Quantitative Methods in Neuroscience


Book Description

Stereology is a valuable tool for neuroscientists, allowing them to obtain 3-Dimensional information from 2-Dimensional measurements made on appropriately sampled sections (usually obtained from histological sections or MRI/CT/PET scans). This 3-D information is invaluable in correlatingstructural/functional relationships in the pursuit of far greater understanding of the function of the central nervous system. However, in carrying out such measurements, often based on limited data sets, there is a risk of experimenter bias. An important feature of modern design based stereology isto be aware of potential sources of bias and eliminate them during the data collection. With many of the major neuroscience journals now insisting that quantitative data be presented, there is a greater need than ever for neuroscientists to understand the theory and practice behind quantitativemethods, such as those offered by stereology. Quantitative Methods in Neuroscience is a cookbook of stereological methods written especially for neuroscientists. It provides clear and accessible advice about when and when not to use stereology. Throughout the book, the emphasis is on practical guidance, rather than discussions and formulae.Written by leading scientists in the field of stereology, with a Foreword by D.C. Sterio, the book will be a valuable introduction to these methods for neuroscientists, and all those involved in development of new drug programmes.




Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience


Book Description

Neuroscience is, by definition, a multidisciplinary field: some scientists study genes and proteins at the molecular level while others study neural circuitry using electrophysiology and high-resolution optics. A single topic can be studied using techniques from genetics, imaging, biochemistry, or electrophysiology. Therefore, it can be daunting for young scientists or anyone new to neuroscience to learn how to read the primary literature and develop their own experiments. This volume addresses that gap, gathering multidisciplinary knowledge and providing tools for understanding the neuroscience techniques that are essential to the field, and allowing the reader to design experiments in a variety of neuroscience disciplines. - Written to provide a "hands-on" approach for graduate students, postdocs, or anyone new to the neurosciences - Techniques within one field are compared, allowing readers to select the best techniques for their own work - Includes key articles, books, and protocols for additional detailed study - Data analysis boxes in each chapter help with data interpretation and offer guidelines on how best to represent results - Walk-through boxes guide readers step-by-step through experiments




Research Methods in Psycholinguistics and the Neurobiology of Language


Book Description

The first comprehensive guide to research methods and technologies in psycholinguistics and the neurobiology of language Bringing together contributions from a distinguished group of researchers and practitioners, editors Annette M. B. de Groot and Peter Hagoort explore the methods and technologies used by researchers of language acquisition, language processing, and communication, including: traditional observational and behavioral methods; computational modelling; corpus linguistics; and virtual reality. The book also examines neurobiological methods, including functional and structural neuroimaging and molecular genetics. Ideal for students engaged in the field, Research Methods in Psycholinguistics and the Neurobiology of Language examines the relative strengths and weaknesses of various methods in relation to competing approaches. It describes the apparatus involved, the nature of the stimuli and data used, and the data collection and analysis techniques for each method. Featuring numerous example studies, along with many full-color illustrations, this indispensable text will help readers gain a clear picture of the practices and tools described. Brings together contributions from distinguished researchers across an array of related disciplines who explain the underlying assumptions and rationales of their research methods Describes the apparatus involved, the nature of the stimuli and data used, and the data collection and analysis techniques for each method Explores the relative strengths and weaknesses of various methods in relation to competing approaches Features numerous real-world examples, along with many full-color illustrations, to help readers gain a clear picture of the practices and tools described




Educational Neuroscience


Book Description

Educational Neuroscience provides an overview of the wide range of recent initiatives in educational neuroscience, examining a variety of methodological concerns, issues, and directions. Encourages interdisciplinary perspectives in educational neuroscience Contributions from leading researchers examine key issues relating to educational neuroscience and mind, brain, and education more generally Promotes a theoretical and empirical base for the subject area Explores a range of methods available to researchers Identifies agencies, organizations, and associations facilitating development in the field Reveals a variety of on-going efforts to establish theories, models, methods, ethics, and a common language




Methods in Alcohol-Related Neuroscience Research


Book Description

Written by a panel of experts, Methods in Alcohol-Related Neuroscience Research not only provides information of a technical nature but also gives an overview of the many areas in investigating the effects of alcohol on the brain. It gives technical guidance for investigators doing research at the molecular, cellular, systems, and behavioral levels. These techniques include a wide variety of approaches, ranging from gene mapping and examination of molecular interactions of alcohol at the sub-cellular level to recording of neural activities in freely-behaving animals and imaging alcohol effects on the living human brain.




Understanding Figures in Neuroscience Research


Book Description

A crash course in understanding neuroscience figures, graphs and the underlying methods. For undergraduates and graduates in neuroscience.




Animal-friendly methods for rodent behavioral testing in neuroscience research


Book Description

Rodent behavioral testing has been used to study brain functions since the 1890s and has become a gold-standard model in modern neuroscience. Up to the 1950s, most behavioral tests on laboratory rodent models were based on punishments and rewards. Both approaches can lead to a certain degree of animal pain or suffering. Punishments involved the employment of painful stimuli, typically electric shocks. Passive avoidance and fear conditioning tests, among the most widely used behavioral paradigms used to evaluate learning and memory in rodents, can be performed using only a single brief shock. Other tests, such as the active avoidance, might require up to tens or hundreds of shocks, strongly challenging the psychological welfare of the model animals. On the other hand, tests based on rewards, which apparently may seem more ethical, actually still induce suffering in the animals, as food rewards are almost always associated with a food restriction protocol, in order to motivate food-seeking behavior. Rodents are starved for days before starting the test and kept under food restriction for the whole duration of the test. The distress during the testing session is only a minimal part compared to the stress lived outside of the testing session, which is prolonged and continuous. Analogously, liquid rewards commonly rely on a previous water restriction protocol to use thirst as motivation. Animal stress is not only an ethical issue per se, but also an important factor potentially impacting on the reliability and reproducibility of experimental results.




Teaching Statistics and Quantitative Methods in the 21st Century


Book Description

This work, which provides a guide for revising and expanding statistical and quantitative methods pedagogy, is useful for novice and seasoned instructors at both undergraduate and graduate levels, inspiring them to use transformative approaches to train students as future researchers. Is it time for a radical revision in our pedagogical orientation? How are we currently teaching introductory statistics and quantitative methods, and how should we teach them? What innovations are used, what is in development? This ground-breaking edited volume addresses these questions and more, providing cutting-edge guidance from highly accomplished teachers. Many current textbooks and syllabi differ in only superficial ways from those used 50 years ago, yet the field of quantitative methods—and its relationship to the research enterprise—has expanded in many important ways. A philosophical axiom underlying this book is that introductory teaching should prepare students to potentially enter more advanced quantitative methods training and ultimately to become accomplished researchers. The reader is introduced to classroom innovation, and to both pragmatic and philosophical challenges to the status quo, motivating a broad revolution in how introductory statistics and quantitative methods are taught. Designed to update and renovate statistical pedagogy, this material will stimulate students, new instructors, and experienced teachers.




The 2020 International Conference on Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics for IoT Security and Privacy


Book Description

This book presents the proceedings of The 2020 International Conference on Machine Learning and Big Data Analytics for IoT Security and Privacy (SPIoT-2020), held in Shanghai, China, on November 6, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak problem, SPIoT-2020 conference was held online by Tencent Meeting. It provides comprehensive coverage of the latest advances and trends in information technology, science and engineering, addressing a number of broad themes, including novel machine learning and big data analytics methods for IoT security, data mining and statistical modelling for the secure IoT and machine learning-based security detecting protocols, which inspire the development of IoT security and privacy technologies. The contributions cover a wide range of topics: analytics and machine learning applications to IoT security; data-based metrics and risk assessment approaches for IoT; data confidentiality and privacy in IoT; and authentication and access control for data usage in IoT. Outlining promising future research directions, the book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and professionals and provides a useful reference guide for newcomers to the IoT security and privacy field.




Qualitative Research Methods in Consumer Psychology


Book Description

While consumer research is founded on traditional quantitative approaches, the insight produced through qualitative research methods within consumer settings has not gone unnoticed. The culturally situated consumer, who is in intimate dialogue with their physical, virtual and social surroundings, has become integral to understanding the psychology behind consumer choices. This volume presents readers with theoretical and applied approaches to using qualitative research methods in ethnographic studies looking at consumer behavior. It brings together an international group of leading scholars in the field of consumer research, with educational and professional backgrounds in marketing, advertising, business, education, therapy and health. Researchers, teaching faculty, and students in the field of consumer and social psychology will benefit from the applied examples of qualitative and ethnographic consumer research this volume presents.