Development and Plasticity of the Brain: An Introduction

By Raymond D. Lund

Book Overview

This book looks at the development and maintenance of organization in the nervous system of vertebrates, emphasizing the dynamic properties of nerve cells.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195023080
• ISBN13: 9780195023084
• Release Date: May 1978
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 370 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.9" x 6.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Development and Plasticity of the Brain

A comprehensive and critical review of the recent literature on development and plasticity of the nervous system, this book focuses on the mechanisms involved in developing and maintaining nerve cell connections in the brain of vertebrates, particularly mammals. Emphasis throughout the text is on the dynamic properties of nerve cells, their specificities of behavior, and the aberrations which result from lesions, genetic variation and enviromental factors. Some experiments undertaken on the peripheral nervous system are also described, as certain principles deriving from them often relate to central neural problems. Neuroscientists will appreciate the author's critical approach to experimental studies in which technical limitations are pointed out and interpretations are aften qualified or debated, and will be especially interested in his discussion of the latest work in many rapidly advancing areas such as enviromental influences on visual responsiveness. Students without much background in neurobiology will find the two introductory chapters, the three chapters on nerve cell biology and techniques used in the field, the part introductions, and the chapter summaries most useful in providing a foundation for understanding the experimental work.