Neuronal Man

Over the past thirty-five years, there has been an explosive increase in scientists' ability to explain the structure and functioning of the human brain. While psychology has advanced our understanding of human behavior, various other sciences, such as anatomy, physiology, and biology, have determined the critical importance of synapses and, through the use of advanced technology, made it possible actually to see brain cells at work within the skull's walls. Here Jean-Pierre Changeux elucidates our current knowledge of the human brain, taking an interdisciplinary approach and explaining in layman's terms the complex theories and scientific breakthroughs that have significantly improved our understanding in the twentieth century.

This book is unique in linking in vivo 13C NMR measurements of neuronal activity and energetics with applications to functional imaging and certain disease states It provides a fundamental neurochemical explanation of brain activity applicable to functional imaging, theories of neuronal activity and disease states, e.g. epilepsy, psychiatric diseases and developmental disorders. Novel and potentially controversial Will inspire future research directions

What does the swimming leech have to do with the running human? The ability to move actively in space is essential to members of the animal kingdom, and the evolution of the nervous system relates to a large extent to the evolution of locomotion. The extreme importance of locomotion hasstimulated many studies of the neural mechanisms underlying locomotion across a range of species. For the first time, a group of three leading neurobiologists have undertaken a comparative study of these mechanisms. Neuronal Control of Locomotion: From Mollusc to Man describes how the brains invery diverse and evolutionarily removed species control the animal's locomotion. In doing so, the authors reveal unifying principles of brain function, making it essential reading for students and researchers in neurobiology generally, and motor control in particular. "In my opinion, the authorshave produced a masterful and highly readable exposition on the neural control of locomotion. It is timely and relevant to avant- garde neuroscience. It will have a major impact on the field, and is sure to be referenced well into the second half of the next century." Douglas Stuart, Universityof Arizona College of Medicine

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."

An exploration of the biology of meaning that integrates the role of subjective processes with current knowledge of brain/mind function.

Secrets of Creativity: What Neuroscience, the Arts, and Our Minds Reveal draws on insights from leading neuroscientists and scholars in the humanities and the arts to probe creativity in its many contexts, in the everyday mind, the exceptional mind, the scientific mind, the artistic mind, and the pathological mind. Components of creativity are specified with respect to types of memory, forms of intelligence, modes of experience, and kinds of emotion. Authors in this volume take on the challenge of showing how creativity can be characterized behaviorally, cognitively, and neurophysiologically. The complementary perspectives of the authors add to the richness of these findings. Neuroscientists describe the functioning of the brain and its circuitry in creative acts of scientific discovery or aesthetic production. Humanists from the fields of literature, art, and music give analyses of creativity in major literary works, musical compositions, and works of visual art.

Sensory Processes at the Neuronal and Behavioral Levels is a collection of papers dealing with problems of functional organization of the visual and auditory systems. One paper points out that neurophysiological and psychophysiological research in vision can be combined. The paper compares the cat's contrast stimulation by Hermann's grid that elicits neuronal responses of cells with concentric and simple fields as being similar to the subjective vision in man. Another paper addresses the sources of information in the perception of visual spatial relations. For example, eye movements as the source of information about visual spatial relations are refuted. The visual system already estimates accurately the spatial properties of an object before the onset of eye movements. Another paper discusses certain concepts about the mechanisms of the auditory system. One paper presents the results of an experiment involving some adult cats. They were lightly anesthetized and their responses were recorded when the inferior colliculus, or the left and right auditory cortex were stimulated electrically. Another paper analyzes the mechanism used by insect in recognizing species-specific songs. This book is suitable for neurophysiologists, neurochemists, and researchers dealing with physiological acoustics and the psychophysics of the visual system.