Download or read book Introduction to the Neural Basis of Action and Thought written by Pierre Nelson and published by Bentham Science Publishers. This book was released on 2015-03-03 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do neurons work in processes that guide thought and action? This eBook answers this question by presenting an accurate analysis of all the physico-chemical phenomena occurring between interconnected neurons. Once researchers have this information, they can then build a functional catalog of neurons and understand the working behind the simplest physiological elements and these can hopefully be replicated into devices. Microscopic and macroscopic experimental results can assist in the study of sensorial analysis, instincts and motor control of skeletal muscles. The book also presents a description of memory at the cellular level and gives insights about the learning process in living systems. Such research has increased our understanding of the mechanisms of animal behaviors from the honeybee to the dog. In human beings, the efficiency of the same neural mechanisms overtakes a threshold when language allows building new abstract signals from previous abstract signals. Introduction to the Neural Basis of Action and Thought demonstrates to readers how physiological processes allow us to recall words and generate sentences and how these processes support abstract thought, action and self awareness. This book is a useful primer for anyone interested in cognitive sciences and related research.
Download or read book Action Mind and Brain written by David A. Rosenbaum and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An engaging and accessible introduction to the psychology and neuroscience of physical action. This engaging and accessible book offers the first introductory text on the psychology and neuroscience of physical action. Written by a leading researcher in the field, it covers the interplay of action, mind, and brain, showing that many core concepts in philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and technology grew out of questions about the control of everyday physical actions. It explains action not as a “one-way street from stimuli to response” but as a continual perception-action cycle. The informal writing style invites students to think through the evidence step by step, helping them develop general thinking stills as well as learn specific facts. Special emphasis is placed on the role of underrepresented groups. The book discusses the intellectual background of the field, from Plato to Kant, Dewey, and others; applications and methods; and the physical substrates of action—bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves. It considers the control of actions in space; learning, and the roles of nature and nurture; feedback; feedforward, or anticipated feedback; and degrees of freedom—the multiple ways of getting things done and three methods for narrowing the alternatives. The book is generously illustrated, including many images of thinkers who contributed to the field.
Download or read book The Neural Basis Of Thought written by Campion, George G & Elliot Smith, Grafton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-05 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Download or read book The Neural Basis of Mentalizing written by Michael Gilead and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 685 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Neural Basis of Free Will written by Peter Ulric Tse and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2013-02-22 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A neuroscientific perspective on the mind–body problem that focuses on how the brain actually accomplishes mental causation. The issues of mental causation, consciousness, and free will have vexed philosophers since Plato. In this book, Peter Tse examines these unresolved issues from a neuroscientific perspective. In contrast with philosophers who use logic rather than data to argue whether mental causation or consciousness can exist given unproven first assumptions, Tse proposes that we instead listen to what neurons have to say. Tse draws on exciting recent neuroscientific data concerning how informational causation is realized in physical causation at the level of NMDA receptors, synapses, dendrites, neurons, and neuronal circuits. He argues that a particular kind of strong free will and “downward” mental causation are realized in rapid synaptic plasticity. Such informational causation cannot change the physical basis of information realized in the present, but it can change the physical basis of information that may be realized in the immediate future. This gets around the standard argument against free will centered on the impossibility of self-causation. Tse explores the ways that mental causation and qualia might be realized in this kind of neuronal and associated information-processing architecture, and considers the psychological and philosophical implications of having such an architecture realized in our brains.
Download or read book The Neural Basis of Thought written by George Goring Campion and published by . This book was released on 1934 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
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 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience written by Iiro Jääskeläinen and published by Bookboon. This book was released on 2012 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Neural Basis of Motivational and Cognitive Control written by Rogier B. Mars and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A multidisciplinary overview of key approaches in the study of cognitive control and decision making.
Download or read book Mind and Motion The Bidirectional Link between Thought and Action written by Markus Raab and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2009-05-27 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume investigates the implications of how our brain directs our movements on decision making. An extensive body of knowledge in chapters from international experts is presented as well as integrative group reports discussing new directions for future research.The understanding of how people make decisions is of central interest to experts working in fields such as psychology, economics, movement science, cognitive neuroscience, neuroinformatics, robotics, and sport science. For the first time the current volume provides a multidisciplinary overview of how action and cognition are integrated in the planning of and decisions about action. - Offers intense, focused, and genuine interdisciplinary perspective - Conveys state-of-the-art and outlines future research directions on the hot topic of mind and motion (or embodied cognition) - Includes contributions from psychologists, neuroscientists, movement scientists, economists, and others
Download or read book Translational Research in Traumatic Brain Injury written by Daniel Laskowitz and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-21 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant source of death and permanent disability, contributing to nearly one-third of all injury related deaths in the United States and exacting a profound personal and economic toll. Despite the increased resources that have recently been brought to bear to improve our understanding of TBI, the developme
Download or read book Autism and Talent written by Francesca Happé and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-03-18 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Originating from a theme issue first published in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences."
Download or read book Neuroeconomics written by Paul W. Glimcher and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the years since it first published, Neuroeconomics: Decision Making and the Brain has become the standard reference and textbook in the burgeoning field of neuroeconomics. The second edition, a nearly complete revision of this landmark book, will set a new standard. This new edition features five sections designed to serve as both classroom-friendly introductions to each of the major subareas in neuroeconomics, and as advanced synopses of all that has been accomplished in the last two decades in this rapidly expanding academic discipline. The first of these sections provides useful introductions to the disciplines of microeconomics, the psychology of judgment and decision, computational neuroscience, and anthropology for scholars and students seeking interdisciplinary breadth. The second section provides an overview of how human and animal preferences are represented in the mammalian nervous systems. Chapters on risk, time preferences, social preferences, emotion, pharmacology, and common neural currencies—each written by leading experts—lay out the foundations of neuroeconomic thought. The third section contains both overview and in-depth chapters on the fundamentals of reinforcement learning, value learning, and value representation. The fourth section, "The Neural Mechanisms for Choice, integrates what is known about the decision-making architecture into state-of-the-art models of how we make choices. The final section embeds these mechanisms in a larger social context, showing how these mechanisms function during social decision-making in both humans and animals. The book provides a historically rich exposition in each of its chapters and emphasizes both the accomplishments and the controversies in the field. A clear explanatory style and a single expository voice characterize all chapters, making core issues in economics, psychology, and neuroscience accessible to scholars from all disciplines. The volume is essential reading for anyone interested in neuroeconomics in particular or decision making in general. - Editors and contributing authors are among the acknowledged experts and founders in the field, making this the authoritative reference for neuroeconomics - Suitable as an advanced undergraduate or graduate textbook as well as a thorough reference for active researchers - Introductory chapters on economics, psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology provide students and scholars from any discipline with the keys to understanding this interdisciplinary field - Detailed chapters on subjects that include reinforcement learning, risk, inter-temporal choice, drift-diffusion models, game theory, and prospect theory make this an invaluable reference - Published in association with the Society for Neuroeconomics—www.neuroeconomics.org - Full-color presentation throughout with numerous carefully selected illustrations to highlight key concepts
Download or read book Computing the Mind written by Shimon Edelman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-09-08 with total page 628 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a culmination of humanity's millennia-long quest for self knowledge, the sciences of the mind are now in a position to offer concrete, empirically validated answers to the most fundamental questions about human nature. What does it mean to be a mind? How is the mind related to the brain? How are minds shaped by their embodiment and environment? What are the principles behind cognitive functions such as perception, memory, language, thought, and consciousness?By analyzing the tasks facing any sentient being that is subject to stimulation and a pressure to act, Shimon Edelman identifies computation as the common denominator in the emerging answers to all these questions. Any system composed of elements that exchange signals with each other and occasionally with the rest of the world can be said to be engaged in computation. A brain composed of neurons is one example of a system that computes, and the computations that the neurons collectively carry out constitute the brain's mind.Edelman presents a computational account of the entire spectrum of cognitive phenomena that constitutes the mind. He begins with sentience, and uses examples from visual perception to demonstrate that it must, at its very core, be a type of computation. Throughout his account, Edelman acknowledges the human mind's biological origins. Along the way, he also demystifies traits such as creativity, language, and individual and collective consciousness, and hints at how naturally evolved minds can transcend some of their limitations by moving to computational substrates other than brains. The account that Edelman gives in this book is accessible, yet unified and rigorous, and the big picture he presents is supported by evidence ranging from neurobiology to computer science. The book should be read by anyone seeking a comprehensive and current introduction to cognitive psychology.
Download or read book Reasoning written by Daniel Krawczyk and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-11-13 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reasoning: The Neuroscience of How We Think is a comprehensive guide to the core topics related to a thorough understanding of reasoning. It presents the current knowledge of the subject in a unified, complete manner, ranging from animal studies, to applied situations, and is the only book available that presents a sustained focus on the neurobiological processes behind reasoning throughout all chapters, while also synthesizing research from animal behavior, cognitive psychology, development, and philosophy for a truly multidisciplinary approach. The book considers historical perspectives, state-of-the-art research methods, and future directions in emerging technology and cognitive enhancement. Written by an expert in the field, this book provides a coherent and structured narrative appropriate for students in need of an introduction to the topic of reasoning as well as researchers seeking well-rounded foundational content. It is essential reading for neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, neuropsychologists and others interested in the neural mechanisms behind thinking, reasoning and higher cognition. Provides a comparative perspective considering animal cognition and its relevance to human reasoning Includes developmental and lifespan considerations throughout the book Discusses technological development and its role in reasoning, both currently and in the future Considers perspectives from not only neuroscience, but cognitive psychology, philosophy, development, and animal behavior for a multidisciplinary treatment Contains highlight boxes featuring additional details on methods, historical descriptions and experimental tasks
Download or read book How Brains Make Up Their Minds written by Walter J. Freeman and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I think, therefore I am. The legendary pronouncement of philosopher René Descartes lingers as accepted wisdom in the Western world nearly four centuries after its author's death. But does thought really come first? Who actually runs the show: we, our thoughts, or the neurons firing within our brains? Walter J. Freeman explores how we control our behavior and make sense of the world around us. Avoiding determinism both in sociobiology, which proposes that persons' genes control their brains' functioning, and in neuroscience, which posits that their brains' disposition is molded by chemistry and environmental forces, Freeman charts a new course--one that gives individuals due credit and responsibility for their actions. Drawing upon his five decades of research in neuroscience, Freeman utilizes the latest advances in his field as well as perspectives from disciplines as diverse as mathematics, psychology, and philosophy to explicate how different human brains act in their chosen diverse ways. He clarifies the implications of brain imaging, by which neural activity can be observed during the course of normal movements, and shows how nonlinear dynamics reveals order within the fecund chaos of brain function.
Download or read book Build a Better Brain written by Peter Hollins and published by PublishDrive. This book was released on 2019-07-24 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neuroscience made simple: practical methods to rewire your brain and take control of your thoughts, actions, and inner voice. Despite our best efforts, most of the time, we act without thinking. We make poor decisions. But this isn’t our fault! It’s just how our brains are programmed. Now, you don’t have to be a scientist to understand how to use your brain’s instincts to your advantage instead of your downfall. Understand your brain; change it; shape it; master it. Build a Better Brain has one goal: to help you improve your life by understanding how your brain works, and taking advantage of it. Put simply, your brain still thinks it is 10,000 BC, and this has the potential to sabotage you on a daily basis. This book is a deep look into the roots of conscious and unconscious behavior. It’s your introduction to neuroscience, but written for non-scientists and packed with advice. At the end of the day, this book is a guide for how to rewire your brain for optimal performance and happiness. Learn to create real neural growth on a daily basis. Increase your mental speed, think quicker, and make better decisions. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with dozens of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Oddly enough, neuroscience was his favorite class in school, and he has found how to apply that same information to real life situations. Control your impulses, anxious unconscious, and fears. Click the BUY NOW button to harness your mental potential. •The physiological origins of your behavior and how to shape them. •How habits - good and bad alike - are completely within your control. •Neuroplasticity in all its forms, and how to harness it for discipline and motivation. •Guiding principles for neural growth and networking. Improve everything you felt was simply impossible to change. Stop acting against your own interests and create intentional action.
