Walter Glannon
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195307788
- eISBN:
- 9780199867431
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195307788.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter defends a narrow neurological criterion of death, which says that the permanent cessation of higher brain, or cortical, function is sufficient for the death of a person. It distinguishes ...
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This chapter defends a narrow neurological criterion of death, which says that the permanent cessation of higher brain, or cortical, function is sufficient for the death of a person. It distinguishes between persons and human organisms, and argues that we are essentially persons rather than organisms. This distinction is elaborated by considering different conceptions of the soul, as well as different perspectives on when the soul leaves the body. It is argued that only persons, and not human organisms, can have interests. The capacity for consciousness is necessary to have interests, and this capacity is an essential property of persons but not of human organisms. Insofar as benefit and harm are defined in terms of the satisfaction or defeat of interests, only persons can benefit or be harmed. This argument is critical for exploring the ethical implications of brain death. It is particularly critical for analyzing ethical questions about the permissibility or impermissibility of such actions as withdrawing life-support and procuring organs for transplantation.Less
This chapter defends a narrow neurological criterion of death, which says that the permanent cessation of higher brain, or cortical, function is sufficient for the death of a person. It distinguishes between persons and human organisms, and argues that we are essentially persons rather than organisms. This distinction is elaborated by considering different conceptions of the soul, as well as different perspectives on when the soul leaves the body. It is argued that only persons, and not human organisms, can have interests. The capacity for consciousness is necessary to have interests, and this capacity is an essential property of persons but not of human organisms. Insofar as benefit and harm are defined in terms of the satisfaction or defeat of interests, only persons can benefit or be harmed. This argument is critical for exploring the ethical implications of brain death. It is particularly critical for analyzing ethical questions about the permissibility or impermissibility of such actions as withdrawing life-support and procuring organs for transplantation.
Nikolas Rose and Joelle M. Abi-Rached
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149608
- eISBN:
- 9781400846337
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149608.003.0003
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Development
This chapter explores the diverse attempts to render “mind” thinkable by means of images. Advances in clinical medicine from the nineteenth century onward went hand in hand with the penetration of ...
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This chapter explores the diverse attempts to render “mind” thinkable by means of images. Advances in clinical medicine from the nineteenth century onward went hand in hand with the penetration of the gaze of the doctor into depths of the body itself. There are now many examples of analogous advances linked to the structural imaging of the brain—in the detection of tumors, the identification of lesions, and the mapping of the damage caused by injury or stroke. Thanks to such images, the mind of the neuroscientist, the neurologist, and the psychiatrist now seem able to “walk among the tissues themselves.” Yet, however similar the images of brain function are to those of brain structure, they mislead if they seem to allow the mind of the neuroscientist to walk among thoughts, feelings, or desires. Technology alone, even where it appears to measure neural activity, cannot enable the gaze to bridge the gap between molecules and mental states.Less
This chapter explores the diverse attempts to render “mind” thinkable by means of images. Advances in clinical medicine from the nineteenth century onward went hand in hand with the penetration of the gaze of the doctor into depths of the body itself. There are now many examples of analogous advances linked to the structural imaging of the brain—in the detection of tumors, the identification of lesions, and the mapping of the damage caused by injury or stroke. Thanks to such images, the mind of the neuroscientist, the neurologist, and the psychiatrist now seem able to “walk among the tissues themselves.” Yet, however similar the images of brain function are to those of brain structure, they mislead if they seem to allow the mind of the neuroscientist to walk among thoughts, feelings, or desires. Technology alone, even where it appears to measure neural activity, cannot enable the gaze to bridge the gap between molecules and mental states.
Javier DeFelipe
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195392708
- eISBN:
- 9780199863525
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195392708.001.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, History of Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research ...
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This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. The main aim of this work is to demonstrate to the general public that the study of the nervous system is not only important for the many obvious reasons related to brain function in both health and disease, but also for the unexpected natural beauty that it beholds. This beauty has been discovered thanks to the techniques used to visualize the microscopic structure of the brain, a true forest of colorful and florid neural cells. As illustrated by his marvelous drawings, the studies of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) no doubt contributed more than those of any other researcher at the time to the growth of modern neuroscience. Thus, his name has been honored in the title of this book, even though the figures contained in the main body of it are from 91 different authors. Looking at the illustrations in this book, the readers will find that many of the early researchers that studied the nervous system were also true artists, of considerable talent and esthetic sensibility. Hence, the present book contains numerous drawings of some of the most important pioneers in neuroscience, including Deiters, Kolliker, Meynert, Ranvier, Golgi, Retzius, Nissl, Dogiel, Alzheimer, del Rio-Hortega, and de Castro.Less
This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. The main aim of this work is to demonstrate to the general public that the study of the nervous system is not only important for the many obvious reasons related to brain function in both health and disease, but also for the unexpected natural beauty that it beholds. This beauty has been discovered thanks to the techniques used to visualize the microscopic structure of the brain, a true forest of colorful and florid neural cells. As illustrated by his marvelous drawings, the studies of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) no doubt contributed more than those of any other researcher at the time to the growth of modern neuroscience. Thus, his name has been honored in the title of this book, even though the figures contained in the main body of it are from 91 different authors. Looking at the illustrations in this book, the readers will find that many of the early researchers that studied the nervous system were also true artists, of considerable talent and esthetic sensibility. Hence, the present book contains numerous drawings of some of the most important pioneers in neuroscience, including Deiters, Kolliker, Meynert, Ranvier, Golgi, Retzius, Nissl, Dogiel, Alzheimer, del Rio-Hortega, and de Castro.
Ivan Soltesz
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195177015
- eISBN:
- 9780199864713
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177015.001.1
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Neuroendocrine and Autonomic, Techniques
This book travels a colorful journey into the fascinatingly diverse world of interneurons, an important class of highly heterogeneous cells found in all cortical neuronal networks. Interneurons are ...
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This book travels a colorful journey into the fascinatingly diverse world of interneurons, an important class of highly heterogeneous cells found in all cortical neuronal networks. Interneurons are known to play key roles in many brain functions, from sensory processing to neuronal oscillations linked to learning and memory. This book aims to provide new insights into the striking degree of cellular diversity found in interneuronal microcircuits. The book discusses the history of research into interneuronal variability, the developmental origins of interneuronal diversity, the functional roles of heterogeneity in neuronal circuits, contemporary interneuronal classification systems, and the genetic and homeostatic mechanisms that shape the degree of cell to cell variability within interneuronal populations. It elaborates on new ideas about interneuronal diversity that rest upon recent theoretical and experimental results, with arguments touching upon evolution, animal behavior, and the mathematical theory of small world networks.Less
This book travels a colorful journey into the fascinatingly diverse world of interneurons, an important class of highly heterogeneous cells found in all cortical neuronal networks. Interneurons are known to play key roles in many brain functions, from sensory processing to neuronal oscillations linked to learning and memory. This book aims to provide new insights into the striking degree of cellular diversity found in interneuronal microcircuits. The book discusses the history of research into interneuronal variability, the developmental origins of interneuronal diversity, the functional roles of heterogeneity in neuronal circuits, contemporary interneuronal classification systems, and the genetic and homeostatic mechanisms that shape the degree of cell to cell variability within interneuronal populations. It elaborates on new ideas about interneuronal diversity that rest upon recent theoretical and experimental results, with arguments touching upon evolution, animal behavior, and the mathematical theory of small world networks.
Gunter Ehret
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195148220
- eISBN:
- 9780199864676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195148220.003.0003
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
This chapter argues for the investigation of the hemisphere dominances of brain functions rather than structural, cellular, and molecular asymmetries in brains. Although the latter are certainly ...
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This chapter argues for the investigation of the hemisphere dominances of brain functions rather than structural, cellular, and molecular asymmetries in brains. Although the latter are certainly neural bases of perceptual and behavioral asymmetries generated in the brain, the relationships are largely unclear and most probably complicated in details. Such an approach has both an evolutionary perspective, asking for the common origin and advantages of hemisphere specializations of vertebrate brains, and a perspective of genetic and physiological mechanisms responsible for the realization of hemisphere specializations of certain kinds.Less
This chapter argues for the investigation of the hemisphere dominances of brain functions rather than structural, cellular, and molecular asymmetries in brains. Although the latter are certainly neural bases of perceptual and behavioral asymmetries generated in the brain, the relationships are largely unclear and most probably complicated in details. Such an approach has both an evolutionary perspective, asking for the common origin and advantages of hemisphere specializations of vertebrate brains, and a perspective of genetic and physiological mechanisms responsible for the realization of hemisphere specializations of certain kinds.
Monica Fabiani and Gabriele Gratton
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195156744
- eISBN:
- 9780199864171
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195156744.003.0004
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Development
This chapter reviews optical brain imaging and electrophysiology in the context of other available methodologies as they apply to aging research. Both methods emphasize the temporal aspects of the ...
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This chapter reviews optical brain imaging and electrophysiology in the context of other available methodologies as they apply to aging research. Both methods emphasize the temporal aspects of the brain phenomena underlying cognition and thus allow for a closer parallel with cognitive studies using a mental chronometry approach to the study of aging. However, these two methods differ in the amount of localization information they provide, with electrophysiological methods yielding a coarser spatial description of brain activity and optical imaging meshing temporal and spatial information at a finer level. The spatial resolution of optical imaging may be close to that reached with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or positron emission tomography (PET), especially when data from a number of subjects are combined, which leads to a loss of resolution for all techniques.Less
This chapter reviews optical brain imaging and electrophysiology in the context of other available methodologies as they apply to aging research. Both methods emphasize the temporal aspects of the brain phenomena underlying cognition and thus allow for a closer parallel with cognitive studies using a mental chronometry approach to the study of aging. However, these two methods differ in the amount of localization information they provide, with electrophysiological methods yielding a coarser spatial description of brain activity and optical imaging meshing temporal and spatial information at a finer level. The spatial resolution of optical imaging may be close to that reached with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or positron emission tomography (PET), especially when data from a number of subjects are combined, which leads to a loss of resolution for all techniques.
Raja Parasuraman and Matthew Rizzo (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195177619
- eISBN:
- 9780199864683
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177619.001.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Sensory and Motor Systems, Behavioral Neuroscience
Neuroergonomics can be defined as the study of brain and behavior at work. It combines two disciplines: neuroscience, the study of brain structure and function; and ergonomics, the study of how to ...
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Neuroergonomics can be defined as the study of brain and behavior at work. It combines two disciplines: neuroscience, the study of brain structure and function; and ergonomics, the study of how to match technology with the capabilities and limitations of people so they can work effectively and safely. The goal of merging these two fields is to use the startling discoveries of human brain and physiological functioning both to inform the design of technologies in the workplace and home, and to provide new training methods that enhance performance, expand capabilities, and optimize the fit between people and technology. Research in the area of neuroergonomics has blossomed in recent years with the emergence of non-invasive techniques for monitoring human brain function that can be used to study various aspects of human behavior in relation to technology and work, including mental workload, visual attention, working memory, motor control, human-automation interaction, and adaptive automation. This book provides an overview of this emerging area, describing the theoretical background, basic research, major methods, as well as the new and future areas of application.Less
Neuroergonomics can be defined as the study of brain and behavior at work. It combines two disciplines: neuroscience, the study of brain structure and function; and ergonomics, the study of how to match technology with the capabilities and limitations of people so they can work effectively and safely. The goal of merging these two fields is to use the startling discoveries of human brain and physiological functioning both to inform the design of technologies in the workplace and home, and to provide new training methods that enhance performance, expand capabilities, and optimize the fit between people and technology. Research in the area of neuroergonomics has blossomed in recent years with the emergence of non-invasive techniques for monitoring human brain function that can be used to study various aspects of human behavior in relation to technology and work, including mental workload, visual attention, working memory, motor control, human-automation interaction, and adaptive automation. This book provides an overview of this emerging area, describing the theoretical background, basic research, major methods, as well as the new and future areas of application.
Michelle C. Carlson, Dana Eldreth, Yi-Fang Chuang, and William W. Eaton
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195390445
- eISBN:
- 9780199950416
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195390445.003.0009
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health
This chapter considers the relationship of disorders to brain function. It begins by defining executive functions and their importance to prosocial behavior and independent functioning. It then ...
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This chapter considers the relationship of disorders to brain function. It begins by defining executive functions and their importance to prosocial behavior and independent functioning. It then describes how these functions develop concomitantly with prefrontal brain growth through childhood and adolescence and decline in late life. Next it reviews specific mental disorders that arise during these developmental windows and the executive dysfunctions common to those disorders. The disorders considered include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and possibly Alzheimer's disease. The chapter concludes by highlighting the importance of imaging and biomarkers, methods that will continue to elucidate brain-behavior relationships and so aid early detection, prognosis, and treatment.Less
This chapter considers the relationship of disorders to brain function. It begins by defining executive functions and their importance to prosocial behavior and independent functioning. It then describes how these functions develop concomitantly with prefrontal brain growth through childhood and adolescence and decline in late life. Next it reviews specific mental disorders that arise during these developmental windows and the executive dysfunctions common to those disorders. The disorders considered include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and possibly Alzheimer's disease. The chapter concludes by highlighting the importance of imaging and biomarkers, methods that will continue to elucidate brain-behavior relationships and so aid early detection, prognosis, and treatment.
Yosef Grodzinsky and Katrin Amunts (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195177640
- eISBN:
- 9780199864799
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195177640.001.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Sensory and Motor Systems, Behavioral Neuroscience
Broca's region has been in the news ever since scientists realized that particular cognitive functions could be localized to parts of the cerebral cortex. Its discoverer, Paul Broca, was one of the ...
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Broca's region has been in the news ever since scientists realized that particular cognitive functions could be localized to parts of the cerebral cortex. Its discoverer, Paul Broca, was one of the first researchers to argue for a direct connection between a concrete behavior—in this case, the use of language—and a specific cortical region. Today, Broca's region is perhaps the most famous part of the human brain, and for over a century, has persisted as the focus of intense research and numerous debates. The name has even penetrated mainstream culture through popular science and the theater. Broca's region is famous for a good reason: As language is one of the most distinctive human traits, the cognitive mechanisms that support it and the tissues in which these mechanisms are housed are also quite complex, and so have the potential to reveal a lot not only about how words, phrases, sentences, and grammatical rules are instantiated in neural tissue, but also, and more broadly, about how brain function relates to behavior. Paul Broca's discoveries were an important, driving force behind the more general effort to relate complex behavior to particular parts of the cerebral cortex, which, significantly, produced the first brain maps.Less
Broca's region has been in the news ever since scientists realized that particular cognitive functions could be localized to parts of the cerebral cortex. Its discoverer, Paul Broca, was one of the first researchers to argue for a direct connection between a concrete behavior—in this case, the use of language—and a specific cortical region. Today, Broca's region is perhaps the most famous part of the human brain, and for over a century, has persisted as the focus of intense research and numerous debates. The name has even penetrated mainstream culture through popular science and the theater. Broca's region is famous for a good reason: As language is one of the most distinctive human traits, the cognitive mechanisms that support it and the tissues in which these mechanisms are housed are also quite complex, and so have the potential to reveal a lot not only about how words, phrases, sentences, and grammatical rules are instantiated in neural tissue, but also, and more broadly, about how brain function relates to behavior. Paul Broca's discoveries were an important, driving force behind the more general effort to relate complex behavior to particular parts of the cerebral cortex, which, significantly, produced the first brain maps.
Edmund T. Rolls and Gustavo Deco
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199587865
- eISBN:
- 9780191702471
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199587865.001.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
The activity of neurons in the brain is noisy in that their firing times are random when they are firing at a given mean rate. This introduces a random or stochastic property into brain processing ...
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The activity of neurons in the brain is noisy in that their firing times are random when they are firing at a given mean rate. This introduces a random or stochastic property into brain processing which this book shows to be fundamental to understanding many aspects of brain function, including probabilistic decision making, perception, memory recall, short-term memory, attention, and even creativity. This book shows that in many of these processes, the noise caused by the random neuronal firing times is useful. However, the stochastic dynamics of this can be unstable or overstable, and the book shows that the stability of attractor networks in the brain in the face of noise may help to understand some important dysfunctions that occur in schizophrenia, normal aging, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The book provides a unifying computational approach to brain function that links synaptic and biophysical properties of neurons through the firing of single neurons to the properties of the noise in large connected networks of noisy neurons to the levels of functional neuroimaging and behaviour. It describes integrate-and-fire neuronal attractor networks with noise, and complementary mean-field analyses using approaches from theoretical physics. The book shows how they can be used to understand neuronal, functional neuroimaging, and behavioural data on decision making, perception, memory recall, short-term memory, attention, and brain dysfunctions that occur in schizophrenia, normal aging, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Advanced material on the physics of stochastic dynamics in the brain is contained in the Appendix.Less
The activity of neurons in the brain is noisy in that their firing times are random when they are firing at a given mean rate. This introduces a random or stochastic property into brain processing which this book shows to be fundamental to understanding many aspects of brain function, including probabilistic decision making, perception, memory recall, short-term memory, attention, and even creativity. This book shows that in many of these processes, the noise caused by the random neuronal firing times is useful. However, the stochastic dynamics of this can be unstable or overstable, and the book shows that the stability of attractor networks in the brain in the face of noise may help to understand some important dysfunctions that occur in schizophrenia, normal aging, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The book provides a unifying computational approach to brain function that links synaptic and biophysical properties of neurons through the firing of single neurons to the properties of the noise in large connected networks of noisy neurons to the levels of functional neuroimaging and behaviour. It describes integrate-and-fire neuronal attractor networks with noise, and complementary mean-field analyses using approaches from theoretical physics. The book shows how they can be used to understand neuronal, functional neuroimaging, and behavioural data on decision making, perception, memory recall, short-term memory, attention, and brain dysfunctions that occur in schizophrenia, normal aging, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Advanced material on the physics of stochastic dynamics in the brain is contained in the Appendix.
Michael S. A. Graziano
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195326703
- eISBN:
- 9780199864867
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195326703.003.0006
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Sensory and Motor Systems, Behavioral Neuroscience
Microstimulation is now considered one of the principle methods used to study brain function. This chapter provides a brief history and review of the stimulation technique. Topics covered include ...
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Microstimulation is now considered one of the principle methods used to study brain function. This chapter provides a brief history and review of the stimulation technique. Topics covered include surface stimulation, hypothalamic stimulation, eye movement studies, traditional studies in motor cortex, and controversy over electrical stimulation studies.Less
Microstimulation is now considered one of the principle methods used to study brain function. This chapter provides a brief history and review of the stimulation technique. Topics covered include surface stimulation, hypothalamic stimulation, eye movement studies, traditional studies in motor cortex, and controversy over electrical stimulation studies.
Paul G. Shiels and R. Wayne Davies
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198509981
- eISBN:
- 9780191723810
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198509981.003.0016
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Systems
The maintenance of brain function depends on the continued correct functioning of the organ's support systems (glial cells, blood supply), on maintenance of individual neurone function and ...
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The maintenance of brain function depends on the continued correct functioning of the organ's support systems (glial cells, blood supply), on maintenance of individual neurone function and connectivity, and on the replacement of neurones, and their connections from stem cells. The extent to which the latter occurs is currently unclear. This chapter considers what is known about the key molecular systems involved in detecting, signalling, and counteracting the damage associated with ageing; how the known systems may function in neurons and neuronal stem cells, and their relevance to neuronal death.Less
The maintenance of brain function depends on the continued correct functioning of the organ's support systems (glial cells, blood supply), on maintenance of individual neurone function and connectivity, and on the replacement of neurones, and their connections from stem cells. The extent to which the latter occurs is currently unclear. This chapter considers what is known about the key molecular systems involved in detecting, signalling, and counteracting the damage associated with ageing; how the known systems may function in neurons and neuronal stem cells, and their relevance to neuronal death.
William Lyons
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198752226
- eISBN:
- 9780191695087
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198752226.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Language
What is intentionality? Intentionality is a distinguishing characteristic of states of mind such as beliefs, thoughts, wishes, dreams, and desires, which are about things outside themselves. This ...
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What is intentionality? Intentionality is a distinguishing characteristic of states of mind such as beliefs, thoughts, wishes, dreams, and desires, which are about things outside themselves. This book explores various ways in which philosophers have tried to explain intentionality, and then suggests a new way. Part I of the book gives a critical account of the five most comprehensive and prominent current approaches to intentionality. These approaches can be summarized as the instrumentalist approach, derived from Carnap and Quine, and culminating in the work of Daniel Dennett; the linguistic approach, derived from the work of Chomsky and exhibited most fully in the work of Jerry Fodor; the biological approach, developed by Ruth Garrett Millikan, Colin McGinn, and others; the information-processing approach, which has been given a definitive form in the work of Fred Dretske; and the functional role approach of Brian Loar. Part II sets out a multi-level, developmental approach to intentionality. Drawing upon work in neurophysiology and psychology, the book argues that intentionality is to be found, in different forms, at the levels of brain functioning, prelinguistic consciousness, language, and at the holistic level of ‘whole person performance’ which is demarcated by our ordinary everyday talk about beliefs, desires, hopes, intentions, and the other ‘propositional attitudes’.Less
What is intentionality? Intentionality is a distinguishing characteristic of states of mind such as beliefs, thoughts, wishes, dreams, and desires, which are about things outside themselves. This book explores various ways in which philosophers have tried to explain intentionality, and then suggests a new way. Part I of the book gives a critical account of the five most comprehensive and prominent current approaches to intentionality. These approaches can be summarized as the instrumentalist approach, derived from Carnap and Quine, and culminating in the work of Daniel Dennett; the linguistic approach, derived from the work of Chomsky and exhibited most fully in the work of Jerry Fodor; the biological approach, developed by Ruth Garrett Millikan, Colin McGinn, and others; the information-processing approach, which has been given a definitive form in the work of Fred Dretske; and the functional role approach of Brian Loar. Part II sets out a multi-level, developmental approach to intentionality. Drawing upon work in neurophysiology and psychology, the book argues that intentionality is to be found, in different forms, at the levels of brain functioning, prelinguistic consciousness, language, and at the holistic level of ‘whole person performance’ which is demarcated by our ordinary everyday talk about beliefs, desires, hopes, intentions, and the other ‘propositional attitudes’.
Barbro B. Johansson
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198509806
- eISBN:
- 9780191724596
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198509806.003.0004
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Disorders of the Nervous System
This chapter examines the relation between the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and perivascular cells. It explains that the BBB is a dynamic interface between blood and brain which restricts the entry of ...
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This chapter examines the relation between the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and perivascular cells. It explains that the BBB is a dynamic interface between blood and brain which restricts the entry of plasma constituents that could interfere negatively with brain function while allowing substances which are essential for brain metabolism and function to enter the brain. The chapter discusses the structural basis for the BBB, the polarity of brain endothelial cells, and carrier-mediated transport of nutrients.Less
This chapter examines the relation between the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and perivascular cells. It explains that the BBB is a dynamic interface between blood and brain which restricts the entry of plasma constituents that could interfere negatively with brain function while allowing substances which are essential for brain metabolism and function to enter the brain. The chapter discusses the structural basis for the BBB, the polarity of brain endothelial cells, and carrier-mediated transport of nutrients.
Claudius Bartels and Claus-W. Wallesch
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199234110
- eISBN:
- 9780191594250
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199234110.003.039
- Subject:
- Psychology, Neuropsychology, Clinical Psychology
This chapter presents a synopsis of the representation of language functions in the brain with a focus on disorders based on three sources of information: lesion studies (i.e., what is known from the ...
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This chapter presents a synopsis of the representation of language functions in the brain with a focus on disorders based on three sources of information: lesion studies (i.e., what is known from the effects of pathology upon language behaviour in patients); the anatomical interpretation of normal function based on physiological measurements during language operations in healthy subjects; and a combination of the two; namely, physiological measurements recorded during language processing in aphasic patients.Less
This chapter presents a synopsis of the representation of language functions in the brain with a focus on disorders based on three sources of information: lesion studies (i.e., what is known from the effects of pathology upon language behaviour in patients); the anatomical interpretation of normal function based on physiological measurements during language operations in healthy subjects; and a combination of the two; namely, physiological measurements recorded during language processing in aphasic patients.
Judy Illes (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198567219
- eISBN:
- 9780191724084
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198567219.001.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience
Recent advances in the brain sciences have dramatically improved our understanding of brain function. As we find out more and more about what makes us tick, we must stop and consider the ethical ...
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Recent advances in the brain sciences have dramatically improved our understanding of brain function. As we find out more and more about what makes us tick, we must stop and consider the ethical implications of this new found knowledge. Will having a new biology of the brain through imaging make us less responsible for our behavior and lose our free will? Should certain brain scan studies be disallowed on the basis of moral grounds? Why is the media so interested in reporting results of brain imaging studies? What ethical lessons from the past can best inform the future of brain imaging? These compelling questions and many more are tackled by a group of contributors to this book on neuroethics. The wide range of disciplinary backgrounds that this book represents, from neuroscience, bioethics and philosophy, to law, social and health care policy, education, religion, and film, allow for profoundly insightful and provocative answers to these questions, and open up the door to a host of new ones. The contributions highlight the timeliness of modern neuroethics today, and assure the longevity and importance of neuroethics for generations to come.Less
Recent advances in the brain sciences have dramatically improved our understanding of brain function. As we find out more and more about what makes us tick, we must stop and consider the ethical implications of this new found knowledge. Will having a new biology of the brain through imaging make us less responsible for our behavior and lose our free will? Should certain brain scan studies be disallowed on the basis of moral grounds? Why is the media so interested in reporting results of brain imaging studies? What ethical lessons from the past can best inform the future of brain imaging? These compelling questions and many more are tackled by a group of contributors to this book on neuroethics. The wide range of disciplinary backgrounds that this book represents, from neuroscience, bioethics and philosophy, to law, social and health care policy, education, religion, and film, allow for profoundly insightful and provocative answers to these questions, and open up the door to a host of new ones. The contributions highlight the timeliness of modern neuroethics today, and assure the longevity and importance of neuroethics for generations to come.
Onur Güntürkün
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195334654
- eISBN:
- 9780199933167
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195334654.003.0027
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
Until the 1970s, cerebral asymmetries were thought to be unique to humans. However, left-right differences of brain and function are not only widespread among mammals, but also among many other ...
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Until the 1970s, cerebral asymmetries were thought to be unique to humans. However, left-right differences of brain and function are not only widespread among mammals, but also among many other vertebrates. Thus, cerebral asymmetry is a ubiquitous phenomenon that possibly is not the exception, but the rule. Brain asymmetries deeply affect the neural processes of vision at all levels of analysis. This chapter reviews animal asymmetries of handedness and vocalization, as well as visual asymmetries of features and space.Less
Until the 1970s, cerebral asymmetries were thought to be unique to humans. However, left-right differences of brain and function are not only widespread among mammals, but also among many other vertebrates. Thus, cerebral asymmetry is a ubiquitous phenomenon that possibly is not the exception, but the rule. Brain asymmetries deeply affect the neural processes of vision at all levels of analysis. This chapter reviews animal asymmetries of handedness and vocalization, as well as visual asymmetries of features and space.
Sarah Hillenbrand, Dina Raveh, and Amir Amedi
Fiona Macpherson (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780197266441
- eISBN:
- 9780191884207
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266441.003.0006
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind
We discuss how sensory substitution devices (SSDs) can be used to study the organization of the brain. To do so we look at the use of SSDs in the blind and how SSDs can be used to identify ...
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We discuss how sensory substitution devices (SSDs) can be used to study the organization of the brain. To do so we look at the use of SSDs in the blind and how SSDs can be used to identify sensory-dependent and sensory-independent brain function. Cross-modal interactions may represent new patterns of connectivity or the unmasking of pre-existing associations. We show how the blind brain can be a window into cross-modal plasticity and can dissociate intrinsic and experience-dependent brain functions. We argue that the brain is a sensory-independent task machine and explain the implications for the rehabilitation of blind people.Less
We discuss how sensory substitution devices (SSDs) can be used to study the organization of the brain. To do so we look at the use of SSDs in the blind and how SSDs can be used to identify sensory-dependent and sensory-independent brain function. Cross-modal interactions may represent new patterns of connectivity or the unmasking of pre-existing associations. We show how the blind brain can be a window into cross-modal plasticity and can dissociate intrinsic and experience-dependent brain functions. We argue that the brain is a sensory-independent task machine and explain the implications for the rehabilitation of blind people.
Isabelle Peretz and Robert J. Zatorre (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198525202
- eISBN:
- 9780191689314
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198525202.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Music Psychology
Music offers a unique opportunity to understand better the organization of the human brain. Like language, music exists in all human societies. Like language, music is a complex, rule-governed ...
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Music offers a unique opportunity to understand better the organization of the human brain. Like language, music exists in all human societies. Like language, music is a complex, rule-governed activity that seems specific to humans, and associated with a specific brain architecture. Yet unlike most other high-level functions of the human brain — and unlike language — music is a skill at which only a minority of people become proficient. The study of music as a major brain function has for some time been relatively neglected. Just recently, however, we have witnessed an explosion in research activities on music perception and performance and their correlates in the human brain. This volume brings together a collection of authorities — from the fields of music, neuroscience, psychology, and neurology — to describe the advances being made in understanding the complex relationship between music and the brain. It is a book that will lay the foundations for a cognitive neuroscience of music.Less
Music offers a unique opportunity to understand better the organization of the human brain. Like language, music exists in all human societies. Like language, music is a complex, rule-governed activity that seems specific to humans, and associated with a specific brain architecture. Yet unlike most other high-level functions of the human brain — and unlike language — music is a skill at which only a minority of people become proficient. The study of music as a major brain function has for some time been relatively neglected. Just recently, however, we have witnessed an explosion in research activities on music perception and performance and their correlates in the human brain. This volume brings together a collection of authorities — from the fields of music, neuroscience, psychology, and neurology — to describe the advances being made in understanding the complex relationship between music and the brain. It is a book that will lay the foundations for a cognitive neuroscience of music.
Michael H. Thaut
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198529361
- eISBN:
- 9780191689628
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198529361.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Music Psychology
This chapter examines the neurological bases of musical communication. First, it presents behavioural data from psychophysical studies in terms of how these data provide insight into assumed brain ...
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This chapter examines the neurological bases of musical communication. First, it presents behavioural data from psychophysical studies in terms of how these data provide insight into assumed brain function on a theoretical level. Second, it reviews studies using brain imaging and brain wave recordings to shed some light on what is known so far about neurophysiological processes mediating rhythm perception and rhythm production. Third, it considers biomedical applications of music's influence on brain and behaviour function in light of a changing paradigm for music therapy and medicine.Less
This chapter examines the neurological bases of musical communication. First, it presents behavioural data from psychophysical studies in terms of how these data provide insight into assumed brain function on a theoretical level. Second, it reviews studies using brain imaging and brain wave recordings to shed some light on what is known so far about neurophysiological processes mediating rhythm perception and rhythm production. Third, it considers biomedical applications of music's influence on brain and behaviour function in light of a changing paradigm for music therapy and medicine.
