Book excerpt: CELL TYPES IN THE THALAMUS AND CORTEX -- INTRINSIC MEMBRANE PROPERTIES -- SYNAPTIC PROPERTIES -- GLUTAMATERGIC DRIVERS AND MODULATORS -- FIRST AND HIGHER ORDER THALAMIC RELAYS -- THALAMIC CIRCUITRY -- BRIEF OVERVIEW OF CORTICAL ORGANIZATION -- CLASSIFICATION OF THALAMOCORTICAL AND CORTICOTHALAMIC MOTIFS -- SPIKE TIMING AND THALAMOCORTICAL INTERACTIONS -- PARALLEL PROCESSING OF SENSORY SIGNALS TO CORTEX -- THALAMOCORTICAL SUBSTRATES OF ATTENTION -- CORTICOTHALAMIC CIRCUITS LINKING SENSATION AND ACTION.