The papers in this volume consider the role of sensory-motor processes and their neural structures in higher cognitive functions such as visual and motor imagery, iconic memory and temporal judgment. The evidence brought to bear on this issue comes from behavioral studies of brain-damaged subjects and fMRI and TMS studies with normal subjects. The issue also includes several theoretical reviews and discussions.

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."

Despite the intensive experimental and theoretical studies for over a century, the general processes involved in neural control of pasture and movement, in learning of motor behaviour in healthy subjects and in adaptation in pathology were and remain a challenging problems for the scientists in the field of sensorimotor control. The book is the outcome of the Advanced Research Workshop Sensorimotor Control, where the focus was on the state and the perspectives of the study in the field.

A version of the OpenStax text

Synthesizing coverage of sensation and reward into a comprehensive systems overview, Neurobiology of Sensation and Reward presents a cutting-edge and multidisciplinary approach to the interplay of sensory and reward processing in the brain. While over the past 70 years these areas have drifted apart, this book makes a case for reuniting sensation a

Until recently, a handbook on neurosociology would have been viewed with skepticism by sociologists, who have long been protective of their disciplinary domain against perceived encroachment by biology. But a number of developments in the last decade or so have made sociologists more receptive to biological factors in sociology and social psychology. Much of this has been encouraged by the coeditors of this volume, David Franks and Jonathan Turner. This new interest has been increased by the explosion of research in neuroscience on brain functioning and brain-environment interaction (via new MRI technologies), with implications for social and psychological functioning. This handbook emphasizes the integration of perspectives within sociology as well as between fields in social neuroscience. For example, Franks represents a social constructionist position following from G.H. Mead’s voluntaristic theory of the act while Turner is more social structural and positivistic. Furthermore, this handbook not only contains contributions from sociologists, but leading figures from the psychological perspective of social neuroscience.

"Perception and cognition are tightly related. As our primary mode of contact with the world, perception is the informational and causal foundation of our cognitive processes; it is fundamental to our empirical thinking, believing, and action planning. Traditional accounts of the mind consider perception and cognition to be distinct, yet highly interrelated, systems. Much interdisciplinary empirical and theoretical work, from cognitive scientists and philosophers, has attempted to elucidate the complex relations holding among these systems, suggesting the existence not only of influences of perception on cognition but also vice versa. However, many questions are left unanswered. Given that perception is a guide to our thinking about and acting upon the world appropriately, the two systems must be able to 'talk' to one another; information carried by perception must be of a form adequate to be 'taken in' by our various cognitive systems. The question arises: What kinds of structural similarities must hold between perceptual and cognitive representations for such 'communication' to be possible? And how exactly do perceptual and cognitive representations interact? Some researchers have argued that the links between perception and cognition are so tight as to instill doubt as to the significance of the distinction between the two systems in the first place. Yet others insist that perception and cognition remain distinct. The aim of this Research Topic is to deepen our understanding of the kinds of interaction among perception and cognition and of the nature of the representational structures that would enable such interaction." -- Provided by publisher.

The "functional" in the title of this book not only reflects my personal bias about neuroanatomy in brain research, it is also the gist of many chapters which describe sophisticated ways to resolve structures and interpret them as dynamic entities. Examples are: the visualization of functionally identified brain areas or neurons by activity staining or intracellular dye-iontophoresis; the resolution of synaptic connections between physiologically identified nerve cells; and the biochemical identification of specific neurons (their peptides and transmitters) by histo- and immunocytochemistry. I personally view the nervous system as an organ whose parts, continuously exchanging messages, arrive at their decisions by the cooperative phenome non of consensus and debate. This view is, admittedly, based on my own ex perience of looking at myriads of nerve cells and their connections rather than studying animal behaviour or theorizing. Numerous structural studies have demonstrated that interneurons in the brain must receive hundreds of thousands of synapses. Many neurons receive inputs from several different sensory areas: each input conveys a message about the external world and possibly also about past events which are stored within the central nervous system. Whether an interneuron responds to a certain combination of inputs may be, literally, a matter of debate whose outcome is decided at the post synaptic membrane. A nerve cell responding to an overriding command is possibly a rare event.

Focusing on comparative cognition in cephalopods, this book illuminates the wide range of mental function in this often overlooked group.

Decision-making is an integral part of our daily lives. Researchers seek a complete understanding of the decision-making process, including the biological and social basis and the impact of our decisions. From DNA to Social Cognition fills a gap in the literature that brings together the methods, perspectives, and knowledge of the geneticists, neuroscientists, economists, and psychologists that are integral to this field of research. The editors’ unique expertise ensures an integrated and complete compilation of materials that will prove useful to researchers and scientists interested in social cognition and decision-making.