The Physics Of The Mind And Brain Disorders

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.

This authoritative new book details the most recent advances in clinical neuroscience, from neurogenetics to the study of consciousness.

A leading researcher in brain dysfunction and a "Wall Street Journal" science writer demonstrate that the human mind is an independent entity that can shape and control the physical brain.

How did epidemics, zoos, German exiles, methamphetamine, disgruntled technicians, modern bureaucracy, museums, and whipping cream shape the emergence of modern neuroscience?

In psychotherapy and psychiatry, mental illness diagnostics is limited to the description of symptoms and has nothing to do with assessing the state of the organ that performs the mental functions. In other branches of medicine, any diagnosis aims to answer the question about the physical disturbance of the internal technology of the body. But the Mind remains outside of this correct approach. As a result, all systemic mental pathologies are currently incurable. This absurd situation is due to the lack of a physically grounded theoretical model of the Mind. Without it, practical treatment of the disorders remains ‘wandering in the dark.’ How can we fix something if there is no understanding of what it is and how it works? Within the Teleological Transduction Theory developed in the previous volumes of the series, harmony of the Mind is a physical concept of normal functioning. Respectively, when the pathologies are described as dissonances, it is not a metaphor but a reference to the physical malfunction leading to the disintegration of the Mind. The book proposes a new approach to the diagnosis and classification of mental pathologies, based on an assessment of the state of the physical mechanism of the Mind and violations of the technological algorithm of the brain. The goal is to create the concept as a universal tool that can be used in various pathologies. The book offers a model of systemic pathologies such as autism and schizophrenia, which reveals the essence of the physical problem that causes the observed symptoms. This could be the beginning of a project that will overcome the current chaotic state of the field of psychopathology and harmonize our diagnosis and treatment of mental illness as disorders of the brain.

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."

Thinking on 20 watts -- The visible mind -- fMRI grows up -- Can fMRI read minds? -- How do brains change over time? -- Crimes and lies -- Decision neuroscience -- Is mental illness just a brain disease? -- The future of neuroimaging.