Cortex: Statistics and Geometry of Neuronal Connectivity

Front Matter....Pages I-XIII
Introduction....Pages 1-5
Where is the Cortex?....Pages 7-13
Analysis of the Neuropil: Preliminary Remarks....Pages 15-21
Density of Neurons....Pages 23-27
Density of Synapses....Pages 29-35
Comparison Between Synaptic and Neuronal Density....Pages 37-38
Density of Axons....Pages 39-42
Comparison Between the Densities of Neurons, Synapses and Axons....Pages 43-44
Microscopic Evidence of the Spacing of Synapses on Axons....Pages 45-49
Statistics of the Synapses Along the Axons....Pages 51-55
Density of Dendrites....Pages 57-57
Different Kinds of Synapses....Pages 59-62
Interim Discussion....Pages 63-64
Morphology of Neurons: Golgi Pictures....Pages 65-66
Classification of Cortical Neurons....Pages 67-77
Quantitative Aspects of the Three Types of Neurons. Methods....Pages 79-82
Length of the Axonal Ramification of Individual Neurons....Pages 83-87
Length of the Dendritic Trees....Pages 89-90
Relative Density of Axons and Dendrites....Pages 91-92
The Likelihood of a Synapse Between Two Pyramidal Cells....Pages 93-98
Peters’ Rule and White’s Exceptions....Pages 99-101
Dendritic Spines....Pages 103-107
Synapses on Spineless Dendrites....Pages 109-113
In Search of Engrams....Pages 115-119
Postnatal Changes, Possibly Due to Learning, in the Guinea Pig Cortex....Pages 121-128
Cortico-Cortical Connections....Pages 129-134
Cortical Architectonics....Pages 135-137
Layers....Pages 139-150
Cyto- and Myeloarchitectonics: Two Aspects of the same Reality....Pages 151-158
Special Areas....Pages 159-164
Map of the Cortex....Pages 165-170
How Cortex-Like Is the Hippocampus?....Pages 171-177
Summary of Statistical Anatomy and Conclusions Thereof....Pages 179-188
Comparative Aspects: Statistical Measures in Larger Brains....Pages 189-192
Global Activity, Cell Assemblies and Synfire Chains....Pages 193-204
Feature Detectors and Orientation Columns....Pages 205-217
Human Language: The Ultimate Challenge for a Theory of the Cortex. An Essay....Pages 219-226
Back Matter....Pages 227-249