New research findings about how nerve cells transmit signals are forcing researchers to overhaul their simplistic ideas about the nervous system. Topics highlighted include the multiple role of peptides in the nervous system, receptor molecules, and molecules that form ion channels within membranes. (Author/JN)

Discusses current research (including that involving amnesiacs and snails) into the nature of the memory process, differentiating between and providing examples of "fact" memory and "skill" memory. Suggests that three brain parts (thalamus, fornix, mammilary body) are involved in the memory process. (JN)

Analysis of the abnormalities present in autistic patients suggests that the manifestations of childhood autism correlate best with the manifestations of dysfunction in the frontal tier of the ring of phylogenetically older cortex and striatum. Emphasis is placed on disorders of motility, communication, and attention and perception. (Author)

In the article, contributions to the study of a link between autism and left hemisphere damage are systematically reviewed. A simple cause-and-effect model of abnormal cerebral asymmetry and autism is rejected in favor of a more integrative yet parsimonious model that specifically attempts to explain the language disorder common to autism.…

EEG was recorded in 18 subjects and a mixed factorial design used in the analysis of alpha and beta EEG. The highest levels of beta and lowest levels of alpha were associated with reading and TV, the two tasks which presented subjects with specific patterns of sensory stimulation. (Author/SJL)

Presented are the curricular guidelines for Neuroanatomy developed by the Section on Anatomical Sciences of the American Association of Dental Schools for use by individual educational institutions as curriculum development aids. Included are recommendations for primary educational goals, prerequisites, scope, content, behavioral objectives,…

Describes the subdivisions of the human peri-Sylvian language cortex which were determined by stimulation mapping during craniotomies of four adult patients. (SA)

Presents a crossword puzzle with 99 answers designed as a final exam in neurophysiology. Includes the puzzle, clues, and answers. (MA)

Interviews with parents of 30 school-age girls with fragile X syndrome (fraX) and 31 age- and IQ-matched controls concerning autistic behaviors found that girls with fraX had significantly more autistic behaviors than controls, but incidence of autistic behaviors was not correlated with IQ. Anxiety and posterior cerebellar area measures were also…

This paper describes the establishment and work of two brain and tissue banks, which collect brain and other tissues from newly deceased individuals with autism and make these tissues available to researchers. Issues in tissue collection are identified, including the importance of advance planning, religious concerns of families, and the need for…

In response to a previous paper (EC 212 858) regarding the neurodevelopmental evidence for the basis of dyslexia, this paper offers corroborating evidence of neurological difference in dyslexic persons and stresses the need for more research on brain mechanisms in disorders of reading. (DB)

The study examined effects of eight weeks of treatment with Vitamin B6-Magnesium on 11 autistic children sensitive to this treatment over a shorter term. The study found significant modifications in the electrophysiological, clinical, and biochemical data gathered before, during, and after treatment. (DB)

Debate over whether mental images are visual or spatial representations is seen as based on the false premise that they must be one or the other. Visual neurophysiological research and experiments with a brain-damaged patient (impaired visual representations) suggest that mental imagery has distinct visual and spatial representation components.…

Suggests that the findings in the study by Blass and Ciaramitaro reported in this monograph support the claim that two systems of infants' behavior state regulation accessible by oral stimulation are mediated by different neural pathways. Discusses the findings in light of the immediate aims of the study itself and for the broader context of…