Joseph E. Steinmetz - Böcker

This volume contains a collection of papers written by former students, postdoctoral fellows, and colleagues of Richard Thompson and represent written versions of papers presented at the Festschrift symposium. The Festschrift provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to recount their memories and experiences of working with one of the leading figures in behavioral neuroscience, and to place their current research in the context of earlier research conducted in the Thompson laboratory.As a Festschrift volume, the various chapters contain numerous and sometimes very personal references to Richard Thompson's influence on the careers of the authors, as well as summaries of past and present work being conducted in the authors' laboratories. Part I includes studies of spinal cord plasticity and the involvement of the hippocampus and related structure in classical eyeblink conditioning. Part II explores the critical role of the cerebellum and associated areas in classical eyeblink conditioning. Part III focuses on a continued exploration of the involvement of the cerebellum in classical eyeblink conditioning using standard procedures as well as innovative molecular biology and genetic techniques. It also includes studies aimed at delineating modulatory influences on learning such as stress and hormonal factors. The incredible influence that Richard Thompson has had on the fields of experimental psychology and neuroscience should be evident on reading the contributions made by the various authors to this volume. The research conducted in Thompson's laboratory over the years has been cutting-edge, comprehensive, and influential. Therefore, this volume is dedicated to Richard F. Thompson a productive, innovative scientist and outstanding mentor.

The model system of eyeblink classical conditioning in humans has enormous potential for the understanding and application of fundamental principles of learning. This collection makes classical conditioning accessible to teachers and researchers in a number of ways. The first aim is to present the latest developments in theory building. Second, as background for directions in 2000, the text presents an overview of a large body of previously published research on eyeblink classical conditioning. Last, the authors describe eyeblink classical conditioning techniques. Each chapter includes a highlighted methods section so that interested readers can replicate techniques for teaching and research.

Classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane (NM) eyeblink response in rabbits is a useful model system for the study of the neurobiology of learning and memory. This paradigm that is so well described on a biological level has also been applied to studies of normal development over the life span and to instances of abnormal developmental phenomena. Eyeblink conditioning has been studied from molecular and neural network perspectives, and the paradigm is of demonstrated utility in elucidating mechanisms in physiology and pharmacology. This model system provides a behavioral paradigm in animals that has a close analog in human behavior. Note: perspectives of recent developments in human eyeblink classical conditioning research are presented in the companion volume to this book, Eyeblink Classical Conditioning: Human.

This volume contains a collection of papers written by former students, postdoctoral fellows, and colleagues of Richard Thompson and represent written versions of papers presented at the Festschrift symposium. The Festschrift provided an excellent opportunity for the participants to recount their memories and experiences of working with one of the leading figures in behavioral neuroscience, and to place their current research in the context of earlier research conducted in the Thompson laboratory.As a Festschrift volume, the various chapters contain numerous and sometimes very personal references to Richard Thompson's influence on the careers of the authors, as well as summaries of past and present work being conducted in the authors' laboratories. Part I includes studies of spinal cord plasticity and the involvement of the hippocampus and related structure in classical eyeblink conditioning. Part II explores the critical role of the cerebellum and associated areas in classical eyeblink conditioning. Part III focuses on a continued exploration of the involvement of the cerebellum in classical eyeblink conditioning using standard procedures as well as innovative molecular biology and genetic techniques. It also includes studies aimed at delineating modulatory influences on learning such as stress and hormonal factors. The incredible influence that Richard Thompson has had on the fields of experimental psychology and neuroscience should be evident on reading the contributions made by the various authors to this volume. The research conducted in Thompson's laboratory over the years has been cutting-edge, comprehensive, and influential. Therefore, this volume is dedicated to Richard F. Thompson a productive, innovative scientist and outstanding mentor.

In this volume, the authors share their combined 40 years of experience in conducting classical conditioning experiments. Unlike many books on classical conditioning, this book explores hands-on issues of how to implement classical conditioning experiments, describing many of the techniques and equipment used to discover the locus for a simple memory in the brain. Circuit diagrams for instrumentation and software for control and analysis are detailed, and many of these apply to other behavioral paradigms. Included in the CD are source codes in Forth and C++ implementations for classical conditioning, drawings and images of a simple rabbit brain atlas emphasizing the cerebellum and brainstem, and the original figures used in the text.

The model system of eyeblink classical conditioning in humans has enormous potential for the understanding and application of fundamental principles of learning.

When conducting scientific research in any field, it is not sufficient to simply design thoughtful and informative experiments to explore ideas and hypotheses.