This book is a comprehensive overview of the main current concepts in brain cognitive activities at the global, collective (or network) level, with a focus on transitions between normal neurophysiology and brain pathological states. It provides a unique approach of linking molecular and cellular aspects of normal and pathological brain functioning with their corresponding network, collective and dynamical manifestations that are subsequently extended to behavioural manifestations of healthy and diseased brains. This book introduces a high-level perspective, searching for simplification amongst the structural and functional complexity of nervous systems by consideration of the distributed interactions that underlie the collective behaviour of the system. The authors hope that this approach could promote a global comprehensive understanding of high-level laws behind the elementary biological processes in the neuroscientific community, while, perhaps, introducing elements of biological complexities to the mathematical/computational readership. The title of the book refers to the main point of the monograph: that there is a smooth continuum between distinct brain activities resulting in different behaviours, and that, due to the plastic nature of the brain, the behaviour can also alter the brain function, thus rendering artificial the boundaries between the brain and its behaviour.

This well-established international series examines major areas of basic and clinical research within neuroscience, as well as emerging and promising subfields.This volume explores interdisciplinary research on decision making taking a neural and behavioural approach - Leading authors review the state-of-the-art in their field of investigation, and provide their views and perspectives for future research - Chapters are extensively referenced to provide readers with a comprehensive list of resources on the topics covered - All chapters include comprehensive background information and are written in a clear form that is also accessible to the non-specialist

Body, Brain, Behavior: Three Views and a Conversation describes brain research on the frontiers, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the brain and its development and evolution, peripheral organs, and other brains in communication. The book expands current views of neuroscience by illustrating the integration of these disciplines. By using a novel method of conversations between 3 scientists of different disciplines, cellular, endocrine, developmental, and social processes are seamlessly woven into topics that relate to contemporary living in health and disease. This book is a critical read for anyone who wants to become familiar with the inner workings of the nervous system and its intimate connections to the universe of contemporary life issues. - Introduces the reader to basic principles of brain research and integrative physiology - Dissects the dispute between Cajal and Golgi regarding the state-of-the art in the neurosciences and immunobiology - Provides a short history of brain research and metabolism - Discusses contemporary approaches in the neurosciences, along with the importance of technological versus conceptual advances - Examines the dynamics of social connections between two brains, integrating mechanisms of Body/Brain/Behavior-to-Body/Brain/Behavior between subjects

Bringing together contributors working on a common problem but addressing different levels of brain organization by way of different tehniques, The Mind-Brain Continuum seeks to determine which scientific questions are most pressing as we move toward discovering the neurobiology of psychological processes. As the title implies, contributions are organized around the notion that mental activity is brain activity, providing a broad, integrated view of a particular subset of brain function. The focus is on sensory perception, processes that include somatosensory, auditory and olfactory processes, as well as research on vision.

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.

This insightful book proposes a holistic theory of the development of self, drawing on interdisciplinary literature in existential-phenomenology, neurophenomenology, intracrinology, endocrinology, and naturopathic medicine. The psychoneurointracrine hypothesis bridges the gap between the mind and brain, providing a framework to explain the complex system that facilitates development of one’s sense of self and well-being. The book challenges assumptions in present day neuroscience and psychiatry, placing the mind and brain on a continuum of health and growth rather than reducing the study of human consciousness to neurobiological terms and pathological classifications. “In this landmark book, Susan Gordon presents a bold hypothesis, one that underscores the importance of psychoneurointracrine activity and links it to female neurology and the development of one’s sense of self. She brilliantly places this activity, which serves as a mind-body bridge, within the frameworks of neurophenomenology and non-linear dynamics. Her psychoneurointracrine hypothesis is a tour de force, one that is holistic, integrating intracrinology with psychology and neurology. This hypothesis undercuts the current assumption that the mind is an epiphenomenon of the brain, creating a paradigm that impacts science’s understanding of behavior, experience, consciousness, and human agency.” Stanley Krippner, PhD, Affiliated Distinguished Faculty, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA “In her fascinating book, Susan Gordon develops a novel theory about the biological connection between mind, brain, and organism. Drawing on empirical research on the role of the female hormonal system in basal states of self and mood, she shows that the biochemistry of the endocrine system must be viewed as an indispensable foundation for the emergence of embodied self-awareness. The homeostasis and hormonal balance of the organism is integral to the sense of well-being and the development of meaning, but it is also continually modulated and influenced by the subject’s experience of his or her world. In this way, she makes a decisive contribution to a theory of embodiment that goes far beyond a computational theory of the brain to focus on the biochemical-organismic processes at the root of the mind.” Thomas Fuchs, MD, PhD, Karl Jaspers Professor of Philosophy and Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, DE

Revisiting the Classic Studies is a series of texts that introduces readers to the studies in psychology that changed the way we think about core topics in the discipline today. It provokes students to ask more interesting and challenging questions about the field by encouraging a deeper level of engagement both with the details of the studies themselves and with the nature of their contribution. Edited by leading scholars in their field and written by researchers at the cutting edge of these developments, the chapters in each text provide details of the original works and their theoretical and empirical impact, and then discuss the ways in which thinking and research has advanced in the years since the studies were conducted. Brain and Behaviour: Revisiting the Classic Studies traces 17 ground-breaking studies by researchers such as Gage, Luria, Sperry, and Tulving to re-examine and reflect on their findings and engage in a lively discussion of the subsequent work that they have inspired. Suitable for students on neuropsychology courses at all levels, as well as anyone with an enquiring mind.

Much of contemporary behavioral or cognitive neuroscience is concerned with discovering the neural basis of psychological processes such as attention, cognition, consciousness, perception, and memory. In sharp divergence from this field, An Odyssey Through the Brain, Behavior and the Mind can be regarded as an elaborate demonstration that the large scale features of brain electrical activity are related to sensory and motor processes in various ways but are not organised in accordance with conventional psychological concepts. It is argued that much of the traditional lore concerning the mind is based on prescientific philosophical assumptions and has little relevance to brain function. The first ten chapters of An Odyssey Through the Brain, Behavior and the Mind give a personal account of how the various discoveries that gave rise to these views came to be made. This is followed by discussions of brain organization in relation to behavior, learning and memory, sleep and consciousness, and the general problem of the mind.

In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist and the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller What Happened to You? reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery "Fascinating and upbeat...Dr. Perry is both a world-class creative scientist and a compassionate therapist."—Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia How does trauma affect a child's mind—and how can that mind recover? Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce D. Perry has helped children faced with unimaginable horror: genocide survivors, murder witnesses, kidnapped teenagers, and victims of family violence. In the classic The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry tells their stories of trauma and transformation and shares their lessons of courage, humanity, and hope. Deftly combining unforgettable case histories with his own compassionate, insightful strategies for rehabilitation, Perry explains what happens to children’s brains when they are exposed to extreme stress—and reveals the unexpected measures that can be taken to ease such pain and help them grow into healthy adults. Only when we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing can we hope to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child.