Information Processing and Storage in the Brain

Abstract

This chapter aims to illustrate the reception, encoding, and storage of information—including its modification through learning—in the brain of mammals, especially humans. The presentation of these processes begins on the level of a black-box analysis, that is, with a description of behavior, including patient studies that measure the capabilities and limitations of the entire system. The next level investigates the brain and its function based on the anatomy and histology especially of the human cortex revealing a functional specialization of cortex as already found by Brodmann (Vergleichende Lokalisationslehre der Grosshirnrinde. In ihren Priczipien dargestellt auf Grund des Zellenbaues. Barth, 1909). This functional specialization can also be seen in the various imaging studies based on the recording of the electric or magnetic brain activity or on changes in blood flow in the brain (functional magnetic resonance imaging). The third level is that of single cell recordings, mostly in animals, which shows the properties of single neurons and small neuronal assemblies. The last and most basic level considered is that of the biochemistry of information processing. On this level, description of the cellular mechanisms underlying information storage is most prominent. Modeling will help understand the experimental results on each of these levels.