Mind And The Frontal Lobes

The human frontal lobes are crucial to mental functioning, yet ongoing research is still uncovering their mechanisms. This text, written by leaders in frontal lobe research, provides a state-of-the-art update of patient and neuroimaging research.

Made up of fascinating histories and anecdotes, Goldberg's book offers a panorama of state-of-the-art ideas and advances in cognitive neuroscience to show the importance of the human brain's frontal lobes. 3 halftones. Illustrations & graphs.

Elkhonon Goldberg's groundbreaking The Executive Brain was a classic of scientific writing, revealing how the frontal lobes command the most human parts of the mind. Now he offers a completely new book, providing fresh, iconoclastic ideas about the relationship between the brain and the mind. In The New Executive Brain, Goldberg paints a sweeping panorama of cutting-edge thinking in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, one that ranges far beyond the frontal lobes. Drawing on the latest discoveries, and developing complex scientific ideas and relating them to real life through many fascinating case studies and anecdotes, the author explores how the brain engages in complex decision-making; how it deals with novelty and ambiguity; and how it addresses moral choices. At every step, Goldberg challenges entrenched assumptions. For example, we know that the left hemisphere of the brain is the seat of language--but Goldberg argues that language may not be the central adaptation of the left hemisphere. Apes lack language, yet many also show evidence of asymmetric hemispheric development. Goldberg also finds that a complex interaction between the frontal lobes and the amygdale--between a recently evolved and a much older part of the brain--controls emotion, as conscious thoughts meet automatic impulses. The author illustrates this observation with a personal example: the difficulty he experienced when trying to pick up a baby alligator he knew to be harmless, as his amygdala battled his effort to extend his hand. In the years since the original Executive Brain, Goldberg has remained at the front of his field, constantly challenging orthodoxy. In this revised and expanded edition, he affirms his place as one of our most creative and insightful scientists, offering lucid writing and bold, paradigm-shifting ideas.

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.

The Frontal Lobes, Volume 163, updates readers on the latest thinking on the structure and function of the human frontal lobe. Sections address methodology, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, function, development, aging and disorders, and rehabilitation. Patients with focal lesions in the frontal lobes have long been studied to reveal the organization and function of the frontal lobes. Over the last two decades, studies of patients with neurodegenerative diseases and developmental disorders have increased, with new findings discussed in this volume. In addition, the book includes discussions on genetics and molecular biology, optogenetics, high-resolution structural and functional neuroimaging and electrophysiology, and more. Lastly, new knowledge on the biology, structure and function of the frontal lobes, new treatment targets for pharmacology, non-invasive brain stimulation, and cognitive/social remediation are presented. The last section covers new efforts that will hopefully lead to better outcomes in patients with frontal lobe disorders. Provides an overview of the structure, function, disorder and rehabilitation of the frontal lobes Addresses a wide variety of methodologies – from genetics and molecular biology, to optogenetics and hi-res fMRI, and more Contains content of interest to advanced students, junior researchers and clinicians getting involved in research Features the input of leaders in neuroanatomical research from around the globe – the broadest, most expert coverage available

The cognitive and behavioral functions of the frontal lobes have been of great interest to neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists and psychiatrists. Recent technical advances have made it possible to trace their neuroanatomical connections more precisely and to conduct evoked potentialand neuroimaging studies in patients. This book presents a broad and authoritative synthesis of research progress in this field. It encompasses neuroanatomical studies; experiments involving temporal organization and working memory tasks in non-human primates; clinical studies of patients followingfrontal lobe excisions for intractable epilepsy; metabolic imaging in schizophrenia and affective disorder; neurobehavioral studies of patients with dementia, frontal lobe tumors, and head injuries; magnetic resonance imaging methods for studying human frontal lobe anatomy; theoretical approaches todescribing frontal lobe functions; and rehabilitation of patients with frontal lobe damage including their core problem of diminished awareness. Written by a distinguished group of neuroscientists, psychologists and clinicians, Frontal Lobe Function and Dysfunction provides the best current sourceof information on this region of the brain and its role in cognition, behavior and clinical disorders.