Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience Books

Book SynopsisDoctors have been able to cure some forms of congenital blindness and deafness for decades. But this has created another problem: most people end up hating their new senses. To ask someone to adapt to a new sense is to ask them to reshape their entire world. Many simply cannot. Every waking minute, they are bombarded by meaningless sights or sounds. Some sink into a depression so great that they lose their will to live and die.So then what to do with the cases of Liam McCoy and Zora Damji? Liam was born blind and Zora was born deaf. Both received surgeries to restore their senses as teenagers. Today, both lead healthy, independent lives. The question at the heart of Coming to Our Senses is: why? The answer reveals a common misunderstanding of how perception works. We tend to think of perception as a purely mechanical process, as a camera or microphone in the brain, recording the world objectively. But neurobiologist Susan Barry argues that your senses are completely your own. What you hear or see is influenced by your environment, history, age, relationships, preferences, fears, and needs. Your senses are so intimately connected to your experiences that they actually shape your personality. And as you grow, your senses grow with you, much further into adulthood than doctors once thought. The way you sense the world is part of what makes you, you.People like Liam and Zohra provide a clear view of how our sensory abilities intertwine with our personality, and Barry spent a decade with them, watching their process. Barry finds the environmental sources of Liam's exquisite sense of direction, as well his inability to learn to recognize even his own mother's face. And she considers how Zohra's world expands upon learning that sound allows you to observe things you can't see, as well as how the voice of Zohra's Aunt Najma influenced the kinds of voices Zohra can understand best. Ultimately, Liam and Zohra adapted to their new senses because their individual circumstances allowed them to do so, and in ways that reflect those circumstances. But there is no single answer to why some people adapt to their new senses while others do not, or for that matter, why two normally sighted people can see the same thing two different ways -- the answer depends upon the whole history and tenor of a person's life.Coming to Our Senses tells its stories with grace, empathy, and genuine curiosity. It is a testament to the power of resilience, and a moving account of how, regardless of how we're born, we must each find our own way.

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Book SynopsisAs a scientist, David Linden had devoted his career to understanding the brain processes and behaviors that are common to us all. That is, until a few years ago, when he found himself on OKCupid. Looking through that vast catalog of human difference, he got to thinking, where does it all come from? Why does one person have perfect pitch, a taste for hoppy beer, and an aversion to bathroom selfies? That is, what makes you, you, and me, me?In Unique, David Linden tells a riveting and accessible story of human individuality. Exploring topics that touch all of our lives-among them sexuality, gender identity, food preferences, biological rhythms, mood, personality, memory, and intelligence-Linden shows that human individuality is not simply a matter of nature versus nurture. Rather, it is a product of the complex, and often counterintuitive, interplay between our genetic blueprints and our experiences. Experience isn't just the how your parents reared you, but the diseases you have had, the foods you have eaten, the bacteria that reside in your body, the weather during your early development, and the technology you've been exposed to. Drawing all those factors together, Linden argues that human individuality is key to how we live as individuals and groups and explores how questions of individuality are informing social discussions of morality, public policy, religion, healthcare, education, and law.Like Carl Zimmer's She Has Her Mother's Laugh and Robert Sapolsky's Behave, Unique unveils a new vista on the intricacies of human existence. But, for all its brilliance and insight, this is no weighty academic tome. Told with Linden's unusual combination of authority and openness, seriousness of purpose and a great sense of humor, Unique sets a new standard for what popular science can be.

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Book SynopsisA virtualist is a doctor who specializes in virtual medicine. She uses tools like VR headsets, spatial acoustics, haptic feedback, and even olfactory mimicry to induce reactions in patients' bodies that help treat a variety of physiological and psychological conditions, from chronic pain, to compulsive behavior, without the use of pharmaceuticals or surgical techniques. Virtualists don't exist yet, but after reading VRx they just might. In recent years, scientists have established that people's perceptions - their subjective experiences of the world - influence how their bodies work. We typically have little control over our perceptions, particularly when we are sick. But what could we do if we did? In VRx Brennan Spiegel introduces readers to a new kind of medicine, called virtual therapeutics, answering exactly this question, using technology that is already available.It works through two basic but powerful psychological concepts: embodied cognition, the idea that thought processes involve the whole body, not just the brain; and presence, the ability of virtual reality to trick your body into thinking it's somewhere that it isn't, or can do something that it can't usually do. VRx takes readers on a mindbending journey through the ways in which these deep connections between our minds and our bodies are being put to good use. We learn about the woman who endures an exceptionally painful labor by completing breathing exercises on a digital beach, the schizophrenic patient who literally confronts the demon inside his head, the burn victims who are able to manage their pain better after traversing snowy virtual landscapes, and the doctor who confronted his own fear of mortality by watching himself die. Brimming with extraordinary stories of the power of virtual therapeutics to treat both physical and psychological conditions, VRx offers nothing short of a completely new way of healing.

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Book Synopsis ANXIETY SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WAY OF YOUR HAPPINESS Is anxiety hurting your performance at work, at school, or affecting your relationships? In The Small Guide to Anxiety, Dr. Gary Small, a leading expert on brain health, Dr. Gary Small, shows how to gain back control: How to tell the difference: an anxiety disorder or normal worries? How to find a therapist that’s right for you. How to overcome generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in just weeks. How to stop a panic attack instantly, with a small item in your pocket or purse. A breakthrough therapy with a 90 percent success rate in getting rid of phobias. “Neuromodulation” techniques that reduce your anxiety. Ways improve your sleep if you suffer from anxiety. And much, much more. The Small Guide to Anxiety will show you which therapies work best to help you overcome these anxieties, and lead a richer, fuller, more satisfying life.

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Book SynopsisRewire the brain processes that cause obsessions and compulsions—and take back your life! If you’ve ever wondered why you seem to get trapped in an endless cycle of obsessive, compulsive thoughts, you don’t have to wonder anymore. Grounded in cutting-edge neuroscience and evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Rewire Your OCD Brain will show you how and why your brain gets stuck in a loop of obsessive thinking, uncertainty, and worry; and offers the tools you need to short-circuit this response and get your symptoms under control—for good. Written by clinical psychologist Catherine Pittman and clinical neuropsychologist William Youngs, this groundbreaking book will show how neurological functions in your brain lead to obsessions, compulsions, and anxiety. You’ll also find tons of proven-effective coping strategies to help you manage your worst symptoms—including relaxation, exercise, healthy sleep habits, cognitive restructuring, cognitive defusion, distraction, and mindfulness. The brain is powerful, and the more you work to change the way you respond to obsessive thoughts, the more resilient you’ll become. If you’re ready to rewire the brain processes that lie at the root of your obsessive thoughts, this book has everything you need to get started today.

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Book SynopsisUnlock the power of neuroscience to optimize your memory so you can stay mentally sharp. Do you feel like your memory isn’t as great as it used to be? Do you sometimes find yourself walking into a room and forgetting why? Do you misplace things more often than you used to? As we age, our memory naturally declines. But there are scientifically proven ways to enhance brain and memory function. This book, grounded in cutting-edge neuroscience, will help you get started. The Neuroscience of Memory offers a seven-step memory improvement program based on the latest research. You’ll find powerful tools to optimize your brain and memory function, increase neural connections, and stay mentally sharp both now and in the long run. You’ll learn how to “feed your brain” with good nutrition, and how exercise can help you maintain mental acuity. And finally, you’ll discover how forming new memories is a key strategy for optimizing cognitive function, and how managing stress can help you not only think better in critical moments, but also help you keep the brain cells you have. When you understand how your memory actually works, you are better equipped to optimize it. Whether you’re looking for ways to improve your memory while you are young, have noticed that your memory is declining as you age and want to improve it, or are looking for resources for dealing with Alzheimer’s (either for yourself or a loved one), this book will help you hold on to those treasured memories for as long as you possibly can.

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Book Synopsis40 simple, brain-changing neuroscience techniques for overcoming trauma.I can’t ever calm down. I am emotionally numb. I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I don’t want to go anywhere. I can’t sleep.If you’ve experienced trauma, you may feel emotionally numb. You may have moments where you can’t “calm down,” or get to sleep. You might replay the traumatic event over in your mind. And you may even isolate yourself from others. You should know that you are not alone. Many people will live through a potentially traumatic event at some point in their lives, and some will even develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you’re struggling with symptoms, you need effective relief—right now. This workbook can help you find it.In The Traumatic Stress Recovery Workbook, trauma and neuroscience expert Jennifer Sweeton provides forty brain-changing techniques for overcoming PTSD that you can begin using right away to build resilience, boost self-confidence, and develop self-efficacy. You’ll learn what happens in your brain after experiencing trauma, and why it reacts in ways that cause even more distress. You’ll also discover evidence-based strategies grounded in cutting-edge neuroscience to manage psychological and physical—or somatic—symptoms—so you can get back to your life.Using the practical and integrative approach in this workbook, you can address symptoms at your own pace. And by making small lifestyle changes, you’ll carve new neural pathways in your brain and jump-start the healing process.

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Book SynopsisWhat, exactly, is leadership? Leadership is about motivating a group of people to achieve a common goal. Ever since the dawn of the field of leadership, people have craved an understanding of invisible mental processes that underlie visible behavior. Why do people behave the way they do? Where does behavior come from? Consider your brain is a decision-making organ. Without the brain, you are unable to make decisions. You will learn how power, emotions, attention, memory, personality, and gut feeling influence your decisions. You will learn neural constraints imposed on your decision making and how to address them. In addition to learning how to make high-quality individual decisions, you will learn how to ensure a group makes high-quality decisions collectively. How does a collective mind emerge from multiple minds when making collective decisions? What should leaders do to facilitate a group decision-making process that generates collective wisdom, instead of the madness of crowds? If you are a leader, or aspire to be a leader, who strives to make high-quality decisions, this is the book for you. Leaders’ Decision Making and Neuroscience will take you on a journey of how a decision is made in your brain from a perspective of neuroscience and provides incredible insight into the nature of how the brain and nervous systems work in relation to decision making.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction: Leaders’ Brain as a Decision-making Organ Chapter 2. The Life Course of Power in Leaders’ Decision-Making Chapter 3. Emotion is Not an Enemy of Good Judgment Chapter 4. Making Decisions to Motivate Others Chapter 5. “Pay” Attention Chapter 6. If My Memory Serves Chapter 7. In People We Trust Chapter 8. When My Face Meets Your Eyes Chapter 9. Personality Drives Leaders’ Decision Making Chapter 10. Intuitive Decision Making and Gut Feeling Chapter 11. Biases: When Leaders’ Decision Making Goes Awry Chapter 12. Brain-to-Brain synchrony in Collective Decision Making Chapter 13. Care for Our Brains to Make Better Decisions

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Book Synopsis'Enjoyable' New Scientist'Delightfully well-written, accessible, surprisingly reflective and humorous' Irish Times'Thoughtful' Irish IndependentFrom neurons to nations, Talking Heads is a stunning survey of the science of human connection and communicationWe are social animals and talking is part of what makes us human.But what purpose does conversation serve? In this revelatory tour of talking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara explores why we communicate, what happens in our brains when we do it, and what it means for us as individuals, groups and societies.How do our thoughts, memories, and conversations change our brains? What does it mean that we spend most of our thinking lives in a five-minute bubble around the present moment? Why does our sense of self solidify with age, even as we grow more forgetful? In what ways do we imagine futures together? And how do our nations begin as conversations?Moving from the personal to the social and ultimately towards a radical new perspective on the defining phenomenon of our times, populist nationalism, this is the story of how conversation builds the worlds around us - and how, together, we can talk our way into a better tomorrow.'Invaluable ... Fascinating' David Crystal, author of Let's TalkTrade ReviewDelightfully well-written, accessible, surprisingly reflecting ... and humorous * Niamh Jiménez, Irish Times *Surprising... intriguing... enjoyable * New Scientist *In this time of digital disconnection, Talking Heads is a reminder of the enduring power of face-to-face interactions and conversations. It is a thoughtful book that might make you watch what you say. * Irish Independent *Talking Heads ... is mostly interested in big-picture questions: how intact memory supports our sociality and binds us into collective beings who share collective memories. ... The point O'Mara is most keen to make in his book is that entities such as nations 'begin as conversations'... O'Mara is an entertaining guide, full of good stories * Times Literary Supplement *O'Mara delves deeply into the ways we use conversations to create our cultures and build entire nations ... There's a lot in it that resonates * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisHabits are more powerful than your will – if you know how to make them work for you Two strings are hanging from a ceiling, one at the centre of the room, one near the wall. You’re asked to tie the strings together, but you can’t reach both at the same time. You look around the room and see a table and a pair of pliers. How would you solve the problem? When confronted with challenges, most people let habits rule them (in this case, ignoring the pliers, the creative tool at your disposal). That is not surprising when you realise that at least a third of our waking hours are lived on auto-pilot – ruminating over past events, clicking through websites trawling for updates and the like. Such unconscious thoughts and actions are powerful. But the habits of the mind do not have to control us – we can steer them. Drawing on hundreds of fascinating studies, psychologist Jeremy Dean – the mind behind the hugely popular and insightful website PsyBlog – shares how the new brain science of habit can be harnessed to your benefit, whether you’re hoping to eat moreveg, take an evening run, clear out your email backlog, or be more creative when faced with challenges at work and at home.Trade Review‘Sensible and very readable… by far the most useful of [the] New You offerings’ * The Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisThis state-of-the-art book brings together the full range of issues that can inform care for patients experiencing the effects of concussion. Written by an international panel of experts and edited by a critical care physician and by a cognitive neuroscientist, the book serves as a primer of the various domains of study and application, while providing clinical insights and evidence to bring towards treatment. Chapters span the basic mechanics and pathophysiology of concussion, through its assessment, management, and complications. Comprehensive and timely, this book is accessible to healthcare professionals, and researchers eager to learn something about this field. Table of ContentsCh. 1 Concussion Mechanism: Biomechanical Perspectives Kaveh LaksariMehmet KurtLyndia Chun WuCh. 2 The Pathophysiology of Concussion Eugene Park Andrew J. BakerCh. 3 Neuroimaging of Concussion Nathan W. ChurchillCh. 4 The Path Toward a Blood Test for Concussion – A Review of Biofluid Biomarkers for Concussive and Subconcussive Brain Trauma Linda PapaCh. 5 Sport-related Concussion Guideline Development: Acute Management to Return-to-activityMichael G. HutchisonCh. 6 Concussion Evaluation and Neurocognitive Outcomes McKyla McIntyreMark BayleyCh. 7 Psychological and Mental Health Sequelae of Concussion: Prevalence, Treatment Recommendations, Novel Biomarkers, and Diagnostic Challenges Amanda K. CenitiSakina J. RizviSidney H. KennedyCh. 8 Management of Concussion and Prolonged Symptoms Post Concussion Shawn MarshallJacqueline van IersselCh. 9 Neuroprotective Pharmacological Antioxidant Therapies for Concussions Edward D. HallEugene ParkAndrew J. BakerCh. 10 Sex, Gender and Concussion Angela ColantonioCh. 11 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy David G. MunozIan R. Mackenzie

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Book SynopsisThe book focuses on original approaches intended to support the development of biologically inspired cognitive architectures. It bridges together different disciplines, including artificial intelligence, linguistics, neuro- and social sciences, psychology and philosophy of mind, among others. The chapters are based on contributions presented at the 12th Annual Meeting of the BICA Society (BICA 2021), which consisted of two parallel virtual events: Information in Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures based Systems, held during the 2021 Summit of the International Society for the Study of Information, on September 12-19, 2021, from Vienna, Austria, and the 2021 International Workshop on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures, held during the 21st ACM International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents, on September 14-17, 2021, from the Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto, Japan. The book discusses emerging methods, theories and ideas towards the realization of general-purpose humanlike artificial intelligence or fostering a better understanding of the ways the human mind works. It provides engineers, mathematicians, psychologists, computer scientists and other experts with a timely snapshot of recent research and a source of inspiration for future developments in the broadly intended areas of artificial intelligence and biological inspiration.

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Book SynopsisCognitive mathematics provides insights into how mathematics works inside the brain and how it is interconnected with other faculties through so-called blending and other associative processes. This handbook is the first large collection of various aspects of cognitive mathematics to be amassed into a single title, covering decades of connection between mathematics and other figurative processes as they manifest themselves in language, art, and even algorithms. It will be of use to anyone working in math cognition and education, with each section of the handbook edited by an international leader in that field. Table of ContentsIntroduction: Marcel Danesi: What Is Cognitive Mathematics?.- BASIC NOTIONS: Rafael Núnez.- Embodied Cognition and Mathematics.- Numeracy.- Numerosity.- Spatial Reasoning in a Cognitive Mathematical Framework.- Mathematics, Culture, and History.- CONCEPTUAL BLENDING IN MATHEMATICS: Mark Turner.- Conceptual Metaphor Theory.- Conceptual Blending.- Conceptual Integration.- Compression.- Mathematical Modeling.- NEURIOSCIENTIFIC ASPECTS OF MATHEMATICS: Brian Butterworth.- Computational Neuroscience.- Creativity in Mathematics.- Modularity Theory.- Parallel Processing.- Species-Specificities.- MATHEMATICS AND LANGUAGE: Keith Devlin.- Metaphor in Language and Mathematics.- Metonymy in Language and Mathematics.- Overlapping Sign Systems.- Theories of Syntax and the Nature of Equations.- Semantics in Language and Mathematics.- V. MATHEMATICS AND THE ARTS: Gizem Karaali.- Drawing.- Music.- Poetry.- Dance.- Literature.- VI. LEARNING MATHEMATICS: Dragana Martinovic.- Learning Arithmetic.- Learning Geometry.- Learning Set Theory.- Learning Advanced Mathematics.- Role of Symbolism in Learning.- VII. APPLICATIONS: Robert Logan.- Problem-Solving.- Proofs.- Fractal Geometry.- Probability Theory.- Mathematics and Science.- VIII. INTERFACES: Gila Hanna.- Knowledge Representation.- Development of Algorithms.- Natural Language Processing and Mathematics.- Automated Proofs and Cognitive Theory.- Technology and Mathematics

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Book SynopsisHistorically researchers of neuroscience and psychology have believed that the cerebral cortex produces the unique mental capacities of human beings. However, a prevalence of brain-imaging evidence now shows that the cerebral cortex, while the seat of our everyday experience (notably in working memory), is not predominant in actually formulating our amazing capabilities. Rather, the achievements that mark humans as “Homo sapiens” originate in the cerebellum which increased three- to fourfold in size and acquired massive cognitive and social optimization capabilities over the last million years. Thus, through its optimization of experience and skill of the cerebral cortex, it was the cerebellum that was and is predominant in producing culture, language, mathematics, creativity, and extreme levels of skill in all areas from sports to computer science and art. These optimizing functions of the cerebellum are shown in the cases of Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Maryam Mirzakhani, and the predictive powers of Stonehenge. This book fills a critical role in bringing courses up-to-date with the profound, basic changes this newly understood predominant role of the cerebellum provides for understanding the mechanisms related to all topics in psychology and neuroscience. It is critical that this “new revolution in psychology and the neurosciences” be introduced and reviewed in courses that are part of both undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology and neuroscience. This text might also be of use to courses in anthropology and cross-disciplinary studies as the cerebellum was critically involved in the evolution of cognitive and social behaviour.Table of Contents What is the revolutionary conception of the cerebellum-driven working memory and language of Homo sapiens? How, exactly, did this revolutionary concept of the human mind come about? What, exactly, is prominent role of the cerebellum in everyday learning and thinking? How did and how does the cerebellum prominently contribute to the development of the mind of both ancient and modern peoples? Without the contribution of the cerebellum, we could not be creative—the cerebellar origin of sudden insight (the a-ha! phenomenon) in working memory. Without the contribution of the cerebellum, we would not have mathematics. Einstein was smart, but his cerebellum actually guided his super superior thinking. How can people play a complex piano piece (in the cerebellum) and carry on an equally complex conversation at the same time? The crucial role of the cerebellum in the development of the signature moves of sports heroes. How does the cerebellum make play more skillful, improve personality and make one more creative? What crucial role does the cerebellum play in mental disorders?

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Book SynopsisThis book highlights the key phases and central findings of Alzheimer’s Disease research since the introduction of the label ‘Alzheimer’s Disease’ in 1910. The author, Christian Behl, puts dementia research in the context of the respective zeitgeist and summarizes the paths that have led to the currently available Alzheimer’s drugs. As the reader is taken through the major developments in Alzheimer's Disease research, particularly over the past thirty years, Behl poses critical questions: Why are the exact causes of Alzheimer's Disease still in the dark, despite all the immense, worldwide research efforts in academia as well as in the pharmaceutical industry? Why has the majority of an entire research field kept focusing on a single hypothesis that establishes the deposition of the amyloid beta peptide in the brain as the key trigger of Alzheimer's pathology, even though this concept has still not been convincingly proven in the clinics? Are there other hypotheses that might explain the pathogenesis of this complex brain disease, and if so, why were these perspectives not adequately followed?In this book, Behl tries to answer these questions. Starting with the historical background, the author illustrates the long and arduous research journey, its numerous setbacks, and the many alternative explanations for the disease, which have started gaining increasing attention and acceptance in the Alzheimer’s research community only more recently. With his deep dive into the history and progression of this research, including the most recent developments, Behl explains why he believes that it is high time to promote a paradigm shift in Alzheimer’s Disease research.The book is written for all researchers in the fields of neurobiology and neurodegeneration, as well as other biomedical fields, who would like to gain a broad and beyond the surface insight into (the key developments of) one of the most promoted research fields of our time. With its extensive literature references and over 100 illustrations, the book is also attractive for students and interested lay persons. Elaborating on all the different aspects and research approaches of this research field, the author aims to convince the reader that the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s Disease may be much more complex than previously thought and that this must be considered for future research directions. While he hopes that the Alzheimer’s research community is finally ready to shed its ‘amyloid-straitjacket’ that has hampered progress for too long, he is also convinced that a much-needed paradigm shift can guide future Alzheimer’s Disease research and provide a new and broader perspective on this age-dependent brain disease.Trade Review“This book ... represents a tour de force of almost 700 pages written by a leading contributor to the field over the last three decades, Christian Behl. ... The text is extremely thoroughly referenced, and the author describes his literature research process in detail.” (Anthony J. Turner, Journal of Neurochemistry, October 14, 2023)Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the molecular mechanisms of iron hemostasis in the brain and discusses the cognitive and behavioral implications of iron deficiency. It presents the effect of iron dysregulation on neurophysiological mechanisms. The book provides an overview of iron metabolism and homeostasis at the cellular level and its regulation at the mRNA translation level. It emphasizes the importance of iron for brain development in fetal and early life in preterm infants. Further, it presents iron metabolism as a therapeutic target for novel pharmacological treatment against neurodevelopmental diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. It discusses the role of iron deficiency in sleep disorders and offers diagnosis and treatment of iron-related CNS diseases. Finally, it relates dysregulated expression of iron-related genes in brain tumors. ​​Table of Contents ​

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