To many, the brain is the seat of personal identity and autonomy. But the way we talk about the brain is often rooted more in mystical conceptions of the soul than in scientific fact. This blinds us to the physical realities of mental function. We ignore bodily influences on our psychology, from chemicals in the blood to bacteria in the gut, and overlook the ways that the environment affects our behavior, via factors varying from subconscious sights and sounds to the weather. As a result, ...

A pioneering neuroscientist argues that we are more than our brainsTo many, the brain is the seat of personal identity and autonomy. But the way we talk about the brain is often rooted more in mystical conceptions of the soul than in scientific fact. This blinds us to the physical realities of mental function. We ignore bodily influences on our psychology, from chemicals in the blood to bacteria in the gut, and overlook the ways that the environment affects our beh...

Nerves make us bomb job interviews, first dates, and SATs. With a presentation looming at work, fear robs us of sleep for days. It paralyzes seasoned concert musicians and freezes rookie cops in tight situations. And yet not everyone cracks. Soldiers keep their heads in combat; firemen rush into burning buildings; unflappable trauma doctors juggle patient after patient. It's not that these people feel no fear; often, in fact, they're riddled with it.In Nerve, Taylor Clark d...

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the human central nervous system (CNS) in the context of its many developmental disorders due to genetic, environmental, and hypoxic/ischemic causes. The introductory chapters give an overview of the development of the human brain and the spinal cord, the mechanisms of development as obtained in experimental studies of various invertebrates and vertebrates, and the causes of congenital malformations. In the main part, the de...

The term “design” today encompasses attributes of artifacts that go beyond their intended functions, imbuing them with new meanings. Those meanings are deeply related to the emotions perceived by the users. This book investigates the findings deriving from the neurosciences that are relevant to design. Drawing upon up-to-date neuroscientific knowledge, the authors define what an emotion is, examine the relationship between perceptions and emotions and discuss the role of metaphoric communi...

This volume is the most recent installment of the Progress in Motor Control series. It contains contributions based on presentations by invited speakers at the Progress in Motor Control IX meeting held in at McGill University, Montreal, in July, 2013. Progress in Motor Control is the official scientific meeting of the International Society of Motor Control (ISMC). The Progress in Motor Control IXI meeting, and consequently this volume, provide a broad perspective on the latest research on ...

In contrast to dementia of the Alzheimer type, the subject of dementia subsequent to cerebral ischemia has been discussed rather rarely. Now this book provides a summary of the brain morphology, neurochemistry and clinical aspects of dementia subsequent to cerebral ischemia. The contributions discuss the similarities and differences between the two predominant dementia types. The broad range of aspects cover 1) the morphology and morphobiology of brain tissue during aging and under the two...

These proceedings from the Xth Congress of the European Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery in Stockholm reflect the growing interest in these fields of neurosurgery. It is the most extensive volume in this series of publications and it contains a large number of original articles pertaining to the most recent advances in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery. Not long ago stereotactic neurosurgery was considered an esoteric sub speciality practised only by those involv...

Although many things can go wrong in the brain, this book also shows that our brain is strong. It highlights the key findings that can be seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans, including those related to normal brain aging and common diseases such as brain infarcts, fractures of the skull as well as fractures and tumors of the vertebral column. It offers insights into brain MRI and CT scans, enabling readers to interpret the key findings.

Neurobiological Background of Exploration Geosciences: New Methods for Data Analysis Based on Cognitive Criteria examines the neurobiological background of earth science disciplines. It presents the fundamental features of the human brain that form the cognitive basis of exploration geophysics and investigates how their analysis can drive the development of new brain-based technologies. Crucial aspects of human cognition include the impulse to explore the environment, the ability of our br...

Most scientists agree that the 21st century will be the "Century of Biology". The revolution that started a few decades ago with the extraordinary develop ment of molecular biology, has provided the basis for the understanding of the mechanisms that govern life through the regulation of cell function and cell-to cell interactions. Neuroscience will surely be one of the biological disciplines that will profit the most from this revolution. Neuroscience comprises the study of the brain, and ...