Brain Circuits And Functions Of The Mind

Roger Sperry has made outstanding contributions to neuroscience. Here, he and over twenty of his contemporaries, review 50 years of both his work and their own in the context of Sperry's contribution to their fields. Sperry's challenging theories are still much alive in brain science, cognitive psychology and the philosophy of the mind.

This book covers recent advances in the understanding of brain structure, function and disorders based on the fundamental principles of physics. It covers a broad range of physical phenomena occurring in the brain circuits for perception, cognition, emotion and action, representing the building blocks of the mind. It provides novel insights into the devastating brain disorders of the mind such as schizophrenia, dementia, autism, aging or addictions, as well as into the new devices for brain repair. The book is aimed at basic researchers in the fields of neuroscience, physics, biophysics and clinicians in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, psychology, psychiatry.

While embracing the now classical theories of McCulloch and Pitts, the neuroidal model also accommodates state information in the neurons, more flexible timing mechanisms, a variety of assumptions about interconnectivity, and the possibility that different brain areas perform specialized functions. Programmable so that a wide range of algorithmic theories can be described and evaluated, the model provides a concrete computational language and a unified framework in which diverse cognitive phenomena - such as memory, learning, and reasoning - can be systematically and concurrently analyzed. Requiring no specialized knowledge, Circuits of the Mind masterfully offers an exciting new approach to brain science for students and researchers in computer science, neurobiology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science.

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."

How we raise young children is one of today's most highly personalized and sharply politicized issues, in part because each of us can claim some level of "expertise." The debate has intensified as discoveries about our development-in the womb and in the first months and years-have reached the popular media. How can we use our burgeoning knowledge to assure the well-being of all young children, for their own sake as well as for the sake of our nation? Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and other issues. The committee issues a series of challenges to decision makers regarding the quality of child care, issues of racial and ethnic diversity, the integration of children's cognitive and emotional development, and more. Authoritative yet accessible, From Neurons to Neighborhoods presents the evidence about "brain wiring" and how kids learn to speak, think, and regulate their behavior. It examines the effect of the climate-family, child care, community-within which the child grows.

Dr. Charles Legéndy’s Circuits in the Brain: A Model of Shape Processing in the Primary Visual Cortex is published at a time marked by unprecedented advances in experimental brain research which are, however, not matched by similar advances in theoretical insight. For this reason, the timing is ideal for the appearance of Dr. Legéndy’s book, which undertakes to derive certain global features of the brain directly from the neurons. Circuits in the Brain, with its “relational firing” model of shape processing, includes a step-by-step development of a set of multi-neuronal networks for transmitting visual relations, using a strategy believed to be equally applicable to many aspects of brain function other than vision. The book contains a number of testable predictions at the neuronal level, some believed to be accessible to the techniques which have recently become available. With its novel approach and concrete references to anatomy and physiology, the monograph promises to open up entirely new avenues of brain research, and will be particularly useful to graduate students, academics, and researchers studying neuroscience and neurobiology. In addition, since Dr. Legéndy’s book succeeds in achieving a clean logical presentation without mathematics, and uses a bare minimum of technical terminology, it may also be enjoyed by non-scientists intrigued by the intellectual challenge of the elegant devices applied inside our brain. The book is uniquely self-contained; with more than 120 annotated illustrations it goes into full detail in describing all functional and theoretical concepts on which it builds.

This book covers recent advances in neural technology that provide for enhancements for brain function. It addresses a broad range of neural phenomena occurring in the brain circuits involved in perception, cognition, emotion and action, that represent the building blocks of behavior and cognition. Augmentation of brain function can be achieved by using brain implants for recordings, stimulation, or drug delivery. Alternative methods include employing brain-machine interfaces, as well as noninvasive activation of certain brain areas. This volume evaluates existing methods of brain augmentation while discussing the brain circuitry and neuronal mechanisms that make augmentation possible. This volume offers novel insights into brain disorders, and explores new devices for brain repair while also addressing the philosophical and ethical implications of brain augmentation. The information in this book is relevant to researchers in the fields of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical practice. Advance Praise for Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function: “This impressive book by leading experts in neuroscience and neuroengineering lays out the future of brain augmentation, in which the human mind and machine merge, leading to a rapid exponential growth of the power of humanity.” Ray Kurzweil, best-selling author, inventor, entrepreneur and a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1999), and the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2001) "This book employs a holistic approach in covering the recent advances in the fields of neuroscience, neuroinformatics, neurotechnology and neuro-psycho-pharmacology. Each chapter of the book covers major aspects of modern brain research in connection with the human mind and behavior, and is authored by researchers with unique expertise in their field. " Ioan Dumitrache, Prof. Dr. Eng. Faculty of Computer Science, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania “This book presents compelling perspectives on what interactive neuroscience will look like in the future, delving into the innovatory ideas of a diverse set of neuroscientists, and speculating on the different ways computer chips implanted in the brains of humans can effect intelligence and communication.” György Buzsáki, MD, PhD is the Biggs Professor of Neuroscience, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY

A leading neuroscientist offers the latest research and many new ideas on the connections between brain circuitry and conscious experience. How the mysterious three-pound organ in our heads creates the rich array of human mental experience, including the sense of self and consciousness, is one of the great challenges of 21st-century science. Veteran neuroscientist W. R. Klemm presents the latest research findings on this elusive brain-mind connection in a lucidly presented, accessible, and engaging narrative. The author focuses on how mind emerges from nerve-impulse patterns in the densely-packed neural circuits that make up most of the brain, suggesting that conscious mind can be viewed as a sort of neural-activity-based avatar. As an entity in its own right, mind on the conscious level can have significant independent action, shaping the brain that sustains it through its plans, goals, interests, and interactions with the world. Thus, in a very literal sense, we become what we think. Against researchers who argue that conscious mind is merely a passive observer and free will an illusion, the author presents evidence showing that mental creativity, freedom to act, and personal responsibility are very real. He also delves into the role of dream sleep in both animals and humans, and explains the brain-based differences between nonconscious, unconscious, and conscious minds. Written in a jargon-free style understandable to the lay reader, this is a fascinating synthesis of recent neuroscience and intriguing hypotheses.