This book takes a sociocultural, developmental and dialogical perspective to explore the constructive and interconnected nature of remembering and imagining. Conceived as cognitive-affective processes, both emerge at the border of the person and his or her socio-cultural world. Memory is approached as a functional adaption to the environment using the resources of the past in preparation for action in the present. Imagination is tightly related to memory in that both aim to escape the confines of the concrete here-and-now situation; however, while memory is primarily oriented to the past, imagination looks to the future. Both are embedded in the exchanges with the social and cultural milieu, and thus theorizing them has relied on key ideas from Lev Vygotsky, Frederic Bartlett and Mikhail Bakhtin. Thus, this book aims to integrate theories of remembering and imagining, through rich empirical studies in diverse cultural settings and concerning the development of self and identity. These two groups of studies compose the subparts that organize the book.

This book proposes a novel view to explain how we as humans -- contrary to current robots -- can have the impression of consciously feeling things: for example the red of a sunset, the smell of a rose, the sound of a symphony, or a pain.
The book starts off by looking at visual perception. Our ability to see turns out to be much more mysterious than one might think. The eye contains many defects which should seriously interfere with vision. Yet we have the impression of seeing the world in glorious panavision and technicolor. Explaining how this can be the case leads to a new idea about what seeing really is. Seeing is not passively receiving information in the brain, but rather a way of interacting with the world. The role of the brain is not to create visual sensation, but to enable the necessary interactions with the world.
This new approach to seeing is extended in the second part of the book to encompass the other senses: hearing, touch, taste and smell. Taking sensory experiences to be modes of interacting with the world explains why these experiences are different in the way they are. It also explains why thoughts or automatic functions in the body, and indeed the vast majority brain functions, are not accompanied by any real feeling.
The "sensorimotor" approach is not simply a philosophical argument: It leads to scientifically verifiable predictions and new research directions. Among these are the phenomena of change blindness, sensory substitution, "looked but failed to see," as well as results on color naming and color perception and the localisation of touch on the body.
The approach is relevant to the question of what animals and babies can feel, and to understanding what will be necessary for robots to become conscious.

One of the goals for the proposed book is to bring together leading experts in the world working in multidisciplinary areas including epidemiology, biomechanics, experimental and analytical research, physical modeling, and clinical aspects of whiplash injury. The contributing authors have submitted chapters in their area of expertise. 39 Chapters are included that cover the above aspects.Contributions by the federal government, industry, health care professionals, academic researchers, and various experts from the United States and abroad are included.

This book is the outcome of a decade of research on the neu roanatomical mechanisms of learning in the young laboratory rat. It is essentially a discourse on the functional organization of the brain in relation to problem-solving ability and intelli gence. During the period between 1980 and 1989, well over 1000 weanling albino rats were subjected to localized brain damage (or sham operations in the case of the controls) under deep anesthesia and aseptic surgical conditions, were allowed tore cover, and subsequently were tested on a wide variety of prob lems designed to measure general learning ability. Since vir tually every part of the brain rostral to the medulla has been explored with lesions, it has become possible not only to map a number of "putative" brain systems underlying the acquisition of distinctive problem-solving tasks, but to isolate several neu roanatomical mechanisms that appear to be selectively in volved in the acquisition of particular kinds of goal-directed learned activities. Of particular interest was the discovery of a "nonspecific mechanism" (previously referred to in our re search reports as the "general learning system") inhabiting the interior parts of the brain. One objective of this volume was to make these maps available in a single source. Another was to provide a descrip tion of learning syndromes arising from local lesions to differ ent parts of the brain."

This detailed book examines the main methods to study mammalian monoamine oxidases (MAOs), ranging from cell biology to computational chemistry. Beginning with techniques on how to obtain pure samples of MAO A and MAO B, the volume continues by covering assays and techniques used to measure MAO enzymatic activity and perform inhibition studies, methods to address cellular localization and function of MAOs, either in cell lines or in animal models, as well as computational methods applied to rational drug design approaches that are used to develop new MAO inhibitors. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Monoamine Oxidase: Methods and Protocols serves as a vital resource for scientists who are interested in studying MAOs and other similar amine oxidase enzymes.

During the last century, advances in the life sciences were used in the development of biological and chemical weapons in large-scale state offensive programmes, many of which targeted the nervous system. This study questions whether the development of novel biological and chemical neuroweapons can be prevented as neuroscience progresses.

The book focuses on implications of traditional and processed foods for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) intervention and management. Numerous phytonutrients and pharmacologically active compounds in edible natural products and diet could influence and offer protection to neuronal dysfunction that occurs due to ASD. The neuroprotective effects of various fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds phytochemicals, and other natural bioactive ingredients against ASD and related conditions are discussed. Topics such as the possible neuroprotective mechanism of action of these foods and the therapeutic role of antioxidants in relation to ASD are addressed. This book also highlights the scope of using anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants to promote neurogenesis and improve other symptoms in ASD. It emphasizes personalized nutritional approaches with dietary management of neurodevelopmental disorders/ASD cases. Information in this book is relevant to researchers in the field of complementary and alternative medicine, nutraceuticals, neuroscience, agriculture, nutrition, and food science. This volume is beneficial to students of varying levels, and across multiple disciplines.

Many films and novels defy our ability to make sense of the plot. While puzzling storytelling, strange incongruities, inviting enigmas and persistent ambiguities have been central to the effects of many literary and cinematic traditions, a great deal of contemporary films and television series bring such qualities to the mainstream-but wherein lies the attractiveness of perplexing works of fiction? This collected volume offers the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and trans-medial approach to the question of cognitive challenge in narrative art, bringing together psychological, philosophical, formal-historical, and empirical perspectives from leading scholars across these fields.

This comprehensive Handbook summarizes existing work and presents new concepts and empirical results from leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of behavioral and cognitive geography, the study of the human mind, and activity in and concerning space, place, and environment. It provides the broadest and most inclusive coverage of the field so far, including work relevant to human geography, cartography, and geographic information science. Behavioral and cognitive geography originated as a contrast to aggregate approaches to human geography that treat people as homogenous and interchangeable; to models of human activity based on simplistic and psychologically implausible assumptions; and to conceptualizations of humans as passive responders to their environment. This Handbook is highly multi- and interdisciplinary, featuring scholars from geography, geographic information science, and more than ten other academic disciplines; including: psychology, linguistics, computer science, engineering, architecture and planning, anthropology, and neuroscience. The contributors adhere to scientific rigor in their approach, while fully engaging with issues of emotion, subjectivity, consciousness, and human variability. Thoroughly informed by the history of geography and of the cognitive sciences but also providing guideposts for future research and application, this Handbook will be an essential resource for researchers, lecturers and students in geography, psychology, and other social, behavioral, cognitive, and design sciences. Contributors include: P. Agarwal, A.P. Boone, T.T. Brunye, H. Burte, R.C. Dalton, C. Davies, R.M. Downs, S.I. Fabrikant, A.L. Gardony, N.A. Giudice, P. Gober, K.G. Goulias, S. Hadavi, M. Hegarty, S.C. Hirtle, C. Hoelscher, T. Ishikawa, P. Jankowski, J. Krukar, C.A. Lawton, H.J. Miller, D.R. Montello, J. Portugali, M. Raubal, V.R. Schinazi, W.C. Sullivan, H.A. Taylor, T. Tenbrink, T. Thrash, P.M. Torrens, D.H. Uttal

This book discusses a wide range of investigations and practice-oriented advances in pulmonary medicine and critical care. Pulmonary diseases are a major cause of hospitalization and mortality, affecting millions of people worldwide. Addressing a range of topics, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, and lung cancer, the book offers insights into the disease mechanisms and risk factors, along with practical aspects concerning the maintenance of quality of life, adherence to therapy, and palliative treatment and care. Further, it explores diagnostic and treatment approaches to respiratory dysfunction and respiratory failure, highlighting the beneficial effects of good sleep quality in chronic pulmonary conditions and lung transplant patients. The book also presents novel experimental research on the cellular voltage-gated sodium channels in the mechanism of pathological cough, which is particularly relevant for future targeted antitussive therapy. Lastly, it addresses the epidemiological aspects of pulmonary infections. As such, this book is a valuable resource for medical scholars, clinicians, family physicians, and other professionals seeking to improve the management of respiratory diseases.

This proceedings contains articles submitted to the fifth International Conference on Cognitive Neurodynamics (ICCN2015). In ICCN2015, twelve invited plenary lectures were presented by the leading scientists in their respective research fields. More than 15 mini-symposiums are organized by specialists with topics covering: motor control and learning, dynamic coding in distributed neural circuits, dynamics of firing patterns and synchronization in neuronal systems, information and signal processing techniques in neurotechnology, neural oscillations and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, new perspective on model-based vs. model-free brain process, neural mechanisms of internal switching, neuroinformation computation, neural model and dynamics, imaging human cognitive networks, neuroinformatics, neuroergonomics & neuroengineering, dynamic brain for communication, visual information processing and functional imaging and neural mechanisms of language processing. All articles are peer-reviewed. The ICCN is a series conference held every two years since 2007.

How Creativity Happens In The Brain is about the brain mechanisms of creativity, how a grapefruit-sized heap of meat crackling with electricity manages to be so outrageously creative. It has a sharp focus: to stick exclusively to sound, mechanistic explanations and convey what we can, and cannot, say about how brains give rise to creative ideas.

Computational Architectures Integrating Neural and Symbolic Processes: A Perspective on the State of the Art focuses on a currently emerging body of research. With the reemergence of neural networks in the 1980s with their emphasis on overcoming some of the limitations of symbolic AI, there is clearly a need to support some form of high-level symbolic processing in connectionist networks. As argued by many researchers, on both the symbolic AI and connectionist sides, many cognitive tasks, e.g. language understanding and common sense reasoning, seem to require high-level symbolic capabilities. How these capabilities are realized in connectionist networks is a difficult question and it constitutes the focus of this book. Computational Architectures Integrating Neural and Symbolic Processes addresses the underlying architectural aspects of the integration of neural and symbolic processes. In order to provide a basis for a deeper understanding of existing divergent approaches and provide insight for further developments in this field, this book presents: (1) an examination of specific architectures (grouped together according to their approaches), their strengths and weaknesses, why they work, and what they predict, and (2) a critique/comparison of these approaches. Computational Architectures Integrating Neural and Symbolic Processes is of interest to researchers, graduate students, and interested laymen, in areas such as cognitive science, artificial intelligence, computer science, cognitive psychology, and neurocomputing, in keeping up-to-date with the newest research trends. It is a comprehensive, in-depth introduction to this new emerging field.

This groundbreaking volume examines the complex role of the cerebellum in emotional regulation and disorders that are insufficiently understood, subverting the widely held belief that the cerebellum is solely involved in balance and motor functions. Beginning with the evolution of the cerebellum toward a structure dedicated to homeostatic regulation and socio-emotional behavior, the book examines the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of the cerebellum in emotions, cognition, and psychopathology. Going on to discuss the implications of cerebellar abnormalities, Schutter analyzes groundbreaking research and explores how cerebellar abnormalities are associated with disruption in associative learning in anxiety, the pathophysiology of depression and cognitive regulation, the synchronization of information processing in schizophrenia, the aberrant connectivity patterns in autism spectrum disorders, and explosive forms of aggressive behavior. Collating pioneering research on the multifaceted role of the cerebellum, this book will be essential reading for students and researchers of neurology and psychopathology.

For 29 years, Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology has provided cutting-edge literature to behavioral neuroscience research. Honoring the late Alan Epstein, founding co-editor of the series, Volume 16 presents essays in the area of the neurobiology of motivation. Contents include research in ingestive behavior, dopamine and food reward, the effect of insulin in the brain, and mechanisms of thirst and salt appetite.

This book looks at the common problems both human and robotic hands encounter when controlling the large number of joints, actuators and sensors required to efficiently perform motor tasks such as object exploration, manipulation and grasping. The authors adopt an integrated approach to explore the control of the hand based on sensorimotor synergies that can be applied in both neuroscience and robotics. Hand synergies are based on goal-directed, combined muscle and kinematic activation leading to a reduction of the dimensionality of the motor and sensory space, presenting a highly effective solution for the fast and simplified design of artificial systems. Presented in two parts, the first part, Neuroscience, provides the theoretical and experimental foundations to describe the synergistic organization of the human hand. The second part, Robotics, Models and Sensing Tools, exploits the framework of hand synergies to better control and design robotic hands and haptic/sensing systems/tools, using a reduced number of control inputs/sensors, with the goal of pushing their effectiveness close to the natural one. Human and Robot Hands provides a valuable reference for students, researchers and designers who are interested in the study and design of the artificial hand.

In this enlightening biography, award- winning academic psychologist Michael Corballis tells the story of how the field of cognitive psychology evolved and the controversies and anecdotes that occurred along the way. Since the Second World War, psychology has undergone several scientific movements, from behaviourism to cognitive psychology and finally to neuroscience. In this fascinating biography, Corballis recounts his career as a researcher who played a part in these monumental changes in psychology. Beginning with his boarding-school education in New Zealand, Corballis goes on to recount his PhD studies and behavioural research into mirror-image discriminations in pigeons, the uprising of the "cognitive revolution" amidst 1960s counterculture and his switch to become a cognitive psychologist, his research into brain asymmetry and the evolution of language and its origin of manual gestures, and the development of mental time travel in animals. Featuring stories of prominent scientists who were integral in psychology's biggest discoveries and insight into the heated debates and controversies in psychology during a time of great scientific and sociocultural change, this biography is a must-read for those interested in how psychology became established as a science.

This book reviews the various applications of nanotechnology in human health. The introductory chapters focus on the classifications, types, synthesis, and characterization of various types of nanomaterials, while subsequent chapters highlight current applications of nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of microbial and viral infections, and also in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Further, the book explores the potential role of nanomaterials in connection with neuronal differentiation, neuronal protection, and neurological diseases. It demonstrates the use of nanotechnology to diagnose and treat genetic disorders, as well as endocrine and metabolic syndrome diseases. It also discusses the ethics and the negative impacts of nanomaterials on human health. Lastly, it examines the intellectual property aspects and government regulations associated with the research, design, and commercialization of nanotechnology-based products. Given its scope, it offers a valuable resource for all researchers and professionals working with nanotechnology-based applications in human health.

Glioblastoma is the most malignant brain tumor that still remains incurable. It is such a deadly disease that patients do not survive more than a few months after diagnosis. Our understanding of the histopathology and molecular mechanisms of formation of glioblastoma is rapidly advancing so as to provide us clues for devising rational therapeutic strategies for treatment of this malignancy. It is important that we continue to improve our knowledge about the pathogenesis of this devastating disease and explore new areas to find successful therapeutic strategies.

Various approaches such as sophisticated imaging techniques, improved surgical procedures, ground-breaking strategies for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy are being used for eradicating glioblastoma. Hopefully, this book will be an important source of information on glioblastoma and therefore be highly useful to the students, postdoctoral fellows, principal investigators, and clinicians involved in this field.

There is an odd contradiction at the heart of language and culture learning: Language and culture are, so to speak, two sides of a single coin-language reflects the thinking, values and worldview of its speakers. Despite this, there is a persistent split between language and culture in the classroom. Foreign language pedagogy is often conceptualized in terms of gaining knowledge and practicing skills, while cultural learning goals are often conceptualized in abstract terms, such as awareness or criticality. This book helps resolve this dilemma. Informed by brain and mind sciences, its core message is that language and culture learning can both be seen as a single, interrelated process-the embodiment of dynamic systems of meaning into the intuitive mind. This deep learning process is detailed in the form of the Developmental Model of Linguaculture Learning (DMLL). Grounded in dynamic skill theory, the DMLL describes four developmental levels of language and culture learning, which represents a subtle, yet important shift in language and culture pedagogy. Rather than asking how to add culture into language education, we should be seeking ways to make language and culture learning deeper-more integrated, embodied, experiential and transformational. This book provides a theoretical approach, including practical examples, for doing so.

Authors Nigel M. Hooper and Otto von Guericke, world leaders in protease research, have written the first book that focuses on recent data stemming from the structural determination of intramembrane-cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs). You get the latest findings concerning the various roles that these proteases play in biology and in the course of diseases such as Alzheimer 's and viral infection.

This detailed book explores techniques for further elucidating the peripheral and central roles of oxytocin as well as techniques key to oxytocin receptor-related drug discovery. The first set of chapters explore this neuropeptide's peripheral and central effects, such as regulation of myometrial contraction, induction of cardioprotective effects, and the facilitation of pro-social behaviors. The book then continues by delving into a comprehensive pharmacological characterization of oxytocin receptor ligands and ligands of other key receptors such as the vasopressin receptor family. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Oxytocin: Methods and Protocols is an ideal guide for researchers seeking to further our knowledge of the varied and power effects of oxytocin within the central nervous system.

This volume contains up-to-date contributions written by leading experts in the role played by various microorganisms in psychiatric and neurological illness. The initial chapters present an evolutionary framework for the impact of microorganisms on behavior. This is followed by historical and epidemiological perspectives of the role of viruses in psychiatric illness. Subsequent chapters focus on different classes of microorganisms and psychiatric illnesses and emphasize diverse research approaches ranging from preclinical models to therapeutic interventions.

Written by one of the leading figures in biosocial criminology and evolutionary psychology, this work explores the tight relationship between criminality and indiscriminate sexuality within the framework of life history theory. The underlying thesis is that traits associated with a strong libido, indiscriminately expressed, are intertwined with traits associated with criminal behavior; that is, excessive interest in sexual adventures pursued in an irresponsible way is undergirded by the same individual short-run hedonistic traits that define criminality. While traditional criminology tends to view sexual and criminal behavior as separate domains, many biosocial criminologists, evolutionary psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral and molecular geneticists are not at all surprised that a link exists between criminality and sexuality. Research shows that the statistical relationship between indiscriminate sexuality and criminal behavior is stronger than for most other variables associated with crime, although most studies dealing with this relationship are from outside the dominant environmentalism paradigm of criminology. Using life history theory as the theoretical umbrella for exploring the relationship between indiscriminate sexuality and criminal behavior, the book explores how and why criminal behavior is related to hypersexuality. Life history theory, which has a long and fruitful history of use among evolutionary biologists who use it to investigate the relationship between mating strategies and the environment among various species of animals (including humans) is particularly suited to understanding how an exclusive focus on mating effort is related to criminal behavior. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in criminology, psychology, and sociology, and anyone interested in examining the interconnection between biological, psychological, and socio-environmental factors in relation to criminal behavior.

It has been established that neuroglia are involved in early neu- ronal growth, differentiation, and migration; these issues are well discussed in the companion volume entitled Neuron-Glia Interrela- tions During Phylogeny: I. Phylogeny and Ontogeny of Glial Cells. The present volume, Neuron-Glia Interrelations During Phylogeny: II. Plas- ticity and Regeneration, focuses on two aspects: (1) neuron-glia inter- relations as they relate to the physiological and metabolic homeostasis of neurons; and (2) the role of neuroglia and neuronal plasticity in regeneration and aging. Neuron-Glia Interrelations During Phylogeny: II. Plasticity and Regeneration begins with the unique presentation, "Neuron-Glia In- teractions in the Human Fetal Brain," by Sogos et al. The interesting issue discussed in this chapter is the immunocompetence of the CNS, a field that is now rising. The chapter by Oland et al. , "Glial Cells Playa Key Role in the Construction of Insect Olfactory Glomeruli," discusses a unique role of glial cells as intermediates in afferent- axon induction of substructure with the CNS. The chapter by Vanhems, "Insect Glial Cells and Their Relationships with Neurons," compliments the information presented in the companion volume by Fredieu and Mahowald and, in this volume, the chapter by Tobert and Oland. The chapter by Tsacopoulos and Poitry, "Metabolite Exchanges and Signal Trafficking Between Glial Cells and Neurons in the Insect Retina," provides evidence of the nutritive functions of glial cells and the important role of alanine supplied by glial cells to photoreceptors, a clear neuron-glia interaction.