Flowers for Algernon

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A.F. Rocha

"The purpose of this book is to develop neural nets as a strong theory for both brains and machines. The theory is developed in close correlation with the biology of the neuron and the properties of human reasoning. This approach implies the following: - Updating the biology of the artificialneuron. The neurosciences have experienced a tremendous development in the last 50 years. One of the main purposes of the present work is toincorporate this knowledge into a strong model of the artificial neuron. Particular attention is devoted to formalizing the complex chemical processes at the synaptic level. This formal language supports both symbolicreasoning and uncertainty processing. - Investigating the properties of expert reasoning. This kind of reasoning is approximate, partial and non-monotonic, and therefore requires special mathematical tools for its formalization, such as fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic. Three different intelligent systems developed with this technology are presented and discussed."--PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE.

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Yigal H. Ehrlich .. [et al

This volume is an outcome of a satellite symposium held on November 4th and 5th, 1978, at the Missouri Institute of Psychiatry, St. Louis, in conjunction with the eighth annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. The symposium was planned and organized in order to provide information which may help in narrowing the gap between data obtained by investigators engaged in basic neuroscience research and the clinical implications of these findings. The empirical introduction of psychopharmacological agents to clinical use in the early 1950's facilitated investigations aimed at elucidating basic mechanisms that underlie brain function and behavior. In recent years, we have witnessed developments in the opposite direction; discoveries in the laboratories of researchers in the basic neurosciences have produced new approaches in treatment of the mentally ill patient. Receptors, the existence of which had heretofore been largely based on hypotheses, have been shown as entities which can be identified, isolated, and studied in the test tube. The complexity of receptor function has become apparent. In addition to containing binding sites for a specific neurotransmitter, the receptor exists as part of a macromolecular complex the activity of which may be modulated by neuroactive peptides and mediated by the generation of cyclic nucleotides. The cyclic nucleotides appear to exert their physiological effects by regulating protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation cycles. Different specific phosphoproteins control metabolic events in the cell interior. In addition, membrane-bound phosphoproteins may play a role in the regulation of receptor function, and this process may be regulated by neuropeptides. Thus, the receptor, when studied as a functional entity, may be analyzed as a multiplicity of interactions between binding sites, transmitters, modulators, mediators and specifiers in the nervous system. This book is concerned with recent studies which have sought to define the roles of neuropeptides, cyclic nucleotides, and phosphoproteins in neural function. These subjects are introduced in the first section of the volume, their potential mechanisms of action are discussed in a second section, and a third section is devoted to studies on the relevance of these systems to the etiology and treatment of some neuropsychiatric disorders. The experimental approaches described by the authors include physiological, neurochemical, pharmacological, behavioral, and clinical investigations, and clearly demonstrate the multi-disciplinary nature of current research in neuroscience.

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Heidi Johansen-Berg, Timothy E.J. Behrens

Diffusion MRI remains the most comprehensive reference for understanding this rapidly evolving and powerful technology and is an essential handbook for designing, analyzing, and interpreting diffusion MR experiments. Diffusion imaging provides a unique window on human brain anatomy. This non-invasive technique continues to grow in popularity as a way to study brain pathways that could never before be investigated in vivo. This book covers the fundamental theory of diffusion imaging, discusses its most promising applications to basic and clinical neuroscience, and introduces cutting-edge methodological developments that will shape the field in coming years. Written by leading experts in the field, it places the exciting new results emerging from diffusion imaging in the context of classical anatomical techniques to show where diffusion studies might offer unique insights and where potential limitations lie. Fully revised and updated edition of the first comprehensive reference on a powerful technique in brain imaging Covers all aspects of a diffusion MRI study from acquisition through analysis to interpretation, and from fundamental theory to cutting-edge developments New chapters covering connectomics, advanced diffusion acquisition, artifact removal, and applications to the neonatal brain Provides practical advice on running an experiment Includes discussion of applications in psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, and basic neuroscience.

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Gerald M. Edelman

This work presents a radical new view of the function of the brain and nervous system. It suggests that the nervous system in each individual operates as a selective system resembling natural selection in evolution but operating different mechanisms. By providing a fundamental neural basis for categorization of the things of the world it unifies perception, action and learning. This theory revises our view of memory, considering it as a dynamic process of recategorization which has implications for the various psychological states from attention to dreaming. It will stimulate discussion about the mind-body problem, the origins of knowledge and the perceptual bases of language. The author won the 1972 Nobel Prize for Physiology of Medicine. - Publisher's Description.