Introduction and Overview

Abstract The Cerebral Cortex and Thalamus is guided by two central and related tenets: the thalamus plays an ongoing and essential role in cortical functioning, and the cortex is essential for thalamic functioning. Accordingly, neither the cortex nor the thalamus can be understood in any meaningful way in the absence of the other. With chapters written by more than 100 leading experts in the field, The Cerebral Cortex and Thalamus provides a comprehensive account of the structure, function, development, and evolution of the circuitry interconnecting the thalamus and cortex and the consequences of pathology on these circuits. The introductory chapter provides important background information for the chapters that follow, as well as a discussion on some of the challenges facing progress in the understanding of the relationship between thalamus and cortex.