Best of
Neuroscience

2005

Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality


Robert M. Sapolsky - 2005
    Course Lecture Titles1. Biology and BehaviorAn Introduction 2. The Basic Cells of the Nervous System 3. How Two Neurons Communicate 4. Learning and Synaptic Plasticity 5. The Dynamics of Interacting Neurons 6. The Limbic System 7. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) 8. The Regulation of Hormones by the Brain 9. The Regulation of the Brain by Hormones 10. The Evolution of Behavior 11. The Evolution of BehaviorSome Examples 12. Cooperation, Competition, and Neuroeconomics 13. What Do Genes Do? Microevolution of Genes 14. What Do Genes Do? Macroevolution of Genes 15. Behavior Genetics 16. Behavior Genetics and Prenatal Environment 17. An Introduction to Ethology 18. Neuroethology 19. The Neurobiology of Aggression I 20. The Neurobiology of Aggression II 21. Hormones and Aggression 22. Early Experience and Aggression 23. Evolution, Aggression, and Cooperation 24. A Summary

An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique


Steven J. Luck - 2005
    In " An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique," Steve Luck offers the first comprehensive guide to the practicalities of conducting ERP experiments in cognitive neuroscience and related fields, including affective neuroscience and experimental psychopathology. The book can serve as a guide for the classroom or the laboratory and as a reference for researchers who do not conduct ERP studies themselves but need to understand and evaluate ERP experiments in the literature. It summarizes the accumulated body of ERP theory and practice, providing detailed, practical advice about how to design, conduct, and interpret ERP experiments, and presents the theoretical background needed to understand why an experiment is carried out in a particular way. Luck focuses on the most fundamental techniques, describing them as they are used in many of the world's leading ERP laboratories. These techniques reflect a long history of electrophysiological recordings and provide an excellent foundation for more advanced approaches.The book also provides advice on the key topic of how to design ERP experiments so that they will be useful in answering questions of broad scientific interest. This reflects the increasing proportion of ERP research that focuses on these broader questions rather than the "ERPology" of early studies, which concentrated primarily on ERP components and methods. Topics covered include the neural origins of ERPs, signal averaging, artifact rejection and correction, filtering, measurement and analysis, localization, and the practicalities of setting up the lab.

Conversations on Consciousness: What the Best Minds Think about the Brain, Free Will, and What It Means to Be Human


Susan Blackmore - 2005
    The interviewees, ranging from major philosophers to renowned scientists, talk candidly with Blackmore about some of the key philosophical issues confronting us in a series of conversations that are revealing, insightful, and stimulating. They ruminate on the nature of consciousness (is it something apart from the brain?) and discuss if it is even possible to understand the human mind. Some of these thinkers say no, but most believe that we will pierce the mystery surrounding consciousness, and that neuroscience will provide the key. Blackmore goes beyond the issue of consciousness to ask other intriguing questions: Is there free will? (A question which yields many conflicted replies, with most saying yes and no.) If not, how does this effect the way you live your life; and more broadly, how has your work changed the way you live?Paired with an introduction and extensive glossary that provide helpful background information, these provocative conversations illuminate how some of the greatest minds tackle some of the most difficult questions about human nature.

Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of Mind


Eric R. Kandel - 2005
    Complete with commentaries by experts in the field, Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of Mind reflects the author's evolving view of how biology has revolutionized psychiatry and psychology and how potentially could alter modern psychoanalytic thought.The author's unique perspective on both psychoanalysis and biological research has led to breakthroughs in our thinking about neurobiology, psychiatry, and psychoanalysis -- all driven by the central idea that a fuller understanding of the biological processes of learning and memory can illuminate our understanding of behavior and its disorders. These wonderful essays cover - the mechanisms of psychotherapy and medications, showing that both work at the same level of neural circuits and synapses, and the implications of neurobiological research for psychotherapy;- the ability to detect functional changes in the brain after psychotherapy, which enables us, for the first time, to objectively evaluate the effects of psychotherapy on individual patients;- the need for animal models of mental disorders; for example, learned fear, to show how molecules and cellular mechanisms for learning and memory can be combined in various ways to produce a range of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors;- the unification of behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology into the new science of the mind, charted in two seminal reports on neurobiology and molecular biology given in 1983 and 2000;- the critical role of synapses and synaptic strength in both short- and long-term learning;- the biological and social implications of the mapping of the human genome for medicine in general and for psychiatry and mental health in particular;The author concludes by calling for a revolution in psychiatry, one that can use the power of biology and cognitive psychology to treat the many mentally ill persons who do not benefit from drug therapy.Fascinating reading for psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, social workers, residents in psychiatry, and trainees in psychoanalysis, Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and the New Biology of Mind records with elegant precision the monumental changes taking place in psychiatric thinking. It is an invaluable reference work and a treasured resource for thinking about the future.

How the Body Shapes the Mind


Shaun Gallagher - 2005
    There is a growing consensus across these disciplines that the contribution of embodiment to cognition is inescapable. Because this insight has been developed across a variety of disciplines, however, there is still a need to develop a common vocabulary that is capable of integrating discussions of brain mechanisms in neuroscience, behavioural expressions in psychology, design concerns in artificial intelligence and robotics, and debates about embodied experience in the phenomenology and philosophy of mind. Shaun Gallagher's book aims to contribute to the formulation of that common vocabulary and to develop a conceptual framework that will avoid both the overly reductionistic approaches that explain everything in terms of bottom-up neuronal mechanisms, and inflationistic approaches that explain everything in terms of Cartesian, top-down cognitive states. Gallagher pursues two basic sets of questions. The first set consists of questions about the phenomenal aspects of the structure of experience, and specifically the relatively regular and constant features that we find in the content of our experience. If throughout conscious experience there is a constant reference to one's own body, even if this is a recessive or marginal awareness, then that reference constitutes a structural feature of the phenomenal field of consciousness, part of a framework that is likely to determine or influence all other aspects of experience. The second set of questions concerns aspects of the structure of experience that are more hidden, those that may be more difficult to get at because they happen before we know it. They do not normally enter into the content of experience in an explicit way, and are often inaccessible to reflective consciousness. To what extent, and in what ways, are consciousness and cognitive processes, which include experiences related to perception, memory, imagination, belief, judgement, and so forth, shaped or structured by the fact that they are embodied in this way?

The Brain: A Beginner's Guide


Ammar al-Chalabi - 2005
    However, as the authors of this accessible guide demonstrate, there are at least some things we do understand about the brain, things which may lead us to think quite differently about the way we view ourselves and workings of our minds. Starting off with a brief tour of the history of neuroscience, from Aristotle's view that the function of the brain was to cool the heart to the ancient practice of drilling a hole in the skull to relieve headaches, the book covers all of the key areas - including the anatomy and development of the brain, the workings of the sensory and nervous systems, the function of sleep and the capacity for language - in a clear and comprehensible manner. The authors also consider the roots - and possible treatments - of some of the most common psychological disorders, and examine the way in which science may help us to find answers to philosophical questions about the nature of consciousness and the identity of the self. to be able to extend life well beyond the standard three score years and ten, this lively and entertaining introduction assumes no previous scientific knowledge and will be suitable for readers of all backgrounds.

Foundations of Biopsychology


Andrew Wickens - 2005
    Assuming no background knowledge in biology or psychology, the text relates examples to clinical conditions or treatments, allowing students to fully understand the relevance of the subject to other areas of psychology.

Lexical Priming: A New Theory of Words and Language


Michael Hoey - 2005
    Here they are not confined to the definitions given to them in dictionaries but instead interact with other words in common patterns of use.Using concrete statistical evidence from a corpus of newspaper English, but also referring to travel writing and literary text, the author argues that words are 'primed' for use through our experience with them, so that everything we know about a word is a product of our encounters with it. This knowledge explains how speakers of a language succeed in being fluent, creative and natural.

Clinical Neurology


Michael J. Aminoff - 2005
    It reflects the rapidly expanding knowledge of molecular and genetic disease mechanisms and of therapy for neurologic disorders. NEW: Relevant web sites added to each chapter - provides readers with up-to-date resources and a NEW Glossary presents quick reference to common neurologic terms and conditions.

Exploring the Musical Mind: Cognition, Emotion, Ability, Function


John A. Sloboda - 2005
    This new book brings together 24 selected essays and reviews written by an internationally acclaimed authority on music and the mind. Chapters are grouped into four main areas of study. These are, cognitive processes (including music reading, memory and performance), emotion and motivation, talent and skill development, and music in the real world (including functions of music in everyday life and culture). The book ends with a newly written chapter on music psychology and social benefits. The books brings together in one place a range of influential writings, whose links to one another provide a compendious overview of a subject that has come to maturity during the author's career, a career which has significantly contributed to the development of the field.

Essential Neurology


Iain Wilkinson - 2005
    This book is a core text for medical students and junior doctors, who want a comprehensive yet concise practical guide to clinical neurology. To make the book more readable and digestible, we have introduced colour into the text. This text provides clear explanations of the most common neurological and neurosurgical disorders. The most up-to-date clinical methods are covered to ensure students are learning the newest techniques. To enhance the readers' understanding of this subject more illustrations, line drawings and scans are incorporated into the text.Another new addition is the inclusion of clinical cases with self-assessment questions at the end of every chapter. These help to clearly illustrate the clinical presentations of key neurological disorders.Essential Neurology is ideal for medical students on neurology attachments and an excellent review text for the MRCP examination.Reviews of previous editionThis is an excellent introductory text for medical students who want their neurology without frills. --British Medical Journal A well-presented manual of practical clinical neurology recommended as easy and enjoyable fundamental reading. --Brain This is an excellent book with a very good all round approach to an understanding of neurology at student level --Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry

The Jumbled Jigsaw: An Insider's Approach to the Treatment of Autistic Spectrum `Fruit Salads'


Donna Williams - 2005
    Exploring everything from mood, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and tic disorders to information processing and sensory perceptual difficulties, including dependency issues, identity problems and much more, Donna demonstrates how a number of such conditions can combine to form a 'cluster condition' and underpin the label 'autism spectrum disorder'.Donna Williams encourages and empowers families to look at what they can do to change their child's environment to address anxiety, overload and other issues. She also gives carers the necessary information to navigate the booming autism marketplace and demand the right tools for the job. The author also challenges professionals to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to identifying and treating the cluster conditions that make up an autism spectrum diagnosis, and to improve service delivery to those in need.The Jumbled Jigsaw is a call to modern society to take responsibility and accept diversity. It is written in a very human and user-friendly way for parents and for Auties and Aspies themselves, but it is also aimed at carers, professionals, policy-makers and service providers.

Duus' Topical Diagnosis in Neurology: Anatomy, Physiology, Signs, Symptoms


Mathias Baehr - 2005
    In this edition, a team of experts combines this proven format with cutting-edge science and up-to-date illustrations for a new generation of medical professionals.Features include:Two entirely new chapters on the elements of the nervous system and on the blood supply and vascular disorders of the central nervous systemA interdisciplinary approach, consisting of an integrated presentation of preclinical and clinical knowledge, as well as the anatomy, function, and syndromes of the CNSA logical, thematic structure, an improved layout, more color-coding, and useful summaries at the beginning of each chapterClinical correlations and study aids designed to support and complement current medical school curriculaCompletely modernized case studies and state-of-the-art images that reflect current clinical practiceMore than 400 illustrations, including four-color anatomical drawings and CT and MR images of the highest qualityCelebrated by readers and reviewers alike for its unique goal-oriented approach, Topical Diagnosis in Neurology -- fully revised -- remains both an excellent refresher for practicing physicians and an essential tool for all those in training.

Understanding Sensory Dysfunction: Learning, Development and Sensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Bipolar Disorder


Polly Godwin Emmons - 2005
    Focusing on early intervention, they provide a host of tried and tested integration activities, assessment and curricular modifications, treatment options and useful equipment and resources that ultimately aim to limit or prevent the interference of sensory dysfunction with successful learning, socialization and skills development.This accessible and empowering book offers a unique approach to the condition and will help families, teachers and caregivers meet the particular needs of children with sensory dysfunction.

Measuring the Mind: Conceptual Issues in Contemporary Psychometrics


Denny Borsboom - 2005
    Denny Borsboom provides an in-depth treatment of the philosophical foundations of widely used measurement models in psychology. The theoretical status of classical test theory, latent variable theory and positioned in terms of the underlying philosophy of science. Special attention is devoted to the central concept of test validity and future directions to improve the theory and practice of psychological measurement are outlined.

Evolution and Posttraumatic Stress: Disorders of Vigilance and Defence


Chris Cantor - 2005
    Evolution and Posttraumatic Stress provides a valuable new perspective on its nature and causes.This book is the first to examine PTSD from an evolutionary perspective. Beginning with a review of conventional theories, Chris Cantor provides a clear and succinct overview of the history, clinical features and epidemiology of PTSD before going on to introduce and integrate evolutionary theory. Subjects discussed include:The evolution of human defensive behavioursA clinical perspective of PTSDDefence in overdrive: evolution, PTSD and parsimonyThis original presentation of PTSD as a defensive strategy describes how the use of evolutionary theory provides a more coherent and successful model for diagnosis, greatly improving understanding of usually mystifying symptoms. It will be of great interest to psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychologists, and anthropologists.

The Sense of Hearing


Christopher J. Plack - 2005
    In clear and authoritative prose, the fundamental aspects of hearing are addressed. The reader is introduced to the nature of sound and the spectrum, and the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system. Basic auditory processes including frequency selectivity, loudness and pitch perception, temporal resolution, and sound localization are explained. The reader is led to an understanding of the remarkable abilities of the auditory system in a systematic and coherent way. In the final chapters, it is shown how complex processes, such as perceptual organization and speech perception, are dependent on the initial analysis that occurs when sounds enter the ear.The text benefits from 139 original illustrations, including uncluttered diagrams that illuminate auditory mechanisms. An extensive glossary provides definitions of technical terms. The emphasis is on explanation and clarity of style throughout, and the book will be an essential resource for students and educators involved in this sometimes challenging field.

DeJong's The Neurologic Examination


William W. Campbell - 2005
    The text integrates details of neuroanatomy and clinical diagnosis in an easy-to-read format. Anatomical and exam illustrations help ensure proper technique. Plus, illustrative cases and tables summarize differentials and list clinical findings. With this book as their guide, readers will truly understand the anatomical underpinnings of examination techniques.FEATURES• Four-color design• Updated figures and references• Text is supplemented by helpful boxes that highlight key points• When available, evidence-based medical insights are incorporated in assessing the value of specific tests

The Wayward Mind: An Intimate History of the Unconscious


Guy Claxton - 2005
    Guy Claxton’s beautifully written book takes in intellectual and cultural history, literature, and spirituality. In The Wayward Mind, the common image of the mind is skillfully redrawn to acknowledge the constant influence of its invisible foundations on everyday human behavior.

Essential Neuroscience


Allan Siegel - 2005
    . .As burgeoning research advances the field of neuroscience, instructors face the formidable challenge of imparting this ever-increasing and heterogenous body of information to students. Essential Neuroscience, Second Edition is the coherent, balanced solution.Rated outstanding with highest 5-star ranking in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. This highly acclaimed second edition covers fundamental neuroscience topics, integrating essential information with clinical and physiological considerations, providing students with multiple opportunities for review and self-testing, and presenting the latest relevant developments in neuroscience.Proven building-block approach preferred by faculty and students alike. Beginning with the building block of neuroscience, the neuron, the text unfolds the story of human brain function. From analysis of a single neuron, the authors enlarge the discussion to neuronal communication; guide us through the essentials of spinal cord and brain anatomy; detail the sensory, motor, and integrative systems; and finally illustrate the most complex functions and dysfunctions of the nervous system. This stepwise, basic-to-complex approach is the synthesis of 30 years of teaching experience and improves student performance on exams.NEW FEATURES:Enhanced topics throughout Integration of material where sequentially and functionally relevant More than 50 revised and 8 all-new illustrations Chapter Summary Tables Expanded Glossary In-depth study of selected topics to accommodate dental studentsINSIDE YOU'LL FIND:Six sections organize chapters into cohesive blocks of information. Learning Objectives launch each chapter by focusing students on key chapter information. Updated, full-color art program abounds with more than 400 illustrations and neuroimaging that reflect appropriate detail and complement the text. Tables and outlines organize chapter material in high-yield format for effective student review. Concise yet comprehensive presentation of material ensures that students learn what they need to know without bogging them down with excess information. Balanced integration of anatomy, biology, physiology, and chemistry gives students a well-rounded understanding of neuroscience. In-depth coverage of topics frequently tested on the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)—including structure, function, and deficits of individual cranial nerves; vascular syndromes of the brainstem; and behavioral disorders—gives students an edge in test prep. Latest developments in neuroscience keep students at the front of discovery. Clinical Cases provide the clinical application of chapter concepts. USMLE-style and course review-style questions test retention of key concepts in each chapter and help students prepare for course and board examinations. Comprehensive Glossary defines key terms and concepts bolded throughout the text. Online access via thePoint to the fully searchable text (including images), an image bank for faculty with labels on/off, interactive Q&A, and more.

Introduction to Clinical Neurology


Douglas J. Gelb - 2005
    It details the initial examination, interpretation of results, diagnosis, treatment options, and more. Dr. Gelb's systematic approach to patient management, and his reader-friendly style, makes complex information easy to understand and apply.Emphasizes the information necessary for success on clinical rotations and clerkships in neurology.Approaches neurology the way it is taught by clinical instructors.Offers step-by-step guidance on performing the initial neurologic examination.Includes problem-solving aids for the interpretation of difficult examination results.Excellent board review with numerous case studies and review questions written in USMLE style.Illustrates key points with clearly executed line drawings.Portable reference with a pocket-sized format.The latest drugs and treatments as well as a more detailed section on the neurologic exam.A new chapter containing additional case studies and answers for enhanced board review.

Emotion and Consciousness


Lisa Feldman Barrett - 2005
    Carefully organized, tightly edited chapters address such compelling questions as how bodily responses contribute to conscious experience, whether "unconscious emotion" exists, how affect is transmitted from one person to another, and how emotional responses are produced in the brain. Bringing a new level of coherence to lines of inquiry that often remain disparate, the book identifies key, cross-cutting ideas and themes and sets forth a cogent agenda for future research.

Neural Engineering


Bin He - 2005
    It is intended to serve as a reference to graduate and advanced undergraduate students in bioengineering.

Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: Theory, Models, Therapy and Outcome


Barbara A. Wilson - 2005
    Describing the holistic programme devised and adopted at the world famous Oliver Zangwill Centre and embracing a broad theoretical base, incorporating a variety of frameworks, theories and models, this book proposes an integrated approach to brain injury rehabilitation by an interdisciplinary team. The coverage explains the underlying principles involved, describes the group therapies employed, highlights a selection of real case examples and reviews the outcomes measured and achieved. This book is essential reading for clinical neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, neurologists, physiotherapists, social workers and nurses.