Key Thinkers in Neuroscience provides insight into the life and work of some of the most significant minds that have shaped the field. Studies of the human brain have been varied and complex, and there have been many pioneers who have broken new ground in neuroscience research. Adopting a chronological and multi-disciplinary approach to each Key Thinker, the book highlights their extraordinary contributions to neuroscience. Beginning with Santiago Ramon y Cajal and finishing with Patricia Churchland and Paul Churchland, this book provides a comprehensive look at the new ideas and discoveries that have shaped neuroscientific research and practice, and the people that have been invaluable to this field. This book will be an indispensable companion for all students of neuroscience and the history of psychology, as well as anyone interested in how we have built our knowledge of the brain.

First published in 1881. The present work, on the structure and functions of the brain, is an abstract of the author's persoal experience as regards this subject. It is divided into two distinct parts; the first, anatomical, serves as the foundation of the work. It is followed by a second, purely physiological, which is its complement and necessary sequence. It includes chapters on the optic thalamus, the corpus striatum, and the memory in exercise.

Key Thinkers in Neuroscience provides insight into the life and work of some of the most significant minds that have shaped the field. Studies of the human brain have been varied and complex, and there have been many pioneers who have broken new ground in neuroscience research. Adopting a chronological and multi-disciplinary approach to each Key Thinker, the book highlights their extraordinary contributions to neuroscience. Beginning with Santiago Ramon y Cajal and finishing with Patricia Churchland and Paul Churchland, this book provides a comprehensive look at the new ideas and discoveries that have shaped neuroscientific research and practice, and the people that have been invaluable to this field. This book will be an indispensable companion for all students of neuroscience and the history of psychology, as well as anyone interested in how we have built our knowledge of the brain.

Astrocytes play diverse roles in central nervous system (CNS) function and dysfunction, and the connections that the astrocyte makes with other cells of the brain are essential for a variety of important neural tasks. Bringing together contributions from international experts at the top of their field, Astrocytes: Wiring the Brain emphasizes cellular connections and surveys the most current findings on astrocyte activity. The first section of the book identifies major astrocyte biomarkers and describes how they define the different connectivity domains. Next, the book examines the role of these connections. It explains how their function can be manipulated under physiological conditions and how dysfunction of the connectivity leads to aberrant brain performance. The final section explores the alterations of glia that have been observed in specific diseases of the brain. These include epilepsy, autoimmune encephalitis, Alzheimer's disease, autism, and major depression. The book identifies key mechanisms responsible for these alterations. An important and emerging field, astrocytes and their functions are critical to neuroscientists and neurologists, both in academia and in industry, particularly in the search for and development of new drugs to combat a variety of diseases affecting the CNS. As research continues to grow in this area, this volume will spur heightened advances and understanding into the effects of these neural cells on a range of pathologies.

Increasingly we have come to live in our heads, leaving our bodies behind. The consequences have been far-reaching, of which cognitive theory has warned us, advocating a 'return to the body.' This book employs several case studies-kings performing in ballets, sea captains dancing with natives, nationalists engaged in gymnastics exercises-to demonstrate what has been lost and what could be gained by a more embodied approach to living, to history. These curious movements were ways to be, to think, to know, to imagine, and to will. They highlight the limits of historical explanations focusing on cultural factors and question currently fashionable 'cultural' and 'post-modern' perspectives. Bodies, cognitive theory tells us, are the same regardless of historical context, and they engage in the same intentional activities. Returning to our bodies and their movements enables us not only to explain historical actions anew, but also to understand ourselves better.

"There are words that are so familiar they obscure rather than illuminate the thing they mean, and 'learning' is such a word. It seems so ordinary, everyone does it. Actually it's more of a black box, which Dehaene cracks open to reveal the awesome secrets within."--The New York Times Book Review An illuminating dive into the latest science on our brain's remarkable learning abilities and the potential of the machines we program to imitate them The human brain is an extraordinary learning machine. Its ability to reprogram itself is unparalleled, and it remains the best source of inspiration for recent developments in artificial intelligence. But how do we learn? What innate biological foundations underlie our ability to acquire new information, and what principles modulate their efficiency? In How We Learn, Stanislas Dehaene finds the boundary of computer science, neurobiology, and cognitive psychology to explain how learning really works and how to make the best use of the brain's learning algorithms in our schools and universities, as well as in everyday life and at any age.

This book explains the foundation of approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), an approach to Bayesian inference that does not require the specification of a likelihood function. As a result, ABC can be used to estimate posterior distributions of parameters for simulation-based models. Simulation-based models are now very popular in cognitive science, as are Bayesian methods for performing parameter inference. As such, the recent developments of likelihood-free techniques are an important advancement for the field. Chapters discuss the philosophy of Bayesian inference as well as provide several algorithms for performing ABC. Chapters also apply some of the algorithms in a tutorial fashion, with one specific application to the Minerva 2 model. In addition, the book discusses several applications of ABC methodology to recent problems in cognitive science. Likelihood-Free Methods for Cognitive Science will be of interest to researchers and graduate students working in experimental, applied, and cognitive science.

All students and researchers of behaviour - from those observing freely-behaving animals in the field to those conducting more controlled laboratory studies - face the problem of deciding what exactly to measure. Without a scientific framework on which to base them, however, such decisions are often unsystematic and inconsistent. Providing a clear and defined starting point for any behavioural study, this is the first book to make available a set of principles for how to study the organisation of behaviour and, in turn, for how to use those insights to select what to measure. The authors provide enough theory to allow the reader to understand the derivation of the principles, and draw on numerous examples to demonstrate clearly how the principles can be applied. By providing a systematic framework for selecting what behaviour to measure, the book lays the foundations for a more scientific approach for the study of behaviour.

'Thoughtful and thought-provoking - you need to read this book' - Gina Rippon 'An affecting and illuminating book for anyone who has feelings, and who wants to know why.' - Katie Mack Why can't we think straight when hungry? What's the point of nightmares? And why is it so impossible to forget embarrassing memories? Emotions can be a pain. After losing his dad to Covid-19, Dean Burnett found himself wondering what life would be like without them. And so, he decided to put his feelings under the microscope - for science. In Emotional Ignorance, Dean takes us on an incredible journey of discovery, stretching from the origins of life to the end of the universe. Along the way he reveals: - why we would ever follow our gut; - whether things really were better in the old days; - why doomscrolling is so addictive; - and how sad music can make us happier. Combining expert analysis, brilliant humour and powerful insights into the grieving process, Dean uncovers how, far from holding us back, our emotions make us who we are.

Have you ever done something stupid, dangerous or self-sabotaging just to get one over someone else? Most of us have. Simon McCarthy-Jones draws on psychology, current affairs, literature and genetics to illuminate – whether we admit it or not – our spiteful side. What is that part of us that secretly wants our friends to fail? Did Americans put Trump in the White House just to stick it to Hillary Clinton? And then there are the legion of stories about toxic behaviour in supermarkets and over the privet hedge, ramping up to incendiary divorces, vicious business practices, backbiting politics and scorched-earth terrorism. There’s a hopeful message too – the upside of our dark side. Spite can drive us forward, and Simon provides a fresh perspective on the concept by showing the evolutionary benefits of spite as a social leveller, an enabler of defiance, a wellspring of freedom and a vital weapon in our everyday armoury.

A book that fundamentally changes how neuroscientists and psychologists categorize sensations and understand the origins and significance of human feelings How Do You Feel? brings together startling evidence from neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry to present revolutionary new insights into how our brains enable us to experience the range of sensations and mental states known as feelings. Drawing on his own cutting-edge research, neurobiologist Bud Craig has identified an area deep inside the mammalian brain-the insular cortex-as the place where interoception, or the processing of bodily stimuli, generates feelings. He shows how this crucial pathway for interoceptive awareness gives rise in humans to the feeling of being alive, vivid perceptual feelings, and a subjective image of the sentient self across time. Craig explains how feelings represent activity patterns in our brains that signify emotions, intentions, and thoughts, and how integration of these patterns is driven by the unique energy needs of the hominid brain. He describes the essential role of feelings and the insular cortex in such diverse realms as music, fluid intelligence, and bivalent emotions, and relates these ideas to the philosophy of William James and even to feelings in dogs. How Do You Feel? is also a compelling insider's account of scientific discovery, one that takes readers behind the scenes as the astonishing answer to this neurological puzzle is pursued and pieced together from seemingly unrelated fields of scientific inquiry. This book will fundamentally alter the way that neuroscientists and psychologists categorize sensations and understand the origins and significance of human feelings.

Swearing, it turns out, is an incredibly useful part of our linguistic repertoire. Not only has some form of swearing existed since the earliest humans began to communicate, but it has been shown to reduce physical pain, help stroke victims recover their language, and encourage people to work together as a team.

Swearing Is Good For You is a spirited and hilarious defence of our most cherished dirty words, backed by historical case studies and cutting-edge research. From chimpanzees creating their own curse words to a man who lost half his brain in a mining accident experiencing a new-found compulsion to swear, Dr Emma Byrne outlines the fascinating science behind swearing: how it affects us both physically and emotionally, and how it is more natural and beneficial than we are led to believe.

The Unconscious explores the critical interdisciplinary dialogue between psychoanalysis and contemporary cognitive neuroscience. Characterised by Freud as 'the science of the unconscious mind', psychoanalysis has traditionally been viewed as a solely psychological discipline. However recent developments in neuroscience, such as the use of neuroimaging techniques to investigate the working brain, have stimulated and intensified the dialogue between psychoanalysis and these related mental sciences. This book explores the relevance of these discussions for our understanding of unconscious mental processes. Chapters present clinical case studies of unconscious dynamics, alongside theoretical and scientific papers in key areas of current debate and development. These include discussions of the differences between conceptualisations of 'the unconscious' in psychoanalysis and cognitive science, whether the core concepts of psychoanalysis are still plausible in light of recent findings, and how such understandings of the unconscious are still relevant to treating patients in psychotherapy today. These questions are explored by leading interdisciplinary researchers as well as practising psychoanalysts and psychotherapists. This book aims to bridge the gap between psychoanalysis and cognitive neuroscience, to enable a better understanding of researchers' and clinicians' engagements with the key topic of the unconscious. It will be of key interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of psychoanalysis, cognitive science, neuroscience and traumatology. It will also appeal to practising psychoanalysts, psychotherapists and clinicians.

Our abilities to learn and remember are at the core of consciousness, cognition, and identity, and are based on the fundamental brain capacity to encode and store perceptual experience in abiding neural structures. These neural structures are the mechanisms by which we know, think about, create beliefs about, and understand the world in which we live. This includes the social world in which we experience conflict with others; our conflicts are largely about differences in what we know, think, believe, and understand. A number of characteristics of the neural encoding function are at the root of and help to explain conflict in our social relations and why some conflicts are difficult to prevent and resolve. Embodied Conflict presents the neural encoding function in layman's terms, outlining seven key characteristics and exploring their implications for communication, relationship, and conflict resolution. In doing so, Embodied Conflict situates the field of conflict resolution within the long arc of human history and asks whether and how conflict resolution practice can take another step forward by considering the neural experience of parties in conflict. The book includes many case examples and offers some suggestions for how conflict resolution practitioner training might be expanded to include this theoretical framework and its implications for practice.

Our abilities to learn and remember are at the core of consciousness, cognition, and identity, and are based on the fundamental brain capacity to encode and store perceptual experience in abiding neural structures. These neural structures are the mechanisms by which we know, think about, create beliefs about, and understand the world in which we live. This includes the social world in which we experience conflict with others; our conflicts are largely about differences in what we know, think, believe, and understand. A number of characteristics of the neural encoding function are at the root of and help to explain conflict in our social relations and why some conflicts are difficult to prevent and resolve. Embodied Conflict presents the neural encoding function in layman's terms, outlining seven key characteristics and exploring their implications for communication, relationship, and conflict resolution. In doing so, Embodied Conflict situates the field of conflict resolution within the long arc of human history and asks whether and how conflict resolution practice can take another step forward by considering the neural experience of parties in conflict. The book includes many case examples and offers some suggestions for how conflict resolution practitioner training might be expanded to include this theoretical framework and its implications for practice.

"A NATURAL STORYTELLER" Mary Roach "BRILLIANT AND BEGUILING" Matthew Gavin Frank "CAPTIVATING ... WILL ALTER THE WAY YOU SEE AND MOVE THROUGH THE WORLD" M. R. O'Connor "AS ENTERTAINING AS IT IS ENLIGHTENING" Geographical Magazine, Book of the Month Within our heads, we carry around an infinite and endlessly unfolding map of the world. Navigation is one of the most ancient neural abilities we have - older even than language - and in Dark and Magical Places, Christopher Kemp embarks on a journey to discover the remarkable extent of what our minds can do. From the secrets of supernavigators to the strange, dreamlike environments inhabited by people with 'place blindness', he will explore the myriad ways in which we find our way. Kemp explains the cutting-edge neuroscience that is transforming our understanding of it - and tries to answer why, for a species with a highly-sophisticated internal navigation system that evolved over millions of years, do humans get lost such a lot? "I WAS THRILLED TO DISCOVER THIS BOOK" Robert Moor

The late E. Roy John is considered the pioneer in the field of neurometrics - the science of measuring the underlying organization of the brain's electrical activity. Volume 1, co-authored by Robert W. Thatcher, and Volume 2 both originally published in 1977, were among the first books this field. Volume 3, written by colleague Thalia Harmony, followed in 1984. The field expanded significantly in the 1990s and thousands of articles have subsequently been published. Available together for the first time these 3 volumes were important foundational works for the fields of quantitative electrophysiology and neurometrics.

This book brings together experts from the fields of linguistics, psychology and neuroscience to explore how a multidisciplinary approach can impact on research into the neurocognition of language. International contributors present cutting-edge research from cognitive and developmental psychology, neuropsychology, psycholinguistics and computer science, and discuss how this contributes to neuropsycholinguistics, a term coined by Jean-Luc Nespoulous, to whom this book is dedicated. Chapters illustrate how researchers with different methods and theoretical backgrounds can contribute to a unified vision of the study of language cognition. Reinterpreting neuropsycholinguistics through the lens of each research field, the book demonstrates important attempts to adopt a comprehensive view of speech and language pathology. Divided into three sections the book covers: linguistic mechanisms and the architecture of language the relationship between language and other cognitive processes the assessment of speech and language disabilities and compensatory mechanisms. Neuropsycholinguistic Perspectives on Language Cognition presents a unique contribution to cognitive science and language science, from linguistics to neuroscience. It will interest academics and scholars in the field, as well as medical researchers, psychologists, and speech and language therapists.

From being on the margins of scholarly debate for much of the past century and a half, religion is being recognized once again as an area of concern for scholars, politicians, and public policy makers, and thus, the role of religious and spiritual education has taken on a new importance. Apart from its socio-political ramifications, the place of religiousness and spirituality in the make-up of individuals has been given renewed prominence through updated brain science, and neuroscientists regularly refer to elements of this brain science in terms such as spiritual intelligence and even mystical consciousness. This book explores many of the new directions being taken in the field of religious and spiritual education, as new developments challenge the priorities of formal education, and open up new avenues for incorporating religion and spirituality into the modern curriculum. It asks whether the educational aims of teachers should be focused on specifically personal development, or whether religious education should be used to develop understanding of more global and social issues such as citizenship, conflict, and ethics. The book also addresses neuroscientific insights, which suggest a need to engage with cognition and emotion in order to create a rich learning environment, something to which a particularly contested subject area like religion and spirituality is well-placed to contribute. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Beliefs & Values.

First published in 1991, this book covers three major areas essential to in vivo biochemical studies with PET and SPECT: synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals, biological modeling, and clinical applications. The book emphasizes advances in the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals used in PET and SPECT studies of brain flow and oxidatative metabolism, in addition to biological modeling. The most widely used 2-deoxyglucose/2-fluorodeoxyglucose models are discussed, as well as models used in the quantitation of brain receptors. Other topics include a possible model for converting 6-[18F] fluorodopa images into the quantitative rate of dopamine synthesis, evaluations of technetium- and iodine-labeled blood flow tracers, and possibilities for using SPECT to measure other pathophysiological variables. This book will be a valuable reference source to students and specialists interested in these in vivo measurements.

Motivation provides an accessible introduction to motivation and emotion, combining classic studies with current research and uses numerous real-world examples to engage the student and make, often difficult, theoretical concepts come to life. By understanding and applying the principles of motivation described in the text, students will not only discover insights into what motivates their own behavior but also how to instigate self-change through goal-setting. Throughout the book the author adopts an evolutionary approach to explore the effect of interpersonal relationships, food preferences, fear, music, and the emotions on motivation, at the same time considering how personality traits and psychological needs are essential for understanding why people are motivated by different things. The motivation of compulsive behavior from addictions, such as drugs, gambling, Internet gaming, and obsessive exercise is also considered, providing a truly comprehensive overview of biological, psychological, and environmental sources of motivation. The sixth edition has been thoroughly updated throughout and is accompanied by an instructor's manual that contains multiple choice questions, essay questions with answers, websites related to motivation and emotion, power point slides, in-class activities, and discussion questions. It is an essential read for all students of motivation.

Understanding the phenomenon of long-lasting vulnerability to addiction is essential to developing successful treatments. Written by an international team of authorities in their respective fields, Advances in the Neuroscience of Addiction provides an excellent overview of the available and emerging approaches used to investigate the biologic mechanisms of drug addiction. It also delineates the promising research discoveries being made in relapse prevention. The book begins with current animal models of addiction, which mimic the state of humans entering treatment: recently-abstinent animals that receive common triggers for relapse (classical conditioning, stress, and neuroadaptive dysregulation). Coverage then shifts to the use of electrophysiologic approaches, which enable researchers to characterize the discharge patterns of single neurons during drug self-administration. After exploring advances in voltammetry and enzyme-linked biosensors for measuring glutamate, the book discusses the theoretical background and results of neuroimaging studies related to neuronal networks that are activated by drug-specific cues. It then describes modern genetic approaches to manipulate target proteins that influence addictive behavior. The book rounds out its coverage by illustrating how a neuroeconomic approach can inform studies of reward processing in general and addiction in particular. It is a comprehensive introduction to the methodologies of the field for students and beginning researchers and an essential reference source for established investigators.

The rapid expansion of the TRP field has generated a large amount of excellent original work across many different research fields. However, investigators are not necessarily familiar with the pros and cons of the variety of methods used to study TRP channels. Because of functional and genetic diversity, as well as the different physiological roles they play, techniques used for studying TRP channels range from single molecular analysis to behavioral animal studies. Methods in multiple areas, such as molecular biology, fluorescence imaging, electrophysiology, cell biology, genetics, proteomics, pharmacology, system physiology, and behavioral assessment, are employed to investigate various aspects of these channels. Choosing among many possible topics in these broad areas was a daunting task. A comprehensive review of the field, TRP Channels spans the information gap by providing broad coverage of current methods and techniques commonly used in TRP channel research, and detailed protocols with thorough discussions of the advantages and disadvantages across methods. Some topics covered include Mammalian, Drosophila and C. elegans TRP channels Practical protocols for functional studies of TRP channels, including TRPC, TRPV, TRPA, TRPM and the intracellularly localized TRPML channels ThermoTRPs, including the new fast temperature jump apparatus and the high throughput random mutagenesis method for screening critical motifs involved in TRP channel regulation Cell-based high-throughput screening assays for TRP channels and their applications in drug discoveries TRP channel functions in native cells, including smooth muscles, neurons, and cancers Showcasing the current status of the field, TRP Channels covers the major techniques used in various areas of research. The majority of the chapters are protocol oriented, with the goal of providing clear directions for laboratory use. Because of the breadth of the TRP field, the applications of some methods are described in multiple chapters by experts working on a variety of channel types that serve different physiological functions, highlighting distinctive views on how the methodology can be utilized. Some chapters include discussion on the usefulness and pitfalls associated with the use of certain techniques. Together with chapters that offer comprehensive reviews on the functional regulation and other roles of TRP channels, students and investigators new to the field should find this book particularly informative.

Bringing together neurological assessments of reading and cognition, this provocative volume, originally published in 1985, presents eight major and sometimes controversial studies on the parts and patterns of the reading process. With comprehensive coverage ranging from psycholinguistics and education to neurophysiology, these studies highlight new directions in the field at the time. The contributors support an interactive rather than dichotomous model of brain function, and stress individual differences in assessing reading and cognitive skills.

Embodied cognition is one of the foremost areas of study and research in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology and cognitive science. The Routledge Handbook of Embodied Cognition is an outstanding guide and reference source to the key topics and debates in this exciting subject and essential reading for any student and scholar of philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Comprising over thirty chapters by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into six parts: Historical underpinnings Perspectives on embodied cognition Applied embodied cognition: perception, language, and reasoning Applied embodied cognition: social and moral cognition and emotion Applied embodied cognition: memory, attention, and group cognition Meta-topics. The early chapters of the Handbook cover empirical and philosophical foundations of embodied cognition, focusing on Gibsonian and phenomenological approaches. Subsequent chapters cover additional, important themes common to work in embodied cognition, including embedded, extended and enactive cognition as well as chapters on empirical research in perception, language, reasoning, social and moral cognition, emotion, consciousness, memory, and learning and development.