The Right and Left Hemispheres of the Animal Brain


Book Description

Evidence on the lateralization of a broad range of hemispheric asymmetry: evoked potentials; conditioned reflexes; learning, communication; emotions; motor control; information processing. Biochemical and morphological asymmetries are explored, as are the physiological mechanisms of interhemispheric interaction. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Discovering the Brain


Book Description

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."




The Two Halves of the Brain


Book Description

State-of-the-art research on brain asymmetry, explained from molecular to clinical levels. Hemispheric asymmetry is one of the basic aspects of perception and cognitive processing. The different functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain have been studied with renewed interest in recent years, as scholars explore applications to new areas, new measuring techniques, and new theoretical approaches. This volume provides a comprehensive view of the latest research in brain asymmetry, offering not only recent empirical and clinical findings but also a coherent theoretical approach to the subject. In chapters that report on the field at levels from the molecular to the clinical, leading researchers address such topics as the evolution and genetics of brain asymmetry; animal models; findings from structural and functional neuroimaging techniques and research; sex differences and hormonal effects; sleep asymmetry; cognitive asymmetry in visual and auditory perception; and auditory laterality and speech perception, memory, and asymmetry in the context of developmental, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. Contributors Katrin Amunts, Ulrike Bayer, Alfredo Brancucci, Vince D. Calhoun, Maria Casagrande, Marco Catani, Michael C. Corballis, Patricia E. Cowell, Timothy J. Crow, Tom Eichele, Stephanie Forkel, Patrick J. Gannon, Isabelle George, Onur Güntürkün, Heikki Hämäläinen, Markus Hausmann, Joseph B. Hellige, Kenneth Hugdahl, Masud Husain, Grégoria Kalpouzos, Bruno Laeng, Martina Manns, Chikashi Michimata, Deborah W. Moncrieff, Lars Nyberg, Godfrey Pearlson, Stefan Pollmann, Victoria Singh-Curry, Iris E.C. Sommer, Tao Sun, Nathan Swanson, Fiia Takio, Michel Thiebaut de Schotten, René Westerhausen




Sex Differences in Lateralization in the Animal Brain


Book Description

Until recently, little account has been taken of sex differences in many research studies in psychiatry, medicine and physiology. Subjects of these research studies were mainly men, with most researchers using twice as many males as females in their studies. The need to take a sexually differentiated approach has led to the work described in this b




How We Think and Learn


Book Description

This book introduces readers to principles and research findings about human learning and cognition in an engaging, conversational manner.




Cerebral Lateralization in Nonhuman Species


Book Description

Cerebral Lateralization in Nonhuman Species explores brain asymmetries in animals and the extent to which such asymmetries relate, in an evolutionary and clinical sense, to the pervasive asymmetries that characterize the human brain. Topics covered include cerebral lateralization in birds, rats, and nonhuman primates; the inheritance of direction and degree of asymmetry in the brain; the morphology of rat forebrain; and variation in the pattern of behavioral and brain asymmetries due to sex differences. Comprised of 11 chapters, this book opens with a historical overview of research into the cerebral lateralization of structures and functions in nonhuman species. The discussion then turns to lateralization of vocal control in songbirds and lateralization of several behaviors in domestic chicks. The inheritance of direction and degree of asymmetry is also considered, along with the morphology of rat forebrains. The following chapters focus on asymmetries in anatomy and pathology in the rodent brain; the link between brain lateralization and behavioral functions; and how early experiences can induce laterality. The final chapter analyzes the implications of brain asymmetries for evolution, genetics, and clinical syndromes. This monograph will be a useful resource for students, neuroscientists, clinicians, and other practitioners in fields ranging from psychobiology and psychology to anatomical sciences, neurobiology, neurochemistry, and genetics.




Brain, Behaviour and Evolution


Book Description

Originally published in 1979, this book provides students with an example of the ways in which an evolutionary perspective can rephrase and clarify traditional questions and issues in psychology. The format provides the student firstly with the minimal amount of basic information in neuroanatomy, genetics and modern evolutionary theory in a form which is readily related to the remainder of the volume. The book then goes on to consider the relationships between different forms of explanation in biology, and the role of brain behaviour students in these relationships. Finally, the reader is given an opportunity to follow the reasoning which stems from a biological approach when applied to topics in human behaviour such as learning, dreaming, sleeping, exploration, anxiety, reasoning, intelligence and consciousness. Modern evolutionary biology places man in a broader context than does traditional psychology, and this new perspective reduces our tendency to view life solely from a human standpoint. The significance as well as the uniqueness of some traditionally ‘human’ attributes are challenged by this approach.




Left Brain vs. Right Brain


Book Description

The brain is a powerful, complex organism that is responsible for many functions in our day-to-day life. There is a theory that some people are governed more by the left-brain, and others by the right-brain. Some believe that this determines part of our personality, but is it really true? This text explores the theory along with the overall structure of the brain. Readers learn all about the two hemispheres of the brain, and perhaps determine whether this theory is fact or fiction.




Handbook of the Neuroscience of Language


Book Description

In the last ten years the neuroscience of language has matured as a field. Ten years ago, neuroimaging was just being explored for neurolinguistic questions, whereas today it constitutes a routine component. At the same time there have been significant developments in linguistic and psychological theory that speak to the neuroscience of language. This book consolidates those advances into a single reference. The Handbook of the Neuroscience of Language provides a comprehensive overview of this field. Divided into five sections, section one discusses methods and techniques including clinical assessment approaches, methods of mapping the human brain, and a theoretical framework for interpreting the multiple levels of neural organization that contribute to language comprehension. Section two discusses the impact imaging techniques (PET, fMRI, ERPs, electrical stimulation of language cortex, TMS) have made to language research. Section three discusses experimental approaches to the field, including disorders at different language levels in reading as well as writing and number processing. Additionally, chapters here present computational models, discuss the role of mirror systems for language, and cover brain lateralization with respect to language. Part four focuses on language in special populations, in various disease processes, and in developmental disorders. The book ends with a listing of resources in the neuroscience of language and a glossary of items and concepts to help the novice become acquainted with the field. Editors Stemmer & Whitaker prepared this book to reflect recent developments in neurolinguistics, moving the book squarely into the cognitive neuroscience of language and capturing the developments in the field over the past 7 years. History section focuses on topics that play a current role in neurolinguistics research, aphasia syndromes, and lesion analysis Includes section on neuroimaging to reflect the dramatic changes in methodology over the past decade Experimental and clinical section reflects recent developments in the field




Functions of the Right Cerebral Hemisphere


Book Description

Functions of the Right Cerebral Hemisphere discusses the studies of the different functions served by the right hemisphere in light of knowledge as well as normal and clinical studies on the subject. The book covers topics such as the visuospatial abilities of the right hemisphere; the analysis of basic perceptual properties; its creation and operation on representations; studies on the function of the right hemisphere in relation to music; and the language capabilities of the right hemisphere. Also covered in the book are the methods for studying cerebral hemispheric function; the development of right hemispheric abilities; and the relation of the right hemisphere to reading disorders. The text is recommended for neurologists who would like to know more or make a study on the right hemisphere and its functions.