Download or read book Understanding the Human Prefrontal Cortex written by Jordan Grafman and published by . This book was released on with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex written by Richard Passingham and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This chapter explains why this book is organized as it is. Each neocortical area has a unique pattern of inputs and outputs. This means that the challenge is to understand the transformation that each of the prefrontal areas performs from input to output. Functional brain imaging allows us to visualize the human brain at work, but it does not have the spatial resolution to identify the mechanisms that support the transformations that the brain performs. It is neurophysiological recordings from cells that tell us how these are achieved. Chapters 3-8 are therefore mainly devoted to studies that have been carried out on the prefrontal cortex of macaque monkeys because the methods are necessarily invasive. Apart from recording, the methods include making selective lesions in an area; it is these that identify the contribution that is unique to that area. The book ends by reviewing the evolution of the human prefrontal cortex; and the final two chapters discuss the ways in which the human prefrontal cortex is specialized in terms of function. In doing so, they attempt to account for the intellectual gap between humans and other primates"--
Download or read book The Prefrontal Cortex written by Joaquin M. Fuster and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. This book was released on 1997 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex written by Richard E. Passingham and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2012-07-12 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The prefrontal cortex makes up almost a quarter of the human brain, and it expanded dramatically during primate evolution. The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex presents a new theory about its fundamental function. In this important new book, the authors argue that primate-specific parts of the prefrontal cortex evolved to reduce errors in foraging choices, so that particular ancestors of modern humans could overcome periodic food shortages. These developments laid the foundation for working out problems in our imagination, which resulted in the insights that allow humans to avoid errors entirely, at least at times. In the book, the authors detail which parts of the prefrontal cortex evolved exclusively in primates, how its connections explain why the prefrontal cortex alone can perform its function, and why other parts of the brain cannot do what the prefrontal cortex does. Based on an analysis of its evolutionary history, the book uses evidence from lesion, imaging, and cell-recording experiments to argue that the primate prefrontal cortex generates goals from a current behavioural context and that it can do so on the basis of single events. As a result, the prefrontal cortex uses the attentive control of behaviour to augment an older general-purpose learning system, one that evolved very early in the history of animals. This older system learns slowly and cumulatively over many experiences based on reinforcement. The authors argue that a new learning system evolved in primates at a particular time and place in their history, that it did so to decrease the errors inherent in the older learning system, and that severe volatility of food resources provided the driving force for these developments. Written by two leading brain scientists, The Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex is an important contribution to our understanding of the evolution and functioning of the human brain.
Download or read book Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex written by R. E. Passingham and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A successor to the acclaimed 'Neurobiology of the Prefrontal Cortex', 'Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex' presents a study of the anatomical connections in this brain region, showing how each area and subarea of the brain has a unique pattern of connections, and exploring the transformation that this area performs - from its inputs to it outputs.
Download or read book Discovering the Brain written by National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."
Download or read book Structure and Functions of the Human Prefrontal Cortex written by Jordan Grafman and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Active Inference written by Thomas Parr and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2022-03-29 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first comprehensive treatment of active inference, an integrative perspective on brain, cognition, and behavior used across multiple disciplines. Active inference is a way of understanding sentient behavior—a theory that characterizes perception, planning, and action in terms of probabilistic inference. Developed by theoretical neuroscientist Karl Friston over years of groundbreaking research, active inference provides an integrated perspective on brain, cognition, and behavior that is increasingly used across multiple disciplines including neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. Active inference puts the action into perception. This book offers the first comprehensive treatment of active inference, covering theory, applications, and cognitive domains. Active inference is a “first principles” approach to understanding behavior and the brain, framed in terms of a single imperative to minimize free energy. The book emphasizes the implications of the free energy principle for understanding how the brain works. It first introduces active inference both conceptually and formally, contextualizing it within current theories of cognition. It then provides specific examples of computational models that use active inference to explain such cognitive phenomena as perception, attention, memory, and planning.
Download or read book Exploring the Landscape of the Mind written by Stephen S. Clark and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2017-04-19 with total page 492 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is based on the premise that humankind is, first and foremost, the outcome of the process of biological evolution. Recognition of this is fundamental to our understanding of who we are and how we behave. All living things have evolved the physical and mental attributes that promote their prospects for survival; they are good at doing the things that enable them to pass on their genes to succeeding generations, and we are no exception. Of course, through the development of culture, we have gained some freedom from our biological origins. Nevertheless, evolution has constructed the foundation upon which culture is built. The first part of the book, Ourselves Interacting with the World, presents an overview of the main capabilities that evolution has endowed us with and that enable us to interact with the environment in advantageous ways. This includes our senses, which act as windows on the world and also, of great importance, our emotions and ability to remember. Our ability to think is perhaps the crowning achievement of our evolutionary journey, and, of course, we must be able to act in a timely and effective manner. The second part of the book, Living Together, traces the history of how we became social creatures. To be truly human, we had to be capable of sharing and cooperation. We also needed to be able to control our aggressiveness and talent for deception. We settled down, making the transition from hunter-gatherers to urban dwellers, and agreed upon values and norms of behavior that enhanced our ability to get along. Ultimately, we came to see good and bad as a morality of right and wrong, further augmenting group cohesiveness. In the final part of the book, Challenges and Opportunities, attention turns to a consideration of the constraints and possibilities that must be considered in looking to the future. These realities can be seen to play out in four social arenas: the pursuit of fairness, the seeking of justice, the interplay of political beliefs and good government, and ultimately, a united society that is, at the same time, a true community. Our quest for these things will be greatly aided by a deep knowledge and appreciation of our evolutionary past and the indelible imprint it has left upon us. It may even lead us to that most elusive of all things, happiness.
Download or read book The Human Advantage written by Suzana Herculano-Houzel and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2016-03-18 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why our human brains are awesome, and how we left our cousins, the great apes, behind: a tale of neurons and calories, and cooking. Humans are awesome. Our brains are gigantic, seven times larger than they should be for the size of our bodies. The human brain uses 25% of all the energy the body requires each day. And it became enormous in a very short amount of time in evolution, allowing us to leave our cousins, the great apes, behind. So the human brain is special, right? Wrong, according to Suzana Herculano-Houzel. Humans have developed cognitive abilities that outstrip those of all other animals, but not because we are evolutionary outliers. The human brain was not singled out to become amazing in its own exclusive way, and it never stopped being a primate brain. If we are not an exception to the rules of evolution, then what is the source of the human advantage? Herculano-Houzel shows that it is not the size of our brain that matters but the fact that we have more neurons in the cerebral cortex than any other animal, thanks to our ancestors' invention, some 1.5 million years ago, of a more efficient way to obtain calories: cooking. Because we are primates, ingesting more calories in less time made possible the rapid acquisition of a huge number of neurons in the still fairly small cerebral cortex—the part of the brain responsible for finding patterns, reasoning, developing technology, and passing it on through culture. Herculano-Houzel shows us how she came to these conclusions—making “brain soup” to determine the number of neurons in the brain, for example, and bringing animal brains in a suitcase through customs. The Human Advantage is an engaging and original look at how we became remarkable without ever being special.
Download or read book The Prefrontal Cortex as an Executive Emotional and Social Brain written by Masataka Watanabe and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-02-22 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is devoted to the executive, emotional, social, and integrative functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC has usually been studied only with its executive function or with its emotional function, but recent studies indicate that the PFC plays important roles in integrating executive and emotional functions as well as in social behavior. The first part of the book reviews the functional organization of the PFC in human and nonhuman primates. The subsequent part focuses on the integrator of executive and emotional functions. The third part presents the integrator of executive and social functions, and the final part discusses the default mode of brain activities. There are chapters on animal studies, because functional significance of the PFC cannot be described without referring to those studies. Thus many methodologies are presented such as human neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and stimulation studies, and animal neuropsychological, neurophysiological, neurochemical, neuroanatomical, and neuroimaging studies. Bringing those together, this volume provides a timely and concise picture of the function of the PFC. The result is a valuable resource for students and scientists, providing up-to-date information on this emerging research topic.
Download or read book Principles of Frontal Lobe Function written by Donald T. Stuss and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-06-27 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a comprehensive review of historical and current research on the function of the frontal lobes and frontal systems of the brain. The content spans frontal lobe functions from birth to old age, from biochemistry and anatomy to rehabilitation, and from normal to disrupted function. The book is intended to be a standard reference work on the frontal lobes for researchers, clinicians, and students in the field of neurology, neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, and health care.
Download or read book Prefrontal Cortex written by Satoru Otani and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2004-03-31 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The prefrontal cortex is regarded by many as the executive controller, which determines appropriate coupling between a sensory input and motor output to meet environmental demands. Our cognitive ability heavily relies on the function of the prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal Cortex: From Synaptic Plasticity to Cognition takes an interdisciplinary approach to characterize the function of the anterior portion of the frontal lobe in rodents and human and non-human primates. The topics in this volume are diverse. They range from membrane properties of prefrontal neurons to cognitive psychology and attempt to encompass domains of the prefrontal field in an effort to provide the bigger picture.
Download or read book Structure and Functions of the Human Prefrontal Cortex written by Jordan Grafman and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume contains papers that deal with the structure and functions of the human prefrontal cortex, including a review of recent work on its neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, neural development and degeneration, and neuropsychology. In addition, papers focus on novel and competing theories of human prefrontal cortical functions, utilising convergent evidence from the fields of comparative neuropsychology, cognitive sciences, artificial intelligence, neuropsychiatry, and cognitive neuropsychology. The book provides a broad overview on the subject of the human prefrontal cortex and integration of human prefrontal cortical functioning, and offer in-depth comparisons of alternative testable theories of human prefrontal cortical functions.
Download or read book The Brain and Behavior written by David L. Clark and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-09-08 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New edition building on the success of previous one. Retains core aim of providing an accessible introduction to behavioral neuroanatomy.
Download or read book Measuring Context in Human Prefrontal Cortex written by Agatha Lenartowicz and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human behavior is dependent on flexibility whenever response alternatives are available. For instance, finishing a work project to meet a deadline may require a delay of more pleasant activities such as reading a favorite book. The flexibility to choose working on the project over reading a book is determined by context: the circumstances in which a response is selected (e.g., a project deadline). The aim of the present research was to identify how context is represented as neural activity, a question that is relatively undefined in the human brain. The approach I adopted to study this question was based on the Guided Activation Theory of cognitive control, which posits that activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) represents abstractions of context, serving to bias activity in posterior and sub-cortical regions responsible for executing a behavior. I conducted three studies, guided by this framework. In the first study I used electroencephalography to measure the onset of context updating. Voltage recorded at the surface of the brain showed a positive deflection at 180--200 ms, related to context and localized to PFC, confirming that this region is involved in context processing. In the second study I developed a behavioral index to assess context retrieval when anticipating response selection. This index was designed to maximize task specificity, the ability to differentiate context among similar tasks and to dissociate it from non-contextual cognitive processes. Finally, in the third study I used this behavioral index and functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify neural representations corresponding to each of four tasks. These representations included task specific regions in both posterior cortex and PFC. The posterior activations were consistent with what is known about the neural substrates involved in performing each task whereas the PFC regions were consistent with anatomical connections between these regions and PFC. The results of this research provide comprehensive evidence consistent with a role of PFC in representation of context, thus consistent with the Guided Activation Theory, and highlight that an exciting avenue for future research will be to address how interactions between regions implement vs. represent context.
Download or read book The Frontal Lobes and Voluntary Action written by Richard E. Passingham and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 1995-07-20 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents an argument rather than a review: that the frontal lobes as a whole are specialized for voluntary action. For each area within the frontal lobes, a specific role in the execution of voluntary action is proposed. Topics covered include the control of movement in the motor cortex and premotor areas, decision-making in the pre-frontal cortex, response learning in the basal ganglia, and the mental trial and error that forms the basis of future responses. This analysis is based on the author's own work using the most up-to-date imaging techniques. Controversial and thought-provoking, it will serve as the basis for future work and debate on the subject.
