Looking Inside the Brain

Looking Inside the Brain

Author: Denis Le Bihan

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2014-11-30

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 0691160619

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The remarkable story of how today's brain scanning techniques were developed, told by one of the field's pioneers It is now possible to witness human brain activity while we are talking, reading, or thinking, thanks to revolutionary neuroimaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These groundbreaking advances have opened infinite fields of investigation—into such areas as musical perception, brain development in utero, and faulty brain connections leading to psychiatric disorders—and have raised unprecedented ethical issues. In Looking Inside the Brain, one of the leading pioneers of the field, Denis Le Bihan, offers an engaging account of the sophisticated interdisciplinary research in physics, neuroscience, and medicine that have led to the remarkable neuroimaging methods that give us a detailed look into the human brain. Introducing neurological anatomy and physiology, Le Bihan walks readers through the historical evolution of imaging technology—from the x-ray and CT scan to the PET scan and MRI—and he explains how neuroimaging uncovers afflictions like stroke or cancer and the workings of higher-order brain activities, such as language skills. Le Bihan also takes readers on a behind-the-scenes journey through NeuroSpin, his state-of-the-art neuroimaging laboratory, and goes over the cutting-edge scanning devices currently being developed. Considering what we see when we look at brain images, Le Bihan weighs what might be revealed about our thoughts and unconscious, and discusses how far this technology might go in the future. Beautifully illustrated in color, Looking Inside the Brain presents the trailblazing story of the scanning techniques that provide keys to previously unimagined knowledge of our brains and our selves.


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."


Looking Inside the Disordered Mind

Looking Inside the Disordered Mind

Author: Ahmad Hariri

Publisher: Sinauer

Published: 2015-04-27

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780878939794

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What are the brain circuits that not only keep us alive but also allow us to thrive in our complex world, and how do even subtle disturbances within these circuits lead to abnormal behavior? Using a combination of research strategies—including neuroimaging (particularly fMRI) and abnormal and clinical psychology—this new textbook addresses these timely and important questions for students of the biological, clinical, and social sciences as well as interested students from fields within the humanities, such as philosophy. Looking Inside the Disordered Brain provides students with a working knowledge of our rapidly evolving understanding of the foundational brain circuits supporting human social, emotional, and cognitive behavior, and describes how disruptions within these circuits are associated with symptoms of common psychiatric disorders. It first establishes how specific anatomical circuits process signals we receive from our ever-changing internal and external environments to create order in our behavior. It then looks inside the disordered brain and maps specific symptoms onto dysfunction within these circuits. The textbook features three neuroanatomical circuits (corticolimbic; corticostriatal; corticohippocampal) and their principal behavioral correlates (recognition and reaction; motivation and action; memory and executive control), as well as the pathological expression of dysfunction within each circuit (including depression, anxiety, phobia, mania, addiction, aggression, and disintegration of thought). The author emphasizes the dimensional nature of psychopathology by mapping specific symptoms within a broad diagnostic category onto disorder of the circuitry under review. For example, in major depressive disorder the symptoms of anxiety are mapped onto corticolimbic circuit dysfunction, the symptoms of anhedonia onto corticostriatal circuit dysfunction, and the symptoms of emotion dysregulation onto corticohippocampal circuit dysfunction. This is an effective strategy for introducing students to the limitations of categorical/diagnostic classifications (e.g., DSM-5) and highlighting the importance of considering behavior on a continuum from normal to abnormal.


Casting Light on the Dark Side of Brain Imaging

Casting Light on the Dark Side of Brain Imaging

Author: Amir Raz

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2019-02-15

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 0128163097

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Most people find colorful brain scans highly compelling—and yet, many experts don't. This discrepancy begs the question: What can we learn from neuroimaging? Is brain information useful in fields such as psychiatry, law, or education? How do neuroscientists create brain activation maps and why do we admire them? Casting Light on The Dark Side of Brain Imaging tackles these questions through a critical and constructive lens—separating fruitful science from misleading neuro-babble. In a breezy writing style accessible to a wide readership, experts from across the brain sciences offer their uncensored thoughts to help advance brain research and debunk the craze for reductionist, headline-grabbing neuroscience. This collection of short, enlightening essays is suitable for anyone interested in brain science, from students to professionals. Together, we take a hard look at the science behind brain imaging and outline why this technique remains promising despite its seldom-discussed shortcomings. - Challenges the tendency toward neuro-reductionism - Deconstructs hype through a critical yet constructive lens - Unveils the nature of brain imaging data - Explores emerging brain technologies and future directions - Features a non-technical and accessible writing style


Inside the Brain

Inside the Brain

Author: Ronald Kotulak

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Published: 1997-08

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 9780836232899

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Describes recent scientific understanding of how the brain gets built, providing insight into human behavior and the effects of nature and nurture; and discusses how the brain gets damaged by environmental, internal, and external influences.


Look Inside Your Brain

Look Inside Your Brain

Author: Heather Alexander

Publisher:

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780448418933

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Die-cut holes make learning about the brain fun. On board pages.


When I'm 64

When I'm 64

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2006-02-13

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 0309164915

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By 2030 there will be about 70 million people in the United States who are older than 64. Approximately 26 percent of these will be racial and ethnic minorities. Overall, the older population will be more diverse and better educated than their earlier cohorts. The range of late-life outcomes is very dramatic with old age being a significantly different experience for financially secure and well-educated people than for poor and uneducated people. The early mission of behavioral science research focused on identifying problems of older adults, such as isolation, caregiving, and dementia. Today, the field of gerontology is more interdisciplinary. When I'm 64 examines how individual and social behavior play a role in understanding diverse outcomes in old age. It also explores the implications of an aging workforce on the economy. The book recommends that the National Institute on Aging focus its research support in social, personality, and life-span psychology in four areas: motivation and behavioral change; socioemotional influences on decision-making; the influence of social engagement on cognition; and the effects of stereotypes on self and others. When I'm 64 is a useful resource for policymakers, researchers and medical professionals.


The Human Brain Book

The Human Brain Book

Author: Rita Carter

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2009-08-31

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 075666215X

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The Human Brain Book is a complete guide to the one organ in the body that makes each of us what we are - unique individuals. It combines the latest findings from the field of neuroscience with expert text and state-of-the-art illustrations and imaging techniques to provide an incomparable insight into every facet of the brain. Layer by layer, it reveals the fascinating details of this remarkable structure, covering all the key anatomy and delving into the inner workings of the mind, unlocking its many mysteries, and helping you to understand what's going on in those millions of little gray and white cells. Tricky concepts are illustrated and explained with clarity and precision, as The Human Brain Book looks at how the brain sends messages to the rest of the body, how we think and feel, how we perform unconscious actions (for example, breathing), explores the nature of genius, asks why we behave the way we do, explains how we see and hear things, and how and why we dream. Physical and psychological disorders affecting the brain and nervous system are clearly illustrated and summarized in easy-to-understand terms.


From Neurons to Neighborhoods

From Neurons to Neighborhoods

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2000-11-13

Total Pages: 610

ISBN-13: 0309069882

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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.


Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain

Culturally Responsive Teaching and The Brain

Author: Zaretta Hammond

Publisher: Corwin Press

Published: 2014-11-13

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1483308022

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A bold, brain-based teaching approach to culturally responsive instruction To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation—until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting-edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain-compatible culturally responsive instruction. The book includes: Information on how one’s culture programs the brain to process data and affects learning relationships Ten “key moves” to build students’ learner operating systems and prepare them to become independent learners Prompts for action and valuable self-reflection