Jääskeläinen Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience

Amazon Digital Services, 2012 . - 240 pages ISBN: 9788740301007Cognitive neuroscience is an exciting and a relatively new area of research into the neural basis of the human mind. Using sophisticated neuroimaging technology, it is possible to study how the brain allows one to think, remember, see, hear, smell, touch, attend, feel emotions, understand others, and be motivated to pursue goals in life. This book gives an introduction to research methods of cognitive neuroscience, brain anatomy, neuronal signaling, and the neural basis of perception, attention, memory, plasticity, language, executive functions, emotions, social cognition, and consciousness.Iiro P. Jääskeläinen obtained his Ph.D. in 1995 at the Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Finland. Currently, he is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Brain and Mind Laboratory at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science in Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland. Prior to joining Aalto University, Dr. Jääskeläinen worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Helsinki and as an Instructor in Radiology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.ContentAbout the AuthorWhat is cognitive neuroscience?Why is cognitive neuroscience important?The brief history of cognitive neuroscienceThe present and exciting future of cognitive neuroscienceThe purpose of this bookReferencesMethods of Cognitive NeuroscienceBehavioral measures of cognitive and perceptual functionsInvasive neuronal recordings in animal modelsNon-invasive functional neuroimaging methodsConcluding remarksReferencesAnatomy of the brainAnatomical coordinate systemsCentral and peripheral nervous systemsGross anatomical divisions of the brainThe cerebrumThe cerebral cortex is folded into gyri and sulciBeneath the cerebral hemispheres: the limbic system and basal gangliaThe ventricular systemConnectivity of the brainConcluding remarksReferencesNeuronsNeurons are the elementary building blocks of cognitionMechanisms underlying neural signalingChemical messaging at the synapsesNeurons form networksConcluding remarksReferencesSensory and motor systemsThe sensory systemsThe motor systemConcluding remarksReferencesAttentionSelective attentionInvoluntary attentionVoluntary shifting and dividing of the focus of attentionNeurotransmitter basis of attentionConcluding remarksReferencesMemory and LearningMemory and learning: behavioral observationsThe neural basis of memoryConcluding remarksReferencesPlasticityDevelopmental plasticityPlasticity due to loss of sensory inputSmaller scale plasticity: sensory/perceptual learningPlasticity associated with recovery from brain damageNeurogenesis, stem cell treatments and plasticityConcluding remarksReferencesSpeech and LanguageLanguage is a multifaceted and complex cognitive functionBehavioral studies of human languageNeural basis of speech and languageThe motor theory of speech perceptionDistributed representations underlie conceptsConcluding remarksReferencesExecutive functionsPrefrontal cortex is central for executive functionsThe constituents of executive functionsNeuropsychological tests that measure executive functionsNeurochemistry of executive functionsConcluding remarksReferencesEmotionsDefinitions of emotionsEmotions result from contextual interpretation of autonomic nervous system responsesInduction of emotions in experimental settingsMethods for assessing emotionsNeural basis of emotionsConcluding commentsReferencesSocial cognitionDemands on social cognition predict evolution of cortexSocial cognition is composed of multiple functionsConcluding remarksReferencesConsciousnessConsciousness as awareness of externally applied stimuliConsciousness as self-awarenessConcluding remarksReferences