Brain network function and dysfunction is the dominant model for understanding how the brain gives rise to normal and abnormal behavior. Moreover, neuropsychiatric illnesses continue to resist attempts to reveal an understanding of their bases. Thus, this timely volume provides a synthesis of the uses of multiple analytic methods as they are applied to neuroimaging data, to seek understanding of the neurobiological bases of psychiatric illnesses, understanding that can subsequently aid in their management and treatment. A principle focus is on the analyses and application of methods to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. fMRI remains the most widely used neuroimaging technique for estimating brain network function, and several of the methods covered can estimate brain network dysfunction in resting and task-active states. Additional chapters provide details on how these methods are (and can be) applied in the understanding of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, autism, borderline personality disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A final complement of chapters provides a collective overview of how this framework continues to provoke theoretical advances in our conception of the brain in psychiatry. This unique volume is designed to be a comprehensive resource for imaging researchers interested in psychiatry, and for psychiatrists interested in advanced imaging applications.

The field of Binaural Hearing involves studies of auditory perception, physiology, and modeling, including normal and abnormal aspects of the system. Binaural processes involved in both sound localization and speech unmasking have gained a broader interest and have received growing attention in the published literature. The field has undergone some significant changes. There is now a much richer understanding of the many aspects that comprising binaural processing, its role in development, and in success and limitations of hearing-aid and cochlear-implant users. The goal of this volume is to provide an up-to-date reference on the developments and novel ideas in the field of binaural hearing. The primary readership for the volume is expected to be academic specialists in the diverse fields that connect with psychoacoustics, neuroscience, engineering, psychology, audiology, and cochlear implants. This volume will serve as an important resource by way of introduction to the field, in particular for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, the faculty who train them and clinicians.

In Measuring the Immeasurable Mind: Where Contemporary Neuroscience Meets the Aristotelian Tradition, Matthew Owen argues that despite its nonphysical character, it is possible to empirically detect and measure consciousness. Toward the end of the previous century, the neuroscience of consciousness set its roots and sprouted within a materialist milieu that reduced the mind to matter. Several decades later, dualism is being dusted off and reconsidered. Although some may see this revival as a threat to consciousness science aimed at measuring the conscious mind, Owen argues that measuring consciousness, along with the medical benefits of such measurements, is not ruled out by consciousness being nonphysical. Owen proposes the Mind-Body Powers model of neural correlates of consciousness, which is informed by Aristotelian causation and a substance dualist view of human nature inspired by Thomas Aquinas, who often followed Aristotle. In addition to explaining why there are neural correlates of consciousness, the model provides a philosophical foundation for empirically discerning and quantifying consciousness. En route to presenting and applying the Mind-Body Powers model to neurobiology, Owen rebuts longstanding objections to dualism related to the mind-body problem. With scholarly precision and readable clarity, Owen applies an oft forgotten yet richly developed historical vantage point to contemporary cognitive neuroscience.

Written for all therapists who want to understand this groundbreaking theory as it might actually show up in their day-to-day practice, this book offers a comprehensive approach to polyvagal-informed intervention. Worksheets and experiential exercises designed to map and shape autonomic response provide therapists with a road map for bringing polyvagal theory into their clinical practice.

This book aims at providing insights into the collagen superfamily and the remarkable diversity of collagen function within the extracellular matrix. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying collagen-related diseases such as dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, osteogenesis imperfecta, as well as collagen-related myopathies and neurological disorders are discussed. Collagens are the most abundant extracellular matrix proteins in organisms. Their primary function is to provide structural support and strength to cells and to maintain biomechanical integrity of tissues. However, collagens can no longer be considered just as structural proteins. They can act as extracellular modulators of signaling events and serve critical regulatory roles in various cell functions during embryonic development and adult homeostasis. Furthermore, collagens are associated with a broad spectrum of heritability-related diseases known as "collagenopathies" that affect a multitude of organs and tissues including sensorial organs. The book is a useful introduction to the field for junior scientists, interested in extracellular matrix research. It is also an interesting read for advanced scientists and clinicians working on collagens and collagenopathies, giving them a broader view of the field beyond their area of specialization.

This book focuses on the role of the endocannabinoid system in local and systemic inflammation, with individual chapters written by experts in the field of cannabinoid research and medicine. The topics explore the actions of the endocannabinoid system on the immune system, including neuroinflammation in autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and in neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's, as well as local and systemic inflammatory conditions affecting organs including the eye (uveitis and corneal inflammation), the bladder (interstitial cystitis), pancreas (diabetes), cardiovascular system (stroke), joints (arthritis), and sepsis. The objective of this book is to provide knowledge transfer on the use of cannabinoids in inflammatory disease by critically examining preclinical and clinical research on the immunomodulatory actions of the endocannabinoid system, with specific emphasis on the actions of cannabinoids in diseases where inflammation is a prominent component. By drawing these results together, we seek to provide further understanding of the complexities of endocannabinoid system modulation of immune function and identify potential uses and limitations for cannabinoid-based therapeutics.

The brains of males and females, men and women, are different, that is a fact. What is debated is how different and how important are those differences. Sex differences in the brain are determined by genetics, hormones, and experience, which in humans includes culture, society, and parental and peer expectations. The importance of nonbiological variables to sex differences in humans is paramount, making it difficult if not impossible to parse out those contributions that are truly biological. The study of animals provides us the opportunity to understand the magnitude and scope of biologically based sex differences in the brain, and understanding the cellular mechanisms provides us insight into novel sources of brain plasticity. Many sex differences are established during a developmental sensitive window by differences in the hormonal milieu of males versus females. The neonatal testis produces large amounts of testosterone which gains access to the brain and is further metabolized into active androgens and estrogens which modify brain development. Major parameters that are influenced by hormones include neurogenesis, cell death, neurochemical phenotype, axonal and dendritic growth, and synaptogenesis. Variance in these parameters results in sex differences in the size of particular brain regions, the projections between brain regions, and the number and type of synapses within particular brain regions. The cellular mechanisms are both region and endpoint specific and invoke many surprising systems such as prostaglandins, endocannabinoids, and cell death proteins. Epigenetic modifications to the genome both establish and maintain sex differences in the brain and behavior. By understanding when, why, and how sex differences in the brain are established, we may also learn the source of strong gender biases in the relative risk and severity of numerous neurological diseases and disorders of mental health. Boys are much more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum or attention and hyperactivity disorders, as well as speech and language deficits, compared to girls. By contrast, women are more likely to suffer from affective disorders, such as depression, anxiety, compulsion, and eating disorders and more likely to experience autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. Schizophrenia with an early onset is more common in males but a late-onset version is markedly more frequent in females. Male biased disorders have origins in development while female biased disorders are almost exclusively post-puberty. This remarkable shift in disease risk demands our attention. Novel insights into the biological origins of disease are also gained by comparing and contrasting the same processes in different sexes.

This is the first volume to provide a detailed introduction to some of the main areas of research and practice in the interdisciplinary field of art and neuroscience. With contributions from neuroscientists, theatre scholars and artists from seven countries, it offers a rich and rigorous array of perspectives as a springboard to further exploration. Divided into four parts, each prefaced by an expert editorial introduction, it examines: * Theatre as a space of relationships: a neurocognitive perspective * The spectator's performative experience and 'embodied theatrology' * The complexity of theatre and human cognition * Interdisciplinary perspectives on applied performance Each part includes contributions from international pioneers of interdisciplinarity in theatre scholarship, and from neuroscientists of world-renown researching the physiology of action, the mirror neuron mechanism, action perception, space perception, empathy and intersubjectivity. While illustrating the remarkable growth of interest in the performing arts for cognitive neuroscience, this volume also reveals the extraordinary richness of exchange and debate born out of different approaches to the topics.

Why a text on neuroscience and Christian formation? Simply put, we need one that represents the range of possible intersections for today and into the future. In recent years, neuroscience's various fields of study have influenced our understanding of theperson, memory, learning, development, communal interaction, and the practice of education. The book serves as an introductory textbook for Christian education/formation professors to use in Christian education or Christian formation courses at the College or Seminary level. The book is designed to provide an overview of how current research in neuroscience is impacting how we view Christian education and formation with particular attention given to faith formation, teaching, development, and worship The first four chapters discuss how neuroscience broadly influences Christian education and formation. Chapters five through eight explore how neuroscience informs specific formational practices, from personal meditation, to intercultural encounter, to congregational formation and worship. The last four chapters explore various aspects of neuroscience along developmental lines, The book also moves from conceptual overviews to more empirical studies late in the text. Each chapter of this book canalso be read and discussed individually. Each author has provided both discussion topics, suggestions for future reading within neuroscience, and discussion questions at the end of the chapter.

Humans have a unique ability to understand the beliefs, emotions, and intentions of others-a capacity often referred to as mentalizing. Much research in psychology and neuroscience has focused on delineating the mechanisms of mentalizing, and examining the role of mentalizing processes in other domains of cognitive and affective functioning. The purpose of the book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research on the mechanisms of mentalizing at the neural, algorithmic, and computational levels of analysis. The book includes contributions from prominent researchers in the field of social-cognitive and affective neuroscience, as well as from related disciplines (e.g., cognitive, social, developmental and clinical psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, primatology). The contributors review their latest research in order to compile an authoritative source of knowledge on the psychological and brain bases of the unique human capacity to think about the mental states of others. The intended audience is researchers and students in the fields of social-cognitive and affective neuroscience and related disciplines such as neuroeconomics, cognitive neuroscience, developmental neuroscience, social cognition, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and affective science. Secondary audiences include researchers in decision science (economics, judgment and decision-making), philosophy of mind, and psychiatry.

This book provides an introduction to nineteen popular multiple intelligences. Part One discusses general intelligence, psychological testing, naturalistic intelligence, social intelligence, emotional intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, and cultural intelligence. Part Two tackles machine intelligence, the development of artificial intelligence, computational intelligence, and digital intelligence, or the ability for humans to adapt to a digital environment. Finally, Part Three discusses the role of intelligence in business development, using technology to augment intelligence, abstract thinking, swarm and animal intelligence, military intelligence, and musical intelligence. A Primer on Multiple Intelligences is a must-read for graduate students or scholars considering researching cognition, perception, motivation, and artificial intelligence. It will also be of use to those in social psychology, computer science, and pedagogy. It is as a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about the multifaceted study of intelligence.

This contributed volume discusses the multiple roles of astrocytes, which determine the progression and outcome of neuropsychiatric diseases. This emerging area of study examines the ways in which astrocytes are involved in various aspects of disease initiation, progression and resolution. This monograph aims to integrate the body of information that has accumulated in recent years revealing the active role of astrocytes in neuropsychiatric pathology and in psychiatric disorders. Understanding roles of astrocytes in pathology will provide new targets for medical intervention and aid the development of much needed therapeutics. This book will be valuable for researchers and workers in the fields of neurobiology, neurology, and psychiatry, as well as fill the need for a textbook used in advanced courses/graduate seminars in glial pathophysiology.

Food and water are necessary for survival, but can only be obtained via ingestive behavior (feeding, drinking, and moving). Survival thus depends on the ability of the brain to coordinate the need for water and energy with appropriate behaviors to modify their intake as necessary for homeostasis. However, the balance of these behaviors also inherently determines body weight, and imbalances contribute to the development of weight disorders, such as obesity and anorexia nervosa. The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) of the brain is anatomically positioned to coordinate the sensation of osmotic and energy status with goal-directed ingestive behaviors necessary to maintain homeostasis and body weight, and, hence, may hold insight into the potential treatment for energy balance disorders. This volume reviews the essential role of the LHA for the control of body weight, from its historical description as a ""feeding center"" to the current view of this LHA as a cellularly heterogeneous hub that regulates multiple aspects of physiology to influence body weight. Furthermore, we evaluate how specific LHA populations coordinate certain metabolic cues and behaviors, which may guide the development of pathway-specific interventions to improve the treatment of energy balance disorders.

This book offers a series of perspectives on the therapeutic potential of the ritual and clinical use of the Amazonian hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca in the treatment and management of various disorders. This book presents biomedical and anthropological data on the use of ayahuasca and provides critiques on how it is used for treating depression, PTSD, anxiety, substance dependence, and eating disorders. The volume also explores ayahuasca's role in the psychological well-being and quality of life of humans, and discusses possibilities of it enhancing cognition and coping with grief. The book examines ayahuasca's association with psychotherapy and also highlights the challenges of integrating plant medicines into psychiatry. Further, the book expands on some preliminary research with animals, suggesting that ayahuasca acts at multiple levels of neural complexity. The study on the neurogenic effects of ayahuasca alkaloids opens a new avenue of research with potential applications ranging from psychiatric disorders to brain damage and dementia. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals will find this book relevant to their work regarding substance abuse and alternative medicine.

In The Mind within the Brain, David Redish brings together cutting edge research in psychology, robotics, economics, neuroscience, and the new fields of neuroeconomics and computational psychiatry, to offer a unified theory of human decision-making. Most importantly, Redish shows how vulnerabilities, or "failure-modes," in the decision-making system can lead to serious dysfunctions, such as irrational behavior, addictions, problem gambling, and PTSD. Told with verve and humor in an easily readable style, Redish makes these difficult concepts understandable. Ranging widely from the surprising roles of emotion, habit, and narrative in decision-making, to the larger philosophical questions of how mind and brain are related, what makes us human, the nature of morality, free will, and the conundrum of robotics and consciousness, The Mind within the Brain offers fresh insight into one of the most complex aspects of human behavior.

The Oxford Handbook of Metamemory investigates the human ability to evaluate and control learning and information retrieval processes. Each chapter in this authoritative guide highlights a different facet of metamemory research, including classical metamemory judgments; applications of metamemory research to the classroom and courtroom; and cutting-edge perspectives on continuing debates and theory. Chapters also provide broad historical overviews of each research area and discussions of promising directions for future research. The breadth and depth of coverage on offer in this Handbook make it ideal for seminars on metamemory or metacognition. It would also be a valuable supplement for advanced courses on cognitive psychology, of use especially to graduate students and more seasoned researchers who are interested in exploring metamemory for the first time.

Information molecules, such as Cortico-Releasing Factor (CRF), are ancient and widely distributed across diverse organs, playing various regulatory roles. CRF has been associated with a range of human conditions, including fear and anxiety, social contact, and most recently, addiction - in particular the euphoric feelings associated with alcohol consumption. Since its original discovery, research has unearthed that the role of this molecule is much broader than first thought. The scientific community now knows that CRF is a dynamic and diversely widespread peptide hormone that plays many roles and has many functions, in addition to its role as a releasing factor in the brain. This book explores the role of CRF, examining the relationship between location and function. It considers recurrent features that are linked to CRF - movement and change. CRF expression in regions of the brain is tied to paying attention to novel events and invoking movement in response to those events. Indeed, CRF provokes simple organized rhythmic behavior and can be mobilized under diverse conditions, including adversity. Examining the evolutionary origins of CRH, its neural functions, and its role in a variety of human characteristics and social behaviors, this book provides unique insights into CRF, and will be of interest to students and researchers in Neuroscience, Psychology, and Biology.