The barrel cortex contains the somatosensory representation of the whiskers on the face of the rodent and forms an early stage of cortical processing for tactile information. It is an area of great importance for understanding how the cerebral cortex works because the cortical columns that form the basic building blocks of the cerebral cortex can be seen within the barrel cortex. In this advanced graduate and research level text, Kevin Fox explores three main aspects of the barrel cortex: development, sensory processing and plasticity. Initial chapters introduce the topic, describing those animals that have barrels, the functional anatomy of the system and the cellular and synaptic physiology of the cortical microcircuit. The book concludes with a chapter covering the numerous fields where the barrel cortex is used as a model system for solving problems in other areas of research, including stroke, angiogenesis and understanding active touch.

Volume 11 examines the many methodologies that researchers use to investigate the barrel cortex.

This solid introduction uses the principles of physics and the tools of mathematics to approach fundamental questions of neuroscience.

The barrel area is a unique specialization of the cerebral cortex, shared by many species of rodents and some marsupials, in which the somatotopic map of the body surface receives direct morphological expression. Here, the homogeneous sheet of layer IV granule cells seen in most mammals is fractured into large archipelagos, each representing one of the larger subdivisions of the contra lateral half-body. Within these larger domains are smaller aggregates of granule cells that contain the concentrated terminations of thalamocortical fibers bear ing messages emanating from constellations of receptors located in finer subdi visions of a body part. These smaller aggregates are particularly well-defined in the representation of the face, where they form a one-to-one representation of the sinus hairs or vibrissae and where they have been given the name barrels. The first inklings of the unique structure of the parietal cortex of rodents came in the study of Droogleever-Fortuyn (1914), who remarked on the pres ence in it of clouds of granule cells 0. 5-1 mm in diameter, which he thought were in some way associated with concentrations of nerve fibers. Little attention, however, was paid to his observations. Lorente de N 6 (1922) later observed dense focal concentrations of afferent fiber ramifications in Golgi preparations of the mouse cortex, calling them glomeruli, and these can now be seen as the structures that form the hearts of the barrels and around which the granule cells concentrate.

Handbook of in Vivo Neural Plasticity Techniques, Volume 28: A Systems Neuroscience Approach to the Neural Basis of Memory and Cognition gives a comprehensive overview of the current methods and approaches that are used to study neural plasticity from a systems neuroscience perspective. In addition, the book offers in-depth methodological advice that provides the necessary foundation for researchers establishing methods and students who need to understand the theoretical and methodological bases of these approaches. This is the ideal resource for anyone new to the study of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience who seeks an introduction to state-of-the-art techniques. Offers a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art approaches to studying neuroplasticity in vivo Combines discussions of theoretical underpinnings with the methodological and technical aspects necessary to guarantee success Arranged in a uniform format that clearly and concisely lays out descriptions, methods and the pitfalls of various techniques