Cortex: Statistics and Geometry of Neuronal Connectivity (2° Éd., 2nd ed. 1998)

By means of quantitative analysis of the tissue components in the cortex of the mouse, this book presents an overall picture of the cortical network which is then related to various theories on cortical function. Centering around the idea of a diffuse network in a fairly homogeneous population of excitatory neurons, that of the pyramidal cells, it shows that the whole organisation in the cortical skeleton of pryramidal cells corresponds well with the idea of an associative memory and with the theory of cell assemblies. Provides the reader with information on quantitative neuroanatomy and also on the methods used, in particular those that vary from the norm.

1 Introduction; 2 Where is the Cortex?; 3 Analysis of the Neuropil; 4 Density of Neurons; 5 Density of Synapses; 6 Comparison Between Synaptic and Neuronal Density; 7 Density of Axons; 8 Comparison Between the Densities of Neurons, Synapses and Axons; 9 Microscopic Evidence of the Spacing of Synapses on Axons; 10 Statistics of the Synapses Along the Axons; 11 Density of Dendrites; 12 Different Kinds of Synapses; 13 Interim Discussion; 14 Morphology of Neurons: Golgi Pictures; 15 Classification of Cortical Neurons; 16 Quantitative Aspects of the Three Types of Neurons. Methods; 17 Length of the Axonal Ramification of Individual Neurons; 18 Length of the Dendritic Trees; 19 Relative Density of Axons and Dendrites; 20 The Likelihood of a Synapse Between Two Pyramidal Cells; 21 Peters'Rule and Whites Exceptions; 22 Dendritic Spines; 23 Synapses on Spineless Dendrites; 24 In Search of Engrams; 25 Postnatal Changes, Possibly Due to Learning, in the Guinea Pig Cortex; 26 Cortico-Cortical Connections; 27 Cortical Architectonics; 28 Layers; 29 Cyto- and myeloarchitectonics: Two aspects of the same reality; 30 Special Areas; 31 Map of the Cortex; 32 How Cortex-Like Is the Hippocampus?; 33 Summary of Statistical Anatomy and Conclusions Thereof; 34 Comparative Aspects: Statistical Measures in Larger Brains; 35 Global Activity, Cell Assemblies and Synfire Chains; 36 Feature Detectors and Orientation Columns; 37 Human language: the ultimate challenge for a theory of the cortex. An Essay; References; Subject Index