Cerebral Dominance

Cerebral Dominance

Author: Norman Geschwind

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 1984

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 9780674106581

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Although cerebral dominance, the specialization of each side of the brain for different functions, was discovered in the 1860s, almost nothing was known for many years about its biological foundations, the study of which has undergone what can only be described as a revolution in the past decade and a half. Norman Geschwind and Albert Galaburda, two of the leaders of this new field, have assembled a distinguished group of investigators, each a pioneer in some aspect of the biology of dominance. The authors document human brain asymmetry at gross and microscopic levels in both adults and fetuses, its visualization in life by radiological methods, and its manifestation in brain waves. The evolutionary history of brain asymmetry over more than 300,000 years is shown in fossil skulls of humans and apes. In a dramatic reversal of older beliefs, asymmetry of anatomy, function, and chemistry has been demonstrated in many nonhuman species, and experiments have shown the role of hormones and other prenatal influences in the production of asymmetry. The surprising associations of non-right-handedness with twinning and immune disorders are discussed, as well as the asymmetrical malformation of the cortex in childhood dyslexia. This volume, combining scholarly authority and the excitement of the birth of a new discipline, will be welcomed by those to whom the implications of dominance are becoming evident--neuroscientists, neurologists, linguists, psychologists, experts in learning disorders, speech pathologists--and by specialists in nearly every branch of biology, medicine, and psychology.


Learning Disabilities and Brain Function

Learning Disabilities and Brain Function

Author: William H. Gaddes

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 632

ISBN-13: 9780387940410

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This revised textbook, now co-authored by an eminent child neuropsychologist, combines a well-developed theoretical orientation with practical, remedial suggestions and includes helpful, pertinent case studies to effectively illustrate the neuropsychological principles. A new chapter on "Attention Deficit Disorder" has been added. As with the two previous editions, this one follows the tradition of providing a highly integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to learning disabilities in adults and children. From the reviews of the first edition: "William Gaddes has attempted and...accomplished a very difficult task - that of communicating the complex assortment of neuropsychological research and evidence on learning disorders so that professionals in various disciplines can make use of such information in their daily practice..." #Journal of Learning Disabilities#1


The Master and His Emissary

The Master and His Emissary

Author: Iain McGilchrist

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2019-03-26

Total Pages: 615

ISBN-13: 0300245920

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A new edition of the bestselling classic – published with a special introduction to mark its 10th anniversary This pioneering account sets out to understand the structure of the human brain – the place where mind meets matter. Until recently, the left hemisphere of our brain has been seen as the ‘rational’ side, the superior partner to the right. But is this distinction true? Drawing on a vast body of experimental research, Iain McGilchrist argues while our left brain makes for a wonderful servant, it is a very poor master. As he shows, it is the right side which is the more reliable and insightful. Without it, our world would be mechanistic – stripped of depth, colour and value.


Micro-, Meso- and Macro-Connectomics of the Brain

Micro-, Meso- and Macro-Connectomics of the Brain

Author: Henry Kennedy

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-03-10

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 3319277774

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This book has brought together leading investigators who work in the new arena of brain connectomics. This includes ‘macro-connectome’ efforts to comprehensively chart long-distance pathways and functional networks; ‘micro-connectome’ efforts to identify every neuron, axon, dendrite, synapse, and glial process within restricted brain regions; and ‘meso-connectome’ efforts to systematically map both local and long-distance connections using anatomical tracers. This book highlights cutting-edge methods that can accelerate progress in elucidating static ‘hard-wired’ circuits of the brain as well as dynamic interactions that are vital for brain function. The power of connectomic approaches in characterizing abnormal circuits in the many brain disorders that afflict humankind is considered. Experts in computational neuroscience and network theory provide perspectives needed for synthesizing across different scales in space and time. Altogether, this book provides an integrated view of the challenges and opportunities in deciphering brain circuits in health and disease.


The Neuropsychology of Language

The Neuropsychology of Language

Author: Robert Rieber

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1468422928

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The essays in this volume have been gathered together to honor Eric H. Lenneberg. Together they represent the broad range of topics in which he took some interest. For one of the distinguishing features of Eric Lenneberg's theoretical work was its synthesizing quality. He was interested in all of the scientific domains that might touch on the study of the mind and brain, and he carefully prepared himself in each of the pertinent disciplines. Beginning with his M. A. degree in linguistics from the University of Chicago in 1951, he went on to complete his doctoral studies in both linguistics and psychology at Harvard in 1955. This was followed by three years of postdoctoral specialization at Harvard Medical School in both neurology and chil dren's developmental disorders. This preparation and additional expe rience at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston led directly to his now-classic monograph on the neuropsychology of language, The Biological Foundations of Language, which was published in 1967. It is interesting to note that while each of the essays grows out of empirical evidence, all without exception attempt to attain a level of theoretical explanation and generalization which is frequently missing from experimental work per se. Here again Lenneberg's work was no table for the vigor with which he sought out explanations and theories from neuropsychological data. In particular, hjs thesis that "language is the manifestation of species-specific cognitive propensities" was a hypothesis which he drew from necessarily indirect evidence.


Cerebral Localization

Cerebral Localization

Author: K.J. Zülch

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 3642662048

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The demonstration of the basic brain mechanism through studying the partially commissure-sectioned case appears to be a most prom ising enterprise. The work with animals of HAMILTON and others in elucidating psychological brain process heretofore not imagined are mere indications of what the potential seems to be. Study of the partially disconnected patient seems equally revealing and productive in showing how many high level cognitive activities are managed in the cerebral flow of information. With respect to the issue of localization of function, it would seem clear that those cerebral areas clearly involved in the im mediate processing of raw sensory information can be selectively and specifically isolated and disconnected. In other words, the informational products of the long axonal type cells of Golgi, which MARCUS JACOBSON claims are the brain cells under strict genetic control, can be isolated, whereas the products of more complex and integrative mental activities which are managed by the more mutable Golgi type II cells do not seem to be so spec ifically disposed. Thus, these data suggest the lateralized spe cialities of the various left and right brain areas can make their contribution to the cerebral activities of the opposite hemisphere through almost any callosal area regardless of its size and loca tion. Indeed, this interpretation suggests to me that the long standing issue of the extent of localization could be better un derstood by considering the dichotomy in genetic specification as offered by HIRSCH and JACOBSON (1974).


Speech and Brain Mechanisms

Speech and Brain Mechanisms

Author: Wilder Penfield

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2014-07-14

Total Pages: 301

ISBN-13: 1400854679

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The outcome of ten years' work, this book is a carefully planned study of brain dominance, aphasia, and other speech disturbances, and includes a discussion of the cerebral mechanisms of speech and the learning and teaching of language. Originally published in 1959. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Discovering the Brain

Discovering the Brain

Author: National Academy of Sciences

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1992-01-01

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 0309045290

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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."