This concise guide offers an accessible introduction to genes, fetal development and early brain development. It integrates insights from typical and atypical development to reveal fundamental aspects of human growth and development, and common developmental disorders. The topic books in this series draw on international research in the field and are informed by biological, social and cultural perspectives, offering explanations of developmental phenomena with a focus on how children and adolescents at different ages actually think, feel and act. In this succinct volume, Stephen von Tetzchner explains key topics including: Genetic inheritance, evolution, heredity and environment in individual differences, fetal development, prenatal stimulation, methods of studying the brain, brain development, early and later plasticity and brain organization and atypical development. Together with a companion website that offers topic-based quizzes, lecturer PowerPoint slides and sample essay questions, Typical and Atypical Child and Adolescent Development 2: Genes, Fetal Development and Early Neurological Development is an essential text for all students of developmental psychology, as well as those working in the fields of child development, developmental disabilities and special education.

A Handbook of Geriatric Neuropsychology: Practice Essentials (Second Edition) brings together experts in the field to integrate the knowledge and skills needed to understand and treat older adults who are experiencing problems with memory and other thinking skills. With three new sections, including coverage of other conditions beyond neuropsychological disorders, special assessment contexts, and more on interventions and ethics, as well as multiple new chapters, and significant updates from the first edition, this book provides a strong foundation for clinicians, educators, and researchers invested in the wellbeing of older adults. The impact and experience of aging, like the practice of neuropsychology, evolves over time. Similarly, through advances in science and professional techniques, neuropsychological practice has continued to evolve. Neuropsychological evaluation remains the most effective method of diagnosing age-related cognitive decline, cognitive difficulties that result from psychological factors, and other related disorders, as well as determining how the various disorders impact functioning and quality of life. This book explores these areas and offers state-of-the-art assessment techniques to assess changes in cognition and behavior and to distinguish normal changes from neuropathology. This book is a go-to resource and key reference for psychologists who serve older adults with known or suspected cognitive problems, as well as those who are invested in promoting brain wellness. It provides much of the information needed to establish and improve foundational and functional competencies in geriatric neuropsychology and establish practices that are personally and professionally rewarding, all aimed at promoting the understanding and wellbeing of older adults.

This book provides an overview of Asphyxial Deaths which includes hanging, strangulation, choking, smothering, gagging, drowning, aspiration, mechanical and chemical asphyxiants, etc. Postmortem examination often leads to doubts as a clear distinction between the different type of asphyxia cannot be made easily. Forensic and physiological aspects are discussed with the help of illustrative cases. The author discusses the different aspects of asphyxia deaths and substantiates multiple case studies to establish a scientific approach that can act as a guideline to the autopsy surgeon in providing a precise opinion and clarify doubts for the judiciary involved in such criminal justice cases. Key Features * Presents individual case studies of Asphyxial deaths. * Covers the guidelines to be followed by the autopsy surgeons in different cases. * Discusses the physiological aspects of Asphyxial deaths in detail. * Illustrates the cases in a stepwise manner with more than 350 colored photographs of postmortem examination.

Mental illness and the variety of conditions, disorders, and phobias associated with it impact not only the individual but also the family unit, the community, and society at large. Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Disorder: Case Studies and Application for Adults will better readers' understanding of a variety of these conditions in adults specifically and the applicability of CBT therapy as a treatment. Featuring chapters on schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety, the book discusses in detail the use of cognitive behavioral therapies in the treatment of these issues in adults. With expert authors from the clinical field, the book has applicability for behavioral scientists, psychologists, cognitive and behavioral neuroscientists, and anyone working to better understand and treat using cognitive behavioral therapies.

This book bridges the gap between the many insights into art provided by research in evolutionary theory, psychology and neuroscience and those enduring normative issues best addressed by philosophy. The sciences have helped us understand how art functions, our art preferences, and the neurological systems underlying our engagement with art. But we continue to rely on philosophy to tell us what is truly good in art, how we should engage with art, and the conceptual basis for this engagement. Naturalized Aesthetics: A Scientific Framework for the Philosophy of Art integrates a systematic and comprehensive naturalism, grounded in the sciences, with an "ecology" of art. It shows how the environments in which we make and experience art - our "engineered art niches" - affect the practice and experience of art and generate normativity - the goods and the shoulds - in our engagement with art. There are, in effect, two "streams" of normativity, according to this book: a niche-dependent, social, impersonal and objective stream and a niche-independent, individual, personal and subjective stream. Recognition of these two streams allows us to make progress in long-standing and unresolved philosophical disputes about how to interpret, evaluate and conceive art. Key Features: Provides a structured and critical introduction to the scientific accounts of art based on evolutionary thinking, psychology and neuroscience. Develops an "ecology" of art based on the insight that we engage with art in engineered niches. Presents a naturalistic account of normativity based on the recognition of two streams: a niche-dependent, social, impersonal and objective stream; and a niche-independent, individual, personal and subjective stream. Serves as an introduction and critical analysis of the debates about the interpretation, evaluation and definitions of art.

Research into the rehabilitation of individuals following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the past 15 years has resulted in greater understanding of the condition. The second edition of this book provides an updated guide for health professionals working with individuals recovering from TBI. Its uniquely clinical focus provides both comprehensive background information, and practical strategies for dealing with common problems with thinking, memory, communication, behaviour and emotional adjustment in both adults and children. The book addresses a wide range of challenges, from those which begin with impairment of consciousness, to those occurring for many years after injury, and presents strategies for maximising participation in all aspects of community life. The book will be of use to practising clinicians, students in health disciplines relevant to neurorehabilitation, and also to the families of individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Takes a very applied and accessible approach to assessments of mental capacity. Case examples illustrate decision-making capacity in a number of settings and contexts, including financial decisions, medical decisions, criminal/civil court, and other areas. Legal commentary helps illustrate state laws and ethical principles. Includes practice-oriented information and guidelines illustrating how psychologists, Mental Health professionals and lawyers work together. Gives attention to issues related to equity, stereotypes/bias, race, disability, socioeconomic status, and age.

Takes a very applied and accessible approach to assessments of mental capacity. Case examples illustrate decision-making capacity in a number of settings and contexts, including financial decisions, medical decisions, criminal/civil court, and other areas. Legal commentary helps illustrate state laws and ethical principles. Includes practice-oriented information and guidelines illustrating how psychologists, Mental Health professionals and lawyers work together. Gives attention to issues related to equity, stereotypes/bias, race, disability, socioeconomic status, and age.

There are many modes of communication that neurons use to transmit information besides what has come to be called neurotransmission. Many of these other types of communication can be classified as neuromodulatory, where instead of conveying excitation or inhibition, the signal from one neuron changes the properties of other neurons or synapses. This form of neuronal communication is often overlooked by systems physiologists, but it is extremely prevalent in the nervous system and needs to be included in any description of how the nervous system processes information. This book provides the foundations for understanding the cellular and molecular basis for neuromodulatory effects. It illustrates some key examples of the roles played by neuromodulation in sensory processing, neuromuscular transmission, generation of motor behaviours, and learning. Finally, the book seeks to point out areas that are likely to be of importance in the future study of information processing by the nervous system. For neurobiology students and researchers, the book summarizes a vast amount of research, and puts it into the context of how these cellular mechanisms are used in systems of neurons. By spanning the levels of analysis from sub-cellular mechanisms through cellular properties and neuronal systems to behaviour, the book provides a framework for understanding this currently exploding field of research. It is accessible to anyone with a basic understanding of neurobiology, but is in depth enough to satisfy readers who are very familiar with the field.

This thoroughly updated second edition of Restoring the Brain is the definitive book on the theory and the practice of Infra-Low Frequency brain training. It provides a comprehensive look at the process of neurofeedback within the emerging field of neuromodulation and essential knowledge of functional neuroanatomy and neural dynamics to successfully restore brain function. Integrating the latest research, this thoroughly revised edition focuses on current innovations in mechanisms-based training that are scalable and can be deployed at any stage of human development. Included in this edition are new chapters on clinical data and case studies for new applications; using neurofeedback for early childhood developmental disorders; integrating neurofeedback with psychotherapy; the impact of low-frequency neurofeedback on depression; the issue of trauma from war or abuse; and physical damage to the brain. Practitioners and researchers in psychiatry, medicine, and behavioral health will gain a wealth of knowledge and tools for effectively using neurofeedback to recover and enhance the functional competence of the brain.

This book summarizes the most recent data on the molecular and cellular mechanisms which determine the unique properties of nerve cells - their ability to differentiate, establish connections to each other, and to form the nervous system with its immense capability for receiving, analysing, and storing information about our external and internal world. The key role of calcium ions in this process is particularly explored, along with nervous system function in aging and neural pathology. The author, based at a high-profile research unit in the Ukraine, is able to draw on significant new research which has not been widely published. Plasticity in nerve cell function will be of interest to researchers and research students in the fields of neurophysiology, cellular physiology, biophysics, and neurochemistry in particular. It will also be of relevance to researchers and medical doctors interested in neuropathology and aging.

The Evolution of Human Cleverness presents a unique introduction to the way human cognitive abilities have evolved. The book comprises a series of mini-essays on distinct topics in which technical terms are simplified, considering how humans made the long journey from our ape-like ancestors to become capable of higher-level reasoning and problem solving. All the topics are cross-linked, allowing the reader to dip in and out, but certain key concepts run through the underlying reasoning. Chiefly, these are adaptation and selection, the distinction between ultimate and proximate causes of behaviour, gene-culture co-evolution, and domain-general versus domain-specific cognitive processes. The book should help the reader draw lessons for the human species as a whole, especially in view of the environmental threats to its own existence. Entries have been carefully crafted to cut through scientific jargon, providing bite-sized and digestible chunks of knowledge, making the topic accessible for students and lay readers alike. The author draws on research from diverse fields including Psychology, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, and Neuroscience to provide an unbiased account of the field, making it an ideal text for students of all levels.

The Evolution of Human Cleverness presents a unique introduction to the way human cognitive abilities have evolved. The book comprises a series of mini-essays on distinct topics in which technical terms are simplified, considering how humans made the long journey from our ape-like ancestors to become capable of higher-level reasoning and problem solving. All the topics are cross-linked, allowing the reader to dip in and out, but certain key concepts run through the underlying reasoning. Chiefly, these are adaptation and selection, the distinction between ultimate and proximate causes of behaviour, gene-culture co-evolution, and domain-general versus domain-specific cognitive processes. The book should help the reader draw lessons for the human species as a whole, especially in view of the environmental threats to its own existence. Entries have been carefully crafted to cut through scientific jargon, providing bite-sized and digestible chunks of knowledge, making the topic accessible for students and lay readers alike. The author draws on research from diverse fields including Psychology, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, and Neuroscience to provide an unbiased account of the field, making it an ideal text for students of all levels.

Convictions Without Truth sets out to determine whether and to what extent science and law may coexist in an institutional relationship that truthfully generates individualization through application of forensic testimony for charges relating to violations of criminal law. In the first two chapters, readers are exposed to contemporary unscientific forensic practices as juxtaposed to the evidentiary standard announced by the United States Supreme Court in Daubert v. Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, as well as scientific requirements for validity and reliability of expert witness testimony. The remaining chapters provide an explanation for retention of existing, though faulty, forensic practices by way of analysis of path dependency, the fixation of belief, and neuro and cognitive psychology. Through immanent critique and unmasking, the book deconstructs prevailing forensic practices through application of existing published documentation. The final chapter addresses the fixation of belief from the perspective of neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. Readers will gain an understanding of the current concerns relating to application of contemporary forensic practices; current case law and federal rules guiding the introduction of expert witness testimony; and why it is that despite widely recognized concerns raised from within and outside of the criminal legal system, application of unscientific forensic practices continues. The book also shows how the criminal legal system is experiencing a paradigm shift due to dialectical juxtaposition of existing unscientific forensic practices with contemporary science. Readers are shown that because of its continued reliance upon unscientific forensic practices, the criminal legal system reveals its hegemonic commitment to social control through its willingness to accept "satisfying" as opposed to "truthful" results that generate wrongful convictions. Convictions Without Truth will be of particular interest to students, academics, and practitioners working within the criminal legal field. It will also appeal to those wanting to know more about forensics and criminal law.

The Mind and Brain are usually considered as one and the same nonlinear, complex dynamical system, in which information processing can be described with vector and tensor transformations and with attractors in multidimensional state spaces. Thus, an internal neurocognitive representation concept consists of a dynamical process which filters out statistical prototypes from the sensorial information in terms of coherent and adaptive n-dimensional vector fields. These prototypes serve as a basis for dynamic, probabilistic predictions or probabilistic hypotheses on prospective new data (see the recently introduced approach of "predictive coding" in neurophilosophy). Furthermore, the phenomenon of sensory and language cognition would thus be based on a multitude of self-regulatory complex dynamics of synchronous self-organization mechanisms, in other words, an emergent "flux equilibrium process" ("steady state") of the total collective and coherent neural activity resulting from the oscillatory actions of neuronal assemblies. In perception it is shown how sensory object informations, like the object color or the object form, can be dynamically related together or can be integrated to a neurally based representation of this perceptual object by means of a synchronization mechanism ("feature binding"). In language processing it is shown how semantic concepts and syntactic roles can be dynamically related together or can be integrated to neurally based systematic and compositional connectionist representations by means of a synchronization mechanism ("variable binding") solving the Fodor-Pylyshyn-Challenge. Since the systemtheoretical connectionism has succeeded in modeling the sensory objects in perception as well as systematic and compositional representations in language processing with this vector- and oscillation-based representation format, a new, convincing theory of neurocognition has been developed, which bridges the neuronal and the cognitive analysis level. The book describes how elementary neuronal information is combined in perception and language, so it becomes clear how the brain processes this information to enable basic cognitive performance of the humans.

According to Jon Karlsson, the influence of genetic factors on human mentality has been neglected for many years in the study of intelligence. He contends that the evidence for biological influences on human intelligence is too compelling to be ignored any longer. Karlsson believes that such influences can be positive, and that ways can be found to measure their importance.

Serious efforts are necessary to extend the scope of basic conceptions concerning the structure of the brain and to explore the mysteries of the physiological mechanisms that govern the human mind. The research reported in this volume suggests some approaches that might prove useful. Karlsson believes that an effective approach to the genetics of mentality can be built around studies of serious brain abnormalities. Beginning with the idea that psychosis probably has a genetic bond to creativity, he argues that parallel possibilities exist in relation to other frequently occurring disorders. The product of many years of research, this work is certain to be a source of both controversy and of new ideas for the study of human intellectual development.

Neuroscience and Behavioral Neuroscience offered by many universities, and coursework has historically been very technical/scientific, now there is increasing demand within these programs for showing application. This book fills this gap in the market. Looks to dispel myths as well as reinforcing careful application of behavioral neuroscience. Spans many areas and gives a broad overview of BN careers: from clinical practice, forensics, consumer psychology, economics, leadership, education, health and robotics.

The Neuropsychology of Space: Spatial Functions of the Human Brain summarizes recent research findings related to understanding the brain mechanisms involved in spatial reasoning, factors that adversely impact spatial reasoning, and the clinical implications of rehabilitating people who have experienced trauma affecting spatial reasoning. This book will appeal to cognitive psychologists, neuropsychologists, and clinical psychologists. Spatial information processing is central to many aspects of cognitive psychology including perception, attention, motor action, memory, reasoning, and communication. Any behavioural task involves mentally computing spaces, mechanics, and timing and many mental tasks may require thinking about these aspects as well (e.g. imaging the route to a destination).

This volume covers the higher-level auditory processes that are part of animal perception. The chapters describe how humans and other animals perceive the sounds that they receive from the many sound sources existing in the world. This book provides an overview of areas of current research involved with understanding how sound-source determination processes operate. It focuses on psychophysics and perception as well as being relevant to basic auditory research.

Provides the hard science behind the relationship between brain activity and culture and the influence of "cultural" variables and test performance It discusses the current and future challenges for the globalization of neuropsychology It provides a detailed treatment of the variables influencing cross-cultural neuropsychological such as language, acculturation, education and the use of interpreters It gives information on the specific differences in brain functioning as the result of cultural influences

* Based on blog entries providing an authentic reflection of the lived experience at some of the key stages along the road to recovery. * Author has a medical background which provides an articulate and interesting perspective into the difficulties around providing and withdrawing intensive care therapy, focusing particularly on understanding the wishes of patients with regard to the treatment of critical injuries. * Provides a peer-level approach to helping readers understand and navigate their new lives, from pragmatic concerns about new daily difficulties, to loftier concerns about their new place in life * Provides much needed support for patients and family members adjusting to life after brain injury.

Readers who want to learn the background and techniques of discourse analysis, refresh their knowledge of discourse production, update their knowledge of assessment and treatment of discourse production, and learn about contemporary issues of discourse annotation and analysis using existing computer software will find this book a valuable tool - With its comprehensive coverage, it offers a thorough understanding of the nature, assessment, and remediation of discourse deficits in aphasia and related disorders Readers will also benefit from examples throughout the book that connect theory to real-life contexts of discourse production

Readers who want to learn the background and techniques of discourse analysis, refresh their knowledge of discourse production, update their knowledge of assessment and treatment of discourse production, and learn about contemporary issues of discourse annotation and analysis using existing computer software will find this book a valuable tool - With its comprehensive coverage, it offers a thorough understanding of the nature, assessment, and remediation of discourse deficits in aphasia and related disorders Readers will also benefit from examples throughout the book that connect theory to real-life contexts of discourse production

As psychology and philosophy arose as answers to the eternal question of how the mind works, evolutionary psychology has gained ground over recent years as a link between cognitive-behavioral and natural-science theories of the mind. This provocative field has also gathered a wide range of criticisms, from attributing too much autonomy to the brain to basing itself on faulty assumptions about our prehistoric past.Epistemological Dimensions of Evolutionary Psychology reframes its discipline for the contemporary era, correcting common misconceptions and mediating between different schools of thought. By focusing on the nature and limits of knowledge and reasoning--the essence of epistemology--contributors offer fresh insights at the intersection of human cognitive abilities as adaptations and our self-perception of knowledge, including evolutionary perspectives on altruism, depression, or the phasing out of human sacrifice. This diversity strengthens and vindicates the field, as evinced by thought-provoking dispatches such as: Toward a cognitive philosophy of science. Evolutionary media psychology and its epistemological foundation. The "meme" meme revisited. Depression as an adaptation. Like me: a homophily-based account of human culture. Preparedness to learn about the world: evidence from infant research. An engaging and often controversial testament to the combined power of evolution and logic, Epistemological Dimensions of Evolutionary Psychology will intrigue philosophers as well as psychologists in a variety of subdisciplines.

* A ground-breaking attempt to bring together in one volume all the various strands of this fundamental debate about the nature of what is called addiction. * Presents a robust evaluation of the BDMA * Neatly divided into four sections representing For; Against; Unsure; Alternative Ways of Understanding and Responding to Addiction