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PMID: 10670023 Published · ppublish English Historical Article Journal Article Portrait Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Review

The past, the future and the biology of memory storage.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences ·Vol. 354 ·No. 1392 ·1999-12-29 ·Pages 2027-52

Kandel ER, Pittenger C

Abstract

We here briefly review a century of accomplishments in studying memory storage and delineate the two major questions that have dominated thinking in this area: the systems question of memory, which concerns where in the brain storage occurs; and the molecular question of memory, which concerns the mechanisms whereby memories are stored and maintained. We go on to consider the themes that memory research may be able to address in the 21st century. Finally, we reflect on the clinical and societal import of our increasing understanding of the mechanisms of memory, discussing possible therapeutic approaches to diseases that manifest with disruptions of learning and possible ethical implication of the ability, which is on the horizon, to ameliorate or even enhance human memory.

MeSH Terms
Animals Biology/history,trends History, 19th Century History, 20th Century Humans Memory/physiology
Authors & Affiliations
2 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Kandel E R
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. [email protected]
Pittenger C
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Article Info
Journal
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Abbr.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci
ISSN
0962-8436
DOI
10.1098/rstb.1999.0542
Email
[email protected]
Published
1999-12-29
Pages
2027-52
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
7503623
PMCID
PMC1692699
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1098/rstb.1999.0542 PMC Full Text View journal details
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