Determining the biological bases for behavior, and the extent to which we can observe and explain their neural underpinnings, requires a bold, broadly defined research methodology. The interdisciplinary entries in this handbook are organized around the principle of "molecular psychology," which unites cutting-edge research from such wide-ranging disciplines as clinical neuroscience and genetics, psychology, behavioral neuroscience, and neuroethology. For the first time in a single volume, leaders in diverse research areas use molecular approaches to investigate social behavior, psychopathology, emotion, cognition and stress in healthy volunteers, patient populations, and an array of non-human species including rodents, insects, fish, and non-human primates. Chapters draw on molecular methods covering candidate genes, genome-wide association studies, copy number variations, gene expression studies, and epigenetics while addressing the ethical, legal, and social issues to emerge from this new and exciting research approach.

"Calculus of Thought: Neuromorphic Logistic Regression in Cognitive Machines" is a must-read for all scientists about a very simple computation method designed to simulate big-data neural processing. This book is inspired by the Calculus Ratiocinator idea of Gottfried Leibniz, which is that machine computation should be developed to simulate human cognitive processes, thus avoiding problematic subjective bias in analytic solutions to practical and scientific problems.

The reduced error logistic regression (RELR) method is proposed as such a "Calculus of Thought." This book reviews how RELR's completely automated processing may parallel important aspects of explicit and implicit learning in neural processes. It emphasizes the fact that RELR is really just a simple adjustment to already widely used logistic regression, along with RELR's new applications that go well beyond standard logistic regression in prediction and explanation. Readers will learn how RELR solves some of the most basic problems in today s big and small data related to high dimensionality, multi-colinearity, and cognitive bias in capricious outcomes commonly involving human behavior.
Provides a high-level introduction and detailed reviews of the neural, statistical and machine learning knowledge base as a foundation for a new era of smarter machines Argues that smarter machine learning to handle both explanation and prediction without cognitive bias must have a foundation in cognitive neuroscience and must embody similar explicit and implicit learning principles that occur in the brainOffers a new neuromorphic foundation for machine learning based upon the reduced error logistic regression (RELR) method and provides simple examples of RELR computations in toy problems that can be accessed in spreadsheet workbooks through a companion website"

Neuroinflammation, Resolution, and Neuroprotection in the Brain discusses the molecular aspects of neuroinflammation in neurological disorders. The book examines the effect of diet and exercise on neuroinflammatory diseases. Chapters focus on bioactive lipids, cytokines and chemokines, as well as the involvement of neuroinflammation, resolution and neuroprotection in neurotraumatic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and neuropsychiatric diseases. The comprehensive information in this monograph will help readers understand molecular cross-talk among mediators of phospholipid, sphingolipid and cholesterol metabolism. The book's goal is to jumpstart more studies on molecular mechanisms and the therapeutic aspects of neurological disorders in human subjects.

Behavioral Neuroscience is a relatively recent discipline which unifies different fields encompassing Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, Clinical Neurology, Neuroanatomy, and Neurophysiology. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience, Three Volume Set is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary work written by the best experts in the field, addressing the relationship between the neurological and biological basis of behavior and models of cognition, spanning from perception to memory and covering phenomena that occur in human and other animals. Published in 2010, it comprised 212 articles and was a unique and essential resource for students and professionals in several fields including neuroscience, psychology, neurology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. It was by far the most comprehensive reference work available addressing the advances in all the field of behavioral neuroscience. It does however, now need revising with the latest science. The new edition will again cover the relationship between brain and behavior, both in humans and other animals, as well as mental and brain disorders. This new edition spans accross three volumes, 250 chapters and approximately 2000 pages. It will build on the foundations of the first edition by thoroughly updating all current articles with the latest research that has developed in the last decade. In addition, 40 brand new articles on the hottest topics within behavioral neuroscience will be added, covering areas such as advances in behavioral genetics and epigenetics, cognitive ageing, neuroepidemiology, social neuroscience, as well as the upsurge of new technologies like diffusion tensor imaging or transcranial direct current stimulation. The result will be an all-encompassing one-stop interdisciplinary major reference work on how the brain and its disorders influence behavior, perfect for neuroscience students, clinicians and scientists interested in knowing more about behavior from a biological perspective.

The Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer Disease in Down Syndrome provides a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding of aging and Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome that is synergistic and focused on efforts to understand the neurobiology as it pertains to interventions that will slow or prevent disease. The book provides detailed knowledge of key molecular aspects of aging and neurodegeneration in Down Syndrome by bringing together different models of the diseases and highlighting multiple techniques. Additionally, it includes case studies and coverage of neuroimaging, neuropathological and biomarker changes associated with these cohorts. This is a must-have resource for researchers who work with or study aging and Alzheimer disease either in the general population or in people with Down syndrome, for academic and general physicians who interact with sporadic dementia patients and need more information about Down syndrome, and for new investigators to the aging and Alzheimer/Down syndrome arena.

Child Neurology: Its Origins, Founders, Evolution and Growth, Second Edition updates the first biographical study of important contributors to the field of child neurology, consisting of over 250 biographical sketches written by over 100 physicians specializing in neurology, child neurology, pediatrics and obstetrics. Organized chronologically into six chapters, beginning before 1800 and continuing to the present, Child Neurology traces the emergence of child neurology as a separate specialty from its roots in pediatrics and neurology. With a definitive historical introduction by the editor, Dr. Stephen Ashwal. This new edition will feature a new section on The Dynamic Growth and Expansion of Child Neurology: The Late Twentieth Century (1960 to 2000+) and features about 138 new biographical sketches of leaders in the field during this recent time frame. Child Neurology: Its Origins, Founders, Evolution and Growth, Second Edition will be published on behalf of the Child Neurology Society, a professional society that strives to foster recognition and support for children with neurological disorders and to promote and exchange national and international scientific research, education, and training in the field of neurology.

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.

This book describes methods for statistical brain imaging data analysis from both the perspective of methodology and from the standpoint of application for software implementation in neuroscience research. These include those both commonly used (traditional established) and state of the art methods. The former is easier to do due to the availability of appropriate software. To understand the methods it is necessary to have some mathematical knowledge which is explained in the book with the help of figures and descriptions of the theory behind the software. In addition, the book includes numerical examples to guide readers on the working of existing popular software. The use of mathematics is reduced and simplified for non-experts using established methods, which also helps in avoiding mistakes in application and interpretation. Finally, the book enables the reader to understand and conceptualize the overall flow of brain imaging data analysis, particularly for statisticians and data-scientists unfamiliar with this area. The state of the art method described in the book has a multivariate approach developed by the authors' team. Since brain imaging data, generally, has a highly correlated and complex structure with large amounts of data, categorized into big data, the multivariate approach can be used as dimension reduction by following the application of statistical methods. The R package for most of the methods described is provided in the book. Understanding the background theory is helpful in implementing the software for original and creative applications and for an unbiased interpretation of the output. The book also explains new methods in a conceptual manner. These methodologies and packages are commonly applied in life science data analysis. Advanced methods to obtain novel insights are introduced, thereby encouraging the development of new methods and applications for research into medicine as a neuroscience.

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.

The book highlights important new research approaches of clinical relevance, written by prominent researchers in the field of OCD and related disorders. A broad range of topics is covered, beginning with a description of the phenotypic features of the OCD followed by chapters on developmental aspects, animal models, genetic and biological models including neuro-inflammation, functional neuroimaging correlates and information-processing accounts. Finally, existing and novel treatment approaches are covered including clinical and pharmacogenetic treatment models. In this way the volume brings together the key disciplines involved in the neurobiological understanding of OCD to provide an update of the field and outlook to the future. Together, the volume chapters provide focused and critical reviews that span a broad range of topics suitable for both students and established investigators and clinicians interested in the present state of OCD research.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Until recently, scientific and literary cultures have existed side-by-side but most often in parallel universes, without connection. The Trickster Brain: Neuroscience, Evolution, and Nature by David Williams addresses the premise that humans are a biological species stemming from the long process of evolution, and that we do exhibit a universal human nature, given to us through our genes. From this perspective, literature is shown to be a product of our biological selves. By exploring central ideas in neuroscience, evolutionary biology, linguistics, music, philosophy, ethics, religion, and history, Williams shows that it is the circuitry of the brain's hard-wired dispositions that continually create similar tales around the world: "archetypal" stories reflecting ancient tensions that arose from our evolutionary past and the very construction of our brains. The book asserts that to truly understand literature, one must look at the biological creature creating it. By using the lens of science to examine literature, we can see how stories reveal universal aspects of the biological mind. The Trickster character is particularly instructive as an archetypal character who embodies a raft of human traits and concerns, for Trickster is often god, devil, musical, sexual, silver tongued, animal, and human at once, treading upon the moral dictates of culture. Williams brings together science and the humanities, demonstrating a critical way of approaching literature that incorporates scientific thought.

Evidence based or empirically supported psychotherapies are becoming more and more important in the mental health fields as the users and financers of psychotherapies want to choose those methods whose effectiveness are empirically shown. Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies are shown to have empirical support in the treatment of a wide range of psychological/psychiatric problems. As a cognitive-behavioral mode of action, Problem Solving Therapy has been shown to be an effective psychotherapy approach in the treatment and/or rehabilitation of persons with depression, anxiety, suicide, schizophrenia, personality disorders, marital problems, cancer, diabetes-mellitus etc.

Mental health problems cause personal suffering and constitue a burden to the national health systems. Scientific evidence show that effective problem solving skills are an important source of resiliency and individuals with psychological problems exhibit a deficiency in effective problem solving skills. Problem solving therapy approach to the treatment and/or rehabilitation of emotional problems assumes that teaching effective problem solving skills in a therapeutic relationship increases resiliency and alleviates psychological problems.The book, in the first chapters, gives information on problem solving and the role of problem-solving in the etiology and the treatment of different forms of mental health problems. In the later chapters, it concentrates on psychotherapy, assessment and procedures of problem solving therapy. At the end it provides a case study.

This book integrates theory, research & practiceand provides a comprehensive appreciation of problem solving therapy.Itcontains empirical evidence and applied focus for problem solving therapy which provides a scientific base and best practices.The bookalso highlights the problem solving difficulties of persons with specific disorders and provides a better understanding of the relevance of problem solving therapy to a broad range of emotional problems. "

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.

Global Emergency of Mental Disorders is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-read overview of the neurodevelopmental basis of multiple mental disorders and their accompanying consequences, including addiction, suicide and homelessness. Compared to other references that examine the treatment of psychiatric disorders, this book uniquely focuses on their neurodevelopment. It is designed for neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology students, and various other clinical professions. With chapters on anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and others, this volume provides information about incidence, prevalence and mortality rates in addition to developmental origins. With millions worldwide affected, this book will be an invaluable resource.

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.

Robert N. McCauley and E. Thomas Lawson are considered the founders of the field of the cognitive science of religion. Since its inception over twenty years ago, the cognitive science of religion has raised questions about the philosophical foundations and implications of such a scientific approach. This volume from McCauley, including chapters co-authored by Lawson, is the first book-length project to focus on such questions, resulting in a compelling volume that addresses fundamental questions that any scholar of religion should ask. The essays collected in this volume are those that initially defined this scientific field for the study of religion. These essays deal with issues of methodology, reductionism, resistance to the scientific study of religion, and other criticisms that have been lodged against the cognitive science of religion. The new final chapter sees McCauley reflect on developments in this field since its founding. Tackling these debates head on and in one place for the first time, this volume belongs on the shelf of every researcher interested in this now established approach to the study of religion within a range of disciplines, including religious studies, philosophy, anthropology and the psychology of religion.