to show that the study of synaptic organization—in its full multidisciplinary, multilevel, and theoretical dimension—is a powerful means of integrating brain information to give clear insights into the neural basis of behavior. This book, which has been revised in this the fifth edition, details local circuits in the different regions of the brain. The results of the mouse and human genome projects are incorporated. Also the book contains support from neuroscience databases. Among the new advances covered are 2-photon confocal laser microscopy of dendrites and dendritic spines, biochemical analyses, and dual patch and multielectrode recordings, applied together with an increasing range of behavioral and gene-targeting methods.