Extending the NIF DISCO framework to automate complex workflow: coordinating the harvest and integration of data from diverse neuroscience information resources.

PubMed

Marenco, Luis N; Wang, Rixin; Bandrowski, Anita E; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Shepherd, Gordon M; Miller, Perry L

2014-01-01

This paper describes how DISCO, the data aggregator that supports the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), has been extended to play a central role in automating the complex workflow required to support and coordinate the NIF's data integration capabilities. The NIF is an NIH Neuroscience Blueprint initiative designed to help researchers access the wealth of data related to the neurosciences available via the Internet. A central component is the NIF Federation, a searchable database that currently contains data from 231 data and information resources regularly harvested, updated, and warehoused in the DISCO system. In the past several years, DISCO has greatly extended its functionality and has evolved to play a central role in automating the complex, ongoing process of harvesting, validating, integrating, and displaying neuroscience data from a growing set of participating resources. This paper provides an overview of DISCO's current capabilities and discusses a number of the challenges and future directions related to the process of coordinating the integration of neuroscience data within the NIF Federation.

Integrating Functional Brain Neuroimaging and Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience in Child Psychiatry Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavuluri, Mani N.; Sweeney, John A.

2008-01-01

The use of cognitive neuroscience and functional brain neuroimaging to understand brain dysfunction in pediatric psychiatric disorders is discussed. Results show that bipolar youths demonstrate impairment in affective and cognitive neural systems and in these two circuits' interface. Implications for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric…

Challenges and opportunities in social neuroscience

PubMed Central

Cacioppo, John T.; Decety, Jean

2010-01-01

Social species are so characterized because they form organizations that extend beyond the individual. The goal of social neuroscience is to investigate the biological mechanisms that underlie these social structures, processes, and behavior and the influences between social and neural structures and processes. Such an endeavor is challenging because it necessitates the integration of multiple levels. Mapping across systems and levels (from genome to social groups and cultures) requires interdisciplinary expertise, comparative studies, innovative methods, and integrative conceptual analysis. Examples of how social neuroscience is contributing to our understanding of the functions of the brain and nervous system are described, and societal implications of social neuroscience are considered. PMID:21251011

Network neuroscience

PubMed Central

Bassett, Danielle S; Sporns, Olaf

2017-01-01

Despite substantial recent progress, our understanding of the principles and mechanisms underlying complex brain function and cognition remains incomplete. Network neuroscience proposes to tackle these enduring challenges. Approaching brain structure and function from an explicitly integrative perspective, network neuroscience pursues new ways to map, record, analyze and model the elements and interactions of neurobiological systems. Two parallel trends drive the approach: the availability of new empirical tools to create comprehensive maps and record dynamic patterns among molecules, neurons, brain areas and social systems; and the theoretical framework and computational tools of modern network science. The convergence of empirical and computational advances opens new frontiers of scientific inquiry, including network dynamics, manipulation and control of brain networks, and integration of network processes across spatiotemporal domains. We review emerging trends in network neuroscience and attempt to chart a path toward a better understanding of the brain as a multiscale networked system. PMID:28230844

Integrating Neuroscience Knowledge and Neuropsychiatric Skills Into Psychiatry: The Way Forward.

PubMed

Schildkrout, Barbara; Benjamin, Sheldon; Lauterbach, Margo D

2016-05-01

Increasing the integration of neuroscience knowledge and neuropsychiatric skills into general psychiatric practice would facilitate expanded approaches to diagnosis, formulation, and treatment while positioning practitioners to utilize findings from emerging brain research. There is growing consensus that the field of psychiatry would benefit from more familiarity with neuroscience and neuropsychiatry. Yet there remain numerous factors impeding the integration of these domains of knowledge into general psychiatry.The authors make recommendations to move the field forward, focusing on the need for advocacy by psychiatry and medical organizations and changes in psychiatry education at all levels. For individual psychiatrists, the recommendations target obstacles to attaining expanded neuroscience and neuropsychiatry education and barriers stemming from widely held, often unspoken beliefs. For the system of psychiatric care, recommendations address the conceptual and physical separation of psychiatry from medicine, overemphasis on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and on psychopharmacology, and different systems in medicine and psychiatry for handling reimbursement and patient records. For psychiatry residency training, recommendations focus on expanding neuroscience/neuropsychiatry faculty and integrating neuroscience education throughout the curriculum.Psychiatry traditionally concerns itself with helping individuals construct meaningful life narratives. Brain function is one of the fundamental determinants of individuality. It is now possible for psychiatrists to integrate knowledge of neuroscience into understanding the whole person by asking, What person has this brain? How does this brain make this person unique? How does this brain make this disorder unique? What treatment will help this disorder in this person with this brain?

Cognitive neuroscience 2.0: building a cumulative science of human brain function

PubMed Central

Yarkoni, Tal; Poldrack, Russell A.; Van Essen, David C.; Wager, Tor D.

2010-01-01

Cognitive neuroscientists increasingly recognize that continued progress in understanding human brain function will require not only the acquisition of new data, but also the synthesis and integration of data across studies and laboratories. Here we review ongoing efforts to develop a more cumulative science of human brain function. We discuss the rationale for an increased focus on formal synthesis of the cognitive neuroscience literature, provide an overview of recently developed tools and platforms designed to facilitate the sharing and integration of neuroimaging data, and conclude with a discussion of several emerging developments that hold even greater promise in advancing the study of human brain function. PMID:20884276

Perspectives on Sensory Processing Disorder: A Call for Translational Research

PubMed Central

Miller, Lucy J.; Nielsen, Darci M.; Schoen, Sarah A.; Brett-Green, Barbara A.

2009-01-01

This article explores the convergence of two fields, which have similar theoretical origins: a clinical field originally known as sensory integration and a branch of neuroscience that conducts research in an area also called sensory integration. Clinically, the term was used to identify a pattern of dysfunction in children and adults, as well as a related theory, assessment, and treatment method for children who have atypical responses to ordinary sensory stimulation. Currently the term for the disorder is sensory processing disorder (SPD). In neuroscience, the term sensory integration refers to converging information in the brain from one or more sensory domains. A recent subspecialty in neuroscience labeled multisensory integration (MSI) refers to the neural process that occurs when sensory input from two or more different sensory modalities converge. Understanding the specific meanings of the term sensory integration intended by the clinical and neuroscience fields and the term MSI in neuroscience is critical. A translational research approach would improve exploration of crucial research questions in both the basic science and clinical science. Refinement of the conceptual model of the disorder and the related treatment approach would help prioritize which specific hypotheses should be studied in both the clinical and neuroscience fields. The issue is how we can facilitate a translational approach between researchers in the two fields. Multidisciplinary, collaborative studies would increase knowledge of brain function and could make a significant contribution to alleviating the impairments of individuals with SPD and their families. PMID:19826493

An Integrative Approach to STEM Concepts in an Introductory Neuroscience Course: Gains in Interdisciplinary Awareness

PubMed Central

Basu, Alo C.; Mondoux, Michelle A.; Whitt, Jessica L.; Isaacs, André K.; Narita, Tomohiko

2017-01-01

Neuroscience is an integrative discipline for which students must achieve broad-based proficiency in many of the sciences. We are motivated by the premise that student pursuit of proficiency in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can be supported by awareness of the application of knowledge and tools from the various disciplines for solving complex problems. We refer to this awareness as “interdisciplinary awareness.” Faculty from biology, chemistry, mathematics/computer science, physics, and psychology departments contributed to a novel integrative introductory neuroscience course with no pre-requisites. STEM concepts were taught in “flipped” class modules throughout the semester: Students viewed brief videos and completed accompanying homework assignments independently. In subsequent class meetings, students applied the STEM concepts to understand nervous system structure and function through engaged learning activities. The integrative introduction to neuroscience course was compared to two other courses to test the hypothesis that it would lead to greater gains in interdisciplinary awareness than courses that overlap in content but were not designed for this specific goal. Data on interdisciplinary awareness were collected using previously published tools at the beginning and end of each course, enabling within-subject analyses. Students in the integrative course significantly increased their identification of scientific terms as relevant to neuroscience in a term-discipline relevance survey and increased their use of terms related to levels of analysis (e.g., molecular, cellular, systems) in response to an open-ended prompt. These gains were seen over time within the integrative introduction to neuroscience course as well as relative to the other two courses. PMID:29371849

Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience.

PubMed

Kotchoubey, Boris; Tretter, Felix; Braun, Hans A; Buchheim, Thomas; Draguhn, Andreas; Fuchs, Thomas; Hasler, Felix; Hastedt, Heiner; Hinterberger, Thilo; Northoff, Georg; Rentschler, Ingo; Schleim, Stephan; Sellmaier, Stephan; Tebartz Van Elst, Ludger; Tschacher, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the structures and functions of the brain and brain-mind relations. This effort results in an increasing amount of data, generated by sophisticated technologies. However, these data enhance our descriptive knowledge , rather than improve our understanding of brain functions. This is caused by methodological gaps both within and between subdisciplines constituting neuroscience, and the atomistic approach that limits the study of macro- and mesoscopic issues. Whole-brain measurement technologies do not resolve these issues, but rather aggravate them by the complexity problem. The present article is devoted to methodological and epistemic problems that obstruct the development of human neuroscience. We neither discuss ontological questions (e.g., the nature of the mind) nor review data, except when it is necessary to demonstrate a methodological issue. As regards intradisciplinary methodological problems, we concentrate on those within neurobiology (e.g., the gap between electrical and chemical approaches to neurophysiological processes) and psychology (missing theoretical concepts). As regards interdisciplinary problems, we suggest that core disciplines of neuroscience can be integrated using systemic concepts that also entail human-environment relations. We emphasize the necessity of a meta-discussion that should entail a closer cooperation with philosophy as a discipline of systematic reflection. The atomistic reduction should be complemented by the explicit consideration of the embodiedness of the brain and the embeddedness of humans. The discussion is aimed at the development of an explicit methodology of integrative human neuroscience , which will not only link different fields and levels, but also help in understanding clinical phenomena.

Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Kotchoubey, Boris; Tretter, Felix; Braun, Hans A.; Buchheim, Thomas; Draguhn, Andreas; Fuchs, Thomas; Hasler, Felix; Hastedt, Heiner; Hinterberger, Thilo; Northoff, Georg; Rentschler, Ingo; Schleim, Stephan; Sellmaier, Stephan; Tebartz Van Elst, Ludger; Tschacher, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the structures and functions of the brain and brain-mind relations. This effort results in an increasing amount of data, generated by sophisticated technologies. However, these data enhance our descriptive knowledge, rather than improve our understanding of brain functions. This is caused by methodological gaps both within and between subdisciplines constituting neuroscience, and the atomistic approach that limits the study of macro- and mesoscopic issues. Whole-brain measurement technologies do not resolve these issues, but rather aggravate them by the complexity problem. The present article is devoted to methodological and epistemic problems that obstruct the development of human neuroscience. We neither discuss ontological questions (e.g., the nature of the mind) nor review data, except when it is necessary to demonstrate a methodological issue. As regards intradisciplinary methodological problems, we concentrate on those within neurobiology (e.g., the gap between electrical and chemical approaches to neurophysiological processes) and psychology (missing theoretical concepts). As regards interdisciplinary problems, we suggest that core disciplines of neuroscience can be integrated using systemic concepts that also entail human-environment relations. We emphasize the necessity of a meta-discussion that should entail a closer cooperation with philosophy as a discipline of systematic reflection. The atomistic reduction should be complemented by the explicit consideration of the embodiedness of the brain and the embeddedness of humans. The discussion is aimed at the development of an explicit methodology of integrative human neuroscience, which will not only link different fields and levels, but also help in understanding clinical phenomena. PMID:27965548

Theory and methods in cultural neuroscience

PubMed Central

Hariri, Ahmad R.; Harada, Tokiko; Mano, Yoko; Sadato, Norihiro; Parrish, Todd B.; Iidaka, Tetsuya

2010-01-01

Cultural neuroscience is an emerging research discipline that investigates cultural variation in psychological, neural and genomic processes as a means of articulating the bidirectional relationship of these processes and their emergent properties. Research in cultural neuroscience integrates theory and methods from anthropology, cultural psychology, neuroscience and neurogenetics. Here, we review a set of core theoretical and methodological challenges facing researchers when planning and conducting cultural neuroscience studies, and provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges. In particular, we focus on the problems of defining culture and culturally appropriate experimental tasks, comparing neuroimaging data acquired from different populations and scanner sites and identifying functional genetic polymorphisms relevant to culture. Implications of cultural neuroscience research for addressing current issues in population health disparities are discussed. PMID:20592044

Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience: Innovations for Healthy Brain Aging.

PubMed

Zamroziewicz, Marta K; Barbey, Aron K

2016-01-01

Nutritional cognitive neuroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field of research that seeks to understand nutrition's impact on cognition and brain health across the life span. Research in this burgeoning field demonstrates that many aspects of nutrition-from entire diets to specific nutrients-affect brain structure and function, and therefore have profound implications for understanding the nature of healthy brain aging. The aim of this Focused Review is to examine recent advances in nutritional cognitive neuroscience, with an emphasis on methods that enable discovery of nutrient biomarkers that predict healthy brain aging. We propose an integrative framework that calls for the synthesis of research in nutritional epidemiology and cognitive neuroscience, incorporating: (i) methods for the precise characterization of nutritional health based on the analysis of nutrient biomarker patterns (NBPs), along with (ii) modern indices of brain health derived from high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By integrating cutting-edge techniques from nutritional epidemiology and cognitive neuroscience, nutritional cognitive neuroscience will continue to advance our understanding of the beneficial effects of nutrition on the aging brain and establish effective nutritional interventions to promote healthy brain aging.

Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience: Innovations for Healthy Brain Aging

PubMed Central

Zamroziewicz, Marta K.; Barbey, Aron K.

2016-01-01

Nutritional cognitive neuroscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field of research that seeks to understand nutrition's impact on cognition and brain health across the life span. Research in this burgeoning field demonstrates that many aspects of nutrition—from entire diets to specific nutrients—affect brain structure and function, and therefore have profound implications for understanding the nature of healthy brain aging. The aim of this Focused Review is to examine recent advances in nutritional cognitive neuroscience, with an emphasis on methods that enable discovery of nutrient biomarkers that predict healthy brain aging. We propose an integrative framework that calls for the synthesis of research in nutritional epidemiology and cognitive neuroscience, incorporating: (i) methods for the precise characterization of nutritional health based on the analysis of nutrient biomarker patterns (NBPs), along with (ii) modern indices of brain health derived from high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). By integrating cutting-edge techniques from nutritional epidemiology and cognitive neuroscience, nutritional cognitive neuroscience will continue to advance our understanding of the beneficial effects of nutrition on the aging brain and establish effective nutritional interventions to promote healthy brain aging. PMID:27375409

[LONI & Co: about the epistemic specificity of digital spaces of knowledge in cognitive neuroscience].

PubMed

Huber, Lara

2011-06-01

In the neurosciences digital databases more and more are becoming important tools of data rendering and distributing. This development is due to the growing impact of imaging based trial design in cognitive neuroscience, including morphological as much as functional imaging technologies. As the case of the 'Laboratory of Neuro Imaging' (LONI) is showing, databases are attributed a specific epistemological power: Since the 1990s databasing is seen to foster the integration of neuroscientific data, although local regimes of data production, -manipulation and--interpretation are also challenging this development. Databasing in the neurosciences goes along with the introduction of new structures of integrating local data, hence establishing digital spaces of knowledge (epistemic spaces): At this stage, inherent norms of digital databases are affecting regimes of imaging-based trial design, for example clinical research into Alzheimer's disease.

Integration of Computer Technology Into an Introductory-Level Neuroscience Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evert, Denise L.; Goodwin, Gregory; Stavnezer, Amy Jo

2005-01-01

We describe 3 computer-based neuroscience laboratories. In the first 2 labs, we used commercially available interactive software to enhance the study of functional and comparative neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In the remaining lab, we used customized software and hardware in 2 psychophysiological experiments. With the use of the computer-based…

77 FR 29673 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-18

..., (301) 594- 2414, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neurotoxicology and Alcohol Study Section. Date: June 14-15, 2012. Time...

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 1 Challenge Problem Walkthrough

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 1 Challenge Problem Walkthrough Kevin Burns...4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 1 Challenge Problem Walkthrough...Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS) Phase 1 challenge problem. The pages include screen shots

When Neuroscience 'Touches' Architecture: From Hapticity to a Supramodal Functioning of the Human Brain.

PubMed

Papale, Paolo; Chiesi, Leonardo; Rampinini, Alessandra C; Pietrini, Pietro; Ricciardi, Emiliano

2016-01-01

In the last decades, the rapid growth of functional brain imaging methodologies allowed cognitive neuroscience to address open questions in philosophy and social sciences. At the same time, novel insights from cognitive neuroscience research have begun to influence various disciplines, leading to a turn to cognition and emotion in the fields of planning and architectural design. Since 2003, the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture has been supporting 'neuro-architecture' as a way to connect neuroscience and the study of behavioral responses to the built environment. Among the many topics related to multisensory perceptual integration and embodiment, the concept of hapticity was recently introduced, suggesting a pivotal role of tactile perception and haptic imagery in architectural appraisal. Arguments have thus risen in favor of the existence of shared cognitive foundations between hapticity and the supramodal functional architecture of the human brain. Precisely, supramodality refers to the functional feature of defined brain regions to process and represent specific information content in a more abstract way, independently of the sensory modality conveying such information to the brain. Here, we highlight some commonalities and differences between the concepts of hapticity and supramodality according to the distinctive perspectives of architecture and cognitive neuroscience. This comparison and connection between these two different approaches may lead to novel observations in regard to people-environment relationships, and even provide empirical foundations for a renewed evidence-based design theory.

Building a functional multiple intelligences theory to advance educational neuroscience.

PubMed

Cerruti, Carlo

2013-01-01

A key goal of educational neuroscience is to conduct constrained experimental research that is theory-driven and yet also clearly related to educators' complex set of questions and concerns. However, the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience use different levels of description to characterize human ability. An important advance in research in educational neuroscience would be the identification of a cognitive and neurocognitive framework at a level of description relatively intuitive to educators. I argue that the theory of multiple intelligences (MI; Gardner, 1983), a conception of the mind that motivated a past generation of teachers, may provide such an opportunity. I criticize MI for doing little to clarify for teachers a core misunderstanding, specifically that MI was only an anatomical map of the mind but not a functional theory that detailed how the mind actually processes information. In an attempt to build a "functional MI" theory, I integrate into MI basic principles of cognitive and neural functioning, namely interregional neural facilitation and inhibition. In so doing I hope to forge a path toward constrained experimental research that bears upon teachers' concerns about teaching and learning.

A translational neuroscience perspective on mindfulness meditation as a prevention strategy.

PubMed

Tang, Yi-Yuan; Leve, Leslie D

2016-03-01

Mindfulness meditation research mainly focuses on psychological outcomes such as behavioral, cognitive, and emotional functioning. However, the neuroscience literature on mindfulness meditation has grown in recent years. This paper provides an overview of relevant neuroscience and psychological research on the effects of mindfulness meditation. We propose a translational prevention framework of mindfulness and its effects. Drawing upon the principles of prevention science, this framework integrates neuroscience and prevention research and postulates underlying brain regulatory mechanisms that explain the impact of mindfulness on psychological outcomes via self-regulation mechanisms linked to underlying brain systems. We conclude by discussing potential clinical and practice implications of this model and directions for future research.

Integrated neuroscience program: an alternative approach to teaching neurosciences to chiropractic students.

PubMed

He, Xiaohua; La Rose, James; Zhang, Niu

2009-01-01

Most chiropractic colleges do not offer independent neuroscience courses because of an already crowded curriculum. The Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida has developed and implemented an integrated neuroscience program that incorporates neurosciences into different courses. The goals of the program have been to bring neurosciences to students, excite students about the interrelationship of neuroscience and chiropractic, improve students' understanding of neuroscience, and help the students understand the mechanisms underpinning the chiropractic practice. This study provides a descriptive analysis on how the integrated neuroscience program is taught via students' attitudes toward neuroscience and the comparison of students' perceptions of neuroscience content knowledge at different points in the program. A questionnaire consisting of 58 questions regarding the neuroscience courses was conducted among 339 students. The questionnaire was developed by faculty members who were involved in teaching neuroscience and administered in the classroom by faculty members who were not involved in the study. Student perceptions of their neuroscience knowledge, self-confidence, learning strategies, and knowledge application increased considerably through the quarters, especially among the 2nd-year students. The integrated neuroscience program achieved several of its goals, including an increase in students' confidence, positive attitude, ability to learn, and perception of neuroscience content knowledge. The authors believe that such gains can expand student ability to interpret clinical cases and inspire students to become excited about chiropractic research. The survey provides valuable information for teaching faculty to make the course content more relevant to chiropractic students.

Challenges and Opportunities in Mining Neuroscience Data

PubMed Central

Akil, Huda; Martone, Maryann E.; Van Essen, David C.

2011-01-01

Understanding the brain requires a broad range of approaches and methods from the domains of biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The fundamental challenge is to decipher the “neural choreography” associated with complex behaviors and functions, including thoughts, memories, actions, and emotions. This demands the acquisition and integration of vast amounts of data of many types, at multiple scales in time and in space. Here, we discuss the need for neuroinformatics approaches to accelerate progress, using several illustrative examples. The nascent field of ‘connectomics’ aims to comprehensively describe neuronal connectivity at either a macroscopic level (long-distance pathways for the entire brain) or a microscopic level (axons, dendrites, synapses in a small brain region). The Neuroscience Information Framework encompasses all of neuroscience and facilitates integration of existing knowledge and databases of many types. These examples illustrate the opportunities and challenges of data mining across multiple tiers of neuroscience information and underscore the need for cultural and infrastructure changes if neuroinformatics is to fulfill its potential to advance our understanding of the brain. PMID:21311009

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 2 Challenge Problem Walkthrough

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 2 Challenge Problem Walkthrough Kevin Burns...neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS) Phase 2 challenge problem. The pages include screen shots from the tutorial that...Burns, K., Fine, M., Bonaceto, C., & Oertel, C. (2014). Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS

Teaching laboratory neuroscience at bowdoin: the laboratory instructor perspective.

PubMed

Hauptman, Stephen; Curtis, Nancy

2009-01-01

Bowdoin College is a small liberal arts college that offers a comprehensive Neuroscience major. The laboratory experience is an integral part of the major, and many students progress through three stages. A core course offers a survey of concepts and techniques. Four upper-level courses function to give students more intensive laboratory research experience in neurophysiology, molecular neurobiology, social behavior, and learning and memory. Finally, many majors choose to work in the individual research labs of the Neuroscience faculty. We, as laboratory instructors, are vital to the process, and are actively involved in all aspects of the lab-based courses. We provide student instruction in state of the art techniques in neuroscience research. By sharing laboratory teaching responsibilities with course professors, we help to prepare students for careers in laboratory neuroscience and also support and facilitate faculty research programs.

Executive Function in Education: From Theory to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meltzer, Lynn, Ed.

2007-01-01

This uniquely integrative book brings together leading researchers and practitioners from education, neuroscience, and psychology. It presents a theoretical framework for understanding executive function difficulties together with a range of effective approaches to assessment and instruction. Coverage includes executive function processes in…

When Neuroscience ‘Touches’ Architecture: From Hapticity to a Supramodal Functioning of the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Papale, Paolo; Chiesi, Leonardo; Rampinini, Alessandra C.; Pietrini, Pietro; Ricciardi, Emiliano

2016-01-01

In the last decades, the rapid growth of functional brain imaging methodologies allowed cognitive neuroscience to address open questions in philosophy and social sciences. At the same time, novel insights from cognitive neuroscience research have begun to influence various disciplines, leading to a turn to cognition and emotion in the fields of planning and architectural design. Since 2003, the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture has been supporting ‘neuro-architecture’ as a way to connect neuroscience and the study of behavioral responses to the built environment. Among the many topics related to multisensory perceptual integration and embodiment, the concept of hapticity was recently introduced, suggesting a pivotal role of tactile perception and haptic imagery in architectural appraisal. Arguments have thus risen in favor of the existence of shared cognitive foundations between hapticity and the supramodal functional architecture of the human brain. Precisely, supramodality refers to the functional feature of defined brain regions to process and represent specific information content in a more abstract way, independently of the sensory modality conveying such information to the brain. Here, we highlight some commonalities and differences between the concepts of hapticity and supramodality according to the distinctive perspectives of architecture and cognitive neuroscience. This comparison and connection between these two different approaches may lead to novel observations in regard to people–environment relationships, and even provide empirical foundations for a renewed evidence-based design theory. PMID:27375542

NeuroMorpho.Org implementation of digital neuroscience: dense coverage and integration with the NIF

PubMed Central

Halavi, Maryam; Polavaram, Sridevi; Donohue, Duncan E.; Hamilton, Gail; Hoyt, Jeffrey; Smith, Kenneth P.; Ascoli, Giorgio A.

2009-01-01

Neuronal morphology affects network connectivity, plasticity, and information processing. Uncovering the design principles and functional consequences of dendritic and axonal shape necessitates quantitative analysis and computational modeling of detailed experimental data. Digital reconstructions provide the required neuromorphological descriptions in a parsimonious, comprehensive, and reliable numerical format. NeuroMorpho.Org is the largest web-accessible repository service for digitally reconstructed neurons and one of the integrated resources in the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF). Here we describe the NeuroMorpho.Org approach as an exemplary experience in designing, creating, populating, and curating a neuroscience digital resource. The simple three-tier architecture of NeuroMorpho.Org (web client, web server, and relational database) encompasses all necessary elements to support a large-scale, integrate-able repository. The data content, while heterogeneous in scientific scope and experimental origin, is unified in format and presentation by an in house standardization protocol. The server application (MRALD) is secure, customizable, and developer-friendly. Centralized processing and expert annotation yields a comprehensive set of metadata that enriches and complements the raw data. The thoroughly tested interface design allows for optimal and effective data search and retrieval. Availability of data in both original and standardized formats ensures compatibility with existing resources and fosters further tool development. Other key functions enable extensive exploration and discovery, including 3D and interactive visualization of branching, frequently measured morphometrics, and reciprocal links to the original PubMed publications. The integration of NeuroMorpho.Org with version-1 of the NIF (NIFv1) provides the opportunity to access morphological data in the context of other relevant resources and diverse subdomains of neuroscience, opening exciting new possibilities in data mining and knowledge discovery. The outcome of such coordination is the rapid and powerful advancement of neuroscience research at both the conceptual and technological level. PMID:18949582

NeuroMorpho.Org implementation of digital neuroscience: dense coverage and integration with the NIF.

PubMed

Halavi, Maryam; Polavaram, Sridevi; Donohue, Duncan E; Hamilton, Gail; Hoyt, Jeffrey; Smith, Kenneth P; Ascoli, Giorgio A

2008-09-01

Neuronal morphology affects network connectivity, plasticity, and information processing. Uncovering the design principles and functional consequences of dendritic and axonal shape necessitates quantitative analysis and computational modeling of detailed experimental data. Digital reconstructions provide the required neuromorphological descriptions in a parsimonious, comprehensive, and reliable numerical format. NeuroMorpho.Org is the largest web-accessible repository service for digitally reconstructed neurons and one of the integrated resources in the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF). Here we describe the NeuroMorpho.Org approach as an exemplary experience in designing, creating, populating, and curating a neuroscience digital resource. The simple three-tier architecture of NeuroMorpho.Org (web client, web server, and relational database) encompasses all necessary elements to support a large-scale, integrate-able repository. The data content, while heterogeneous in scientific scope and experimental origin, is unified in format and presentation by an in house standardization protocol. The server application (MRALD) is secure, customizable, and developer-friendly. Centralized processing and expert annotation yields a comprehensive set of metadata that enriches and complements the raw data. The thoroughly tested interface design allows for optimal and effective data search and retrieval. Availability of data in both original and standardized formats ensures compatibility with existing resources and fosters further tool development. Other key functions enable extensive exploration and discovery, including 3D and interactive visualization of branching, frequently measured morphometrics, and reciprocal links to the original PubMed publications. The integration of NeuroMorpho.Org with version-1 of the NIF (NIFv1) provides the opportunity to access morphological data in the context of other relevant resources and diverse subdomains of neuroscience, opening exciting new possibilities in data mining and knowledge discovery. The outcome of such coordination is the rapid and powerful advancement of neuroscience research at both the conceptual and technological level.

75 FR 76994 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-10

... Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group Developmental Brain Disorders....gov . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Cell [email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group...

Contributions of Philip Teitelbaum to affective neuroscience.

PubMed

Berridge, Kent C

2012-06-01

As part of a festschrift issue for Philip Teitelbaum, I offer here the thesis that Teitelbaum deserves to be viewed as an important forefather to the contemporary field of affective neuroscience (which studies motivation, emotion and affect in the brain). Teitelbaum's groundbreaking analyses of motivation deficits induced by lateral hypothalamic damage, of roles of food palatability in revealing residual function, and of recovery of 'lost' functions helped shape modern understanding of how motivation circuits operate within the brain. His redefinition of the minimum requirement for identifying motivation raised the conceptual bar for thinking about the topic among behavioral neuroscientists. His meticulous analyses of patterned stages induced by brain manipulations, life development and clinical disorders added new dimensions to our appreciation of how brain systems work. His steadfast highlighting of integrative functions and behavioral complexity helped provide a healthy functionalist counterbalance to reductionist trends in science of the late 20th century. In short, Philip Teitelbaum can be seen to have made remarkable contributions to several domains of psychology and neuroscience, including affective neuroscience. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contributions of Philip Teitelbaum to affective neuroscience

PubMed Central

Berridge, Kent C.

2011-01-01

As part of a festschrift issue for Philip Teitelbaum, I offer here the thesis that Teitelbaum deserves to be viewed as an important forefather to the contemporary field of affective neuroscience (which studies motivation, emotion and affect in the brain). Teitelbaum’s groundbreaking analyses of motivation deficits induced by lateral hypothalamic damage, of roles of food palatability in revealing residual function, and of recovery of ‘lost’ functions helped shape modern understanding of how motivation circuits operate within the brain. His redefinition of the minimum requirement for identifying motivation raised the conceptual bar for thinking about the topic among behavioral neuroscientists. His meticulous analyses of patterned stages induced by brain manipulations, life development and clinical disorders added new dimensions to our appreciation of how brain systems work. His steadfast highlighting of integrative functions and behavioral complexity helped provide a healthy functionalist counterbalance to reductionist trends in science of the late 20th century. In short, Philip Teitelbaum can be seen to have made remarkable contributions to several domains of psychology and neuroscience, including affective neuroscience. PMID:22051942

Building a functional multiple intelligences theory to advance educational neuroscience

PubMed Central

Cerruti, Carlo

2013-01-01

A key goal of educational neuroscience is to conduct constrained experimental research that is theory-driven and yet also clearly related to educators’ complex set of questions and concerns. However, the fields of education, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience use different levels of description to characterize human ability. An important advance in research in educational neuroscience would be the identification of a cognitive and neurocognitive framework at a level of description relatively intuitive to educators. I argue that the theory of multiple intelligences (MI; Gardner, 1983), a conception of the mind that motivated a past generation of teachers, may provide such an opportunity. I criticize MI for doing little to clarify for teachers a core misunderstanding, specifically that MI was only an anatomical map of the mind but not a functional theory that detailed how the mind actually processes information. In an attempt to build a “functional MI” theory, I integrate into MI basic principles of cognitive and neural functioning, namely interregional neural facilitation and inhibition. In so doing I hope to forge a path toward constrained experimental research that bears upon teachers’ concerns about teaching and learning. PMID:24391613

An Integrated Neuroscience and Engineering Approach to Classifying Human Brain-States

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-22

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0037 An Integrated Neuroscience and Engineering Approach to Classifying Human Brain-States Adrian Lee UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON...to 14-09-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE An Integrated Neuroscience and Engineering Approach to Classifying Human Brain- States 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b...specific cognitive states remains elusive, owing perhaps to limited crosstalk between the fields of neuroscience and engineering. Here, we report a

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 1 Test and Evaluation Development Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Phase 1 Test and Evaluation Development Guide Craig...Self-initiated sensemaking ........................................................................................... 19 Feature Vector Format: Tasks...The Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS) Program aimed to build computational cognitive

How does our brain constitute defense mechanisms? First-person neuroscience and psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Northoff, Georg; Bermpohl, Felix; Schoeneich, Frank; Boeker, Heinz

2007-01-01

Current progress in the cognitive and affective neurosciences is constantly influencing the development of psychoanalytic theory and practice. However, despite the emerging dialogue between neuroscience and psychoanalysis, the neuronal processes underlying psychoanalytic constructs such as defense mechanisms remain unclear. One of the main problems in investigating the psychodynamic-neuronal relationship consists in systematically linking the individual contents of first-person subjective experience to third-person observation of neuronal states. We therefore introduced an appropriate methodological strategy, 'first-person neuroscience', which aims at developing methods for systematically linking first- and third-person data. The utility of first-person neuroscience can be demonstrated by the example of the defense mechanism of sensorimotor regression as paradigmatically observed in catatonia. Combined psychodynamic and imaging studies suggest that sensorimotor regression might be associated with dysfunction in the neural network including the orbitofrontal, the medial prefrontal and the premotor cortices. In general sensorimotor regression and other defense mechanisms are psychoanalytic constructs that are hypothesized to be complex emotional-cognitive constellations. In this paper we suggest that specific functional mechanisms which integrate neuronal activity across several brain regions (i.e. neuronal integration) are the physiological substrates of defense mechanisms. We conclude that first-person neuroscience could be an appropriate methodological strategy for opening the door to a better understanding of the neuronal processes of defense mechanisms and their modulation in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.

77 FR 73666 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-11

... Emphasis Panel; Integrative, Functional, and Cognitive Neuroscience Member Conflicts: Hearing and [email protected] . (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine; 93...

Neural Integration in Body Perception.

PubMed

Ramsey, Richard

2018-06-19

The perception of other people is instrumental in guiding social interactions. For example, the appearance of the human body cues a wide range of inferences regarding sex, age, health, and personality, as well as emotional state and intentions, which influence social behavior. To date, most neuroscience research on body perception has aimed to characterize the functional contribution of segregated patches of cortex in the ventral visual stream. In light of the growing prominence of network architectures in neuroscience, the current article reviews neuroimaging studies that measure functional integration between different brain regions during body perception. The review demonstrates that body perception is not restricted to processing in the ventral visual stream but instead reflects a functional alliance between the ventral visual stream and extended neural systems associated with action perception, executive functions, and theory of mind. Overall, these findings demonstrate how body percepts are constructed through interactions in distributed brain networks and underscore that functional segregation and integration should be considered together when formulating neurocognitive theories of body perception. Insight from such an updated model of body perception generalizes to inform the organizational structure of social perception and cognition more generally and also informs disorders of body image, such as anorexia nervosa, which may rely on atypical integration of body-related information.

Art, energy, and the brain.

PubMed

Pepperell, Robert

2018-01-01

Recent years have seen a growing interest among neuroscientists and vision scientists in art and aesthetics, exemplifying a more general trend toward interdisciplinary integration in the arts, humanities, and sciences. However, true art-science integration remains a distant prospect due to fundamental differences in outlook and approach between disciplines. I consider two great challenges for any project designed to explain the role of the brain in art appreciation. First, scientists and artists need to identify common ground, common questions, and a shared motivation for inquiry. Second, the neuroscience of art must transcend its current goal of correlating brain functions to behavior and begin to explain the connection between activity in the brain and the phenomenology of art appreciation. I propose that both challenges can be tackled using an energy-based approach. The concept of "energy" is clearly of central importance to the physical sciences, and to neuroscience in particular. Meanwhile, energy is a concept that artists and art historians have consistently referred to when trying to articulate how artworks are made and appreciated. I survey the role of energy in art, philosophical and psychological aesthetics, and neuroscience, and suggest how this approach could help to further integrate art and neuroscience, and explain how brain activity contributes to aesthetic experience. © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An 'integrative neuroscience' perspective on ADHD: linking cognition, emotion, brain and genetic measures with implications for clinical support.

PubMed

Williams, Leanne M; Tsang, Tracey W; Clarke, Simon; Kohn, Michael

2010-10-01

There remains a translational gap between research findings and their implementation in clinical practice that applies to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as to other major disorders of brain health in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Research studies have identified potential 'markers' to support diagnostic, functional assessment and treatment decisions, but there is little consensus about these markers. Of these potential markers, cognitive measures of thinking functions, such as sustaining attention and associated electrical brain activity, show promise in complementing the clinical management process. Emerging evidence highlights the relevance of emotional, as well as thinking, functions to ADHD. Here, we outline an integrative neuroscience framework for ADHD that offers one means to bring together cognitive measures of thinking functions with measures of emotion, and their brain and genetic correlates. Understanding these measures and the relationships between them is a first step towards the development of tools that will help to assess the heterogeneity of ADHD, and aid in tailoring treatment choices.

Large-scale brain networks in affective and social neuroscience: Towards an integrative functional architecture of the brain

PubMed Central

Barrett, Lisa Feldman; Satpute, Ajay

2013-01-01

Understanding how a human brain creates a human mind ultimately depends on mapping psychological categories and concepts to physical measurements of neural response. Although it has long been assumed that emotional, social, and cognitive phenomena are realized in the operations of separate brain regions or brain networks, we demonstrate that it is possible to understand the body of neuroimaging evidence using a framework that relies on domain general, distributed structure-function mappings. We review current research in affective and social neuroscience and argue that the emerging science of large-scale intrinsic brain networks provides a coherent framework for a domain-general functional architecture of the human brain. PMID:23352202

76 FR 54238 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-31

...-806-2515, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience... Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Neurogenesis and Cell Fate Study Section. Date: October 5, 2011. Time: 8... Cognitive Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimmunology, Rhythms and Sleep Study...

Neuroimaging and psychophysiological measurement in organizational research: an agenda for research in organizational cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Lee, Nick; Chamberlain, Laura

2007-11-01

Although organizational research has made tremendous strides in the last century, recent advances in neuroscience and the imaging of functional brain activity remain underused. In fact, even the use of well-established psychophysiological measurement tools is comparatively rare. Following the lead of social cognitive neuroscience, in this review, we conceptualize organizational cognitive neuroscience as a field dedicated to exploring the processes within the brain that underlie or influence human decisions, behaviors, and interactions either (a) within organizations or (b) in response to organizational manifestations or institutions. We discuss organizational cognitive neuroscience, bringing together work that may previously have been characterized rather atomistically, and provide a brief overview of individual methods that may be of use. Subsequently, we discuss the possible convergence and integration of the different neuroimaging and psychophysiological measurement modalities. A brief review of prior work in the field shows a significant need for a more coherent and theory-driven approach to organizational cognitive neuroscience. In response, we discuss a recent example of such work, along with three hypothetical case studies that exemplify the link between organizational and psychological theory and neuroscientific methods.

Mapping the semantic structure of cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Beam, Elizabeth; Appelbaum, L Gregory; Jack, Jordynn; Moody, James; Huettel, Scott A

2014-09-01

Cognitive neuroscience, as a discipline, links the biological systems studied by neuroscience to the processing constructs studied by psychology. By mapping these relations throughout the literature of cognitive neuroscience, we visualize the semantic structure of the discipline and point to directions for future research that will advance its integrative goal. For this purpose, network text analyses were applied to an exhaustive corpus of abstracts collected from five major journals over a 30-month period, including every study that used fMRI to investigate psychological processes. From this, we generate network maps that illustrate the relationships among psychological and anatomical terms, along with centrality statistics that guide inferences about network structure. Three terms--prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex--dominate the network structure with their high frequency in the literature and the density of their connections with other neuroanatomical terms. From network statistics, we identify terms that are understudied compared with their importance in the network (e.g., insula and thalamus), are underspecified in the language of the discipline (e.g., terms associated with executive function), or are imperfectly integrated with other concepts (e.g., subdisciplines like decision neuroscience that are disconnected from the main network). Taking these results as the basis for prescriptive recommendations, we conclude that semantic analyses provide useful guidance for cognitive neuroscience as a discipline, both by illustrating systematic biases in the conduct and presentation of research and by identifying directions that may be most productive for future research.

Advancing Individualized Medicine by Understanding Phenotypic Integration Using the Human Skeleton as a Model System

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

Angle ( NSA ) was measured as the angle formed between the neck axis and the shaft axis. The trochanter-to-trochanter distance was measured as the...Rev Neurosci 7(7):563-74. 4. Hopkins SR, Harms CA 2004 Gender and pulmonary gas exchange during exercise. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 32(2):50-6. 5...Marder E 2009 Functional consequences of animal- to-animal variation in circuit parameters. Nat Neurosci 12(11):1424-30. 7. Ruff C 2005 Growth tracking of

The neuroscience information framework: a data and knowledge environment for neuroscience.

PubMed

Gardner, Daniel; Akil, Huda; Ascoli, Giorgio A; Bowden, Douglas M; Bug, William; Donohue, Duncan E; Goldberg, David H; Grafstein, Bernice; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Gupta, Amarnath; Halavi, Maryam; Kennedy, David N; Marenco, Luis; Martone, Maryann E; Miller, Perry L; Müller, Hans-Michael; Robert, Adrian; Shepherd, Gordon M; Sternberg, Paul W; Van Essen, David C; Williams, Robert W

2008-09-01

With support from the Institutes and Centers forming the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, we have designed and implemented a new initiative for integrating access to and use of Web-based neuroscience resources: the Neuroscience Information Framework. The Framework arises from the expressed need of the neuroscience community for neuroinformatic tools and resources to aid scientific inquiry, builds upon prior development of neuroinformatics by the Human Brain Project and others, and directly derives from the Society for Neuroscience's Neuroscience Database Gateway. Partnered with the Society, its Neuroinformatics Committee, and volunteer consultant-collaborators, our multi-site consortium has developed: (1) a comprehensive, dynamic, inventory of Web-accessible neuroscience resources, (2) an extended and integrated terminology describing resources and contents, and (3) a framework accepting and aiding concept-based queries. Evolving instantiations of the Framework may be viewed at http://nif.nih.gov , http://neurogateway.org , and other sites as they come on line.

Social Competence in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors: Application of a Model from Social Neuroscience and Developmental Psychology

PubMed Central

Hocking, Matthew C.; McCurdy, Mark; Turner, Elise; Kazak, Anne E.; Noll, Robert B.; Phillips, Peter; Barakat, Lamia P.

2014-01-01

Pediatric brain tumor (BT) survivors are at risk for psychosocial late effects across many domains of functioning, including neurocognitive and social. The literature on the social competence of pediatric BT survivors is still developing and future research is needed that integrates developmental and cognitive neuroscience research methodologies to identify predictors of survivor social adjustment and interventions to ameliorate problems. This review discusses the current literature on survivor social functioning through a model of social competence in childhood brain disorder and suggests future directions based on this model. Interventions pursuing change in survivor social adjustment should consider targeting social ecological factors. PMID:25382825

The rebirth of neuroscience in psychosomatic medicine, Part I: historical context, methods, and relevant basic science.

PubMed

Lane, Richard D; Waldstein, Shari R; Chesney, Margaret A; Jennings, J Richard; Lovallo, William R; Kozel, Peter J; Rose, Robert M; Drossman, Douglas A; Schneiderman, Neil; Thayer, Julian F; Cameron, Oliver G

2009-02-01

Neuroscience was an integral part of psychosomatic medicine at its inception in the early 20th century. Since the mid-20th century, however, psychosomatic research has largely ignored the brain. The field of neuroscience has burgeoned in recent years largely because a variety of powerful new methods have become available. Many of these methods allow for the noninvasive study of the living human brain and thus are potentially available for integration into psychosomatic medicine research at this time. In this first paper we examine various methods available for human neuroscientific investigation and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses. We next review some basic functional neuroanatomy involving structures that are increasingly being identified as relevant for psychosomatic processes. We then discuss, and provide examples of, how the brain influences end organs through "information transfer systems," including the autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. The evidence currently available suggests that neuroscience holds great promise for advancing the goal of understanding the mechanisms by which psychosocial variables influence physical disease outcomes. An increased focus on such mechanistic research in psychosomatic medicine is needed to further its acceptance into the field of medicine.

Model-based functional neuroimaging using dynamic neural fields: An integrative cognitive neuroscience approach

PubMed Central

Wijeakumar, Sobanawartiny; Ambrose, Joseph P.; Spencer, John P.; Curtu, Rodica

2017-01-01

A fundamental challenge in cognitive neuroscience is to develop theoretical frameworks that effectively span the gap between brain and behavior, between neuroscience and psychology. Here, we attempt to bridge this divide by formalizing an integrative cognitive neuroscience approach using dynamic field theory (DFT). We begin by providing an overview of how DFT seeks to understand the neural population dynamics that underlie cognitive processes through previous applications and comparisons to other modeling approaches. We then use previously published behavioral and neural data from a response selection Go/Nogo task as a case study for model simulations. Results from this study served as the ‘standard’ for comparisons with a model-based fMRI approach using dynamic neural fields (DNF). The tutorial explains the rationale and hypotheses involved in the process of creating the DNF architecture and fitting model parameters. Two DNF models, with similar structure and parameter sets, are then compared. Both models effectively simulated reaction times from the task as we varied the number of stimulus-response mappings and the proportion of Go trials. Next, we directly simulated hemodynamic predictions from the neural activation patterns from each model. These predictions were tested using general linear models (GLMs). Results showed that the DNF model that was created by tuning parameters to capture simultaneously trends in neural activation and behavioral data quantitatively outperformed a Standard GLM analysis of the same dataset. Further, by using the GLM results to assign functional roles to particular clusters in the brain, we illustrate how DNF models shed new light on the neural populations’ dynamics within particular brain regions. Thus, the present study illustrates how an interactive cognitive neuroscience model can be used in practice to bridge the gap between brain and behavior. PMID:29118459

The NIF DISCO Framework: Facilitating Automated Integration of Neuroscience Content on the Web

PubMed Central

Marenco, Luis; Wang, Rixin; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Miller, Perry L.

2013-01-01

This paper describes the capabilities of DISCO, an extensible approach that supports integrative Web-based information dissemination. DISCO is a component of the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), an NIH Neuroscience Blueprint initiative that facilitates integrated access to diverse neuroscience resources via the Internet. DISCO facilitates the automated maintenance of several distinct capabilities using a collection of files 1) that are maintained locally by the developers of participating neuroscience resources and 2) that are “harvested” on a regular basis by a central DISCO server. This approach allows central NIF capabilities to be updated as each resource’s content changes over time. DISCO currently supports the following capabilities: 1) resource descriptions, 2) “LinkOut” to a resource’s data items from NCBI Entrez resources such as PubMed, 3) Web-based interoperation with a resource, 4) sharing a resource’s lexicon and ontology, 5) sharing a resource’s database schema, and 6) participation by the resource in neuroscience-related RSS news dissemination. The developers of a resource are free to choose which DISCO capabilities their resource will participate in. Although DISCO is used by NIF to facilitate neuroscience data integration, its capabilities have general applicability to other areas of research. PMID:20387131

The NIF DISCO Framework: facilitating automated integration of neuroscience content on the web.

PubMed

Marenco, Luis; Wang, Rixin; Shepherd, Gordon M; Miller, Perry L

2010-06-01

This paper describes the capabilities of DISCO, an extensible approach that supports integrative Web-based information dissemination. DISCO is a component of the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), an NIH Neuroscience Blueprint initiative that facilitates integrated access to diverse neuroscience resources via the Internet. DISCO facilitates the automated maintenance of several distinct capabilities using a collection of files 1) that are maintained locally by the developers of participating neuroscience resources and 2) that are "harvested" on a regular basis by a central DISCO server. This approach allows central NIF capabilities to be updated as each resource's content changes over time. DISCO currently supports the following capabilities: 1) resource descriptions, 2) "LinkOut" to a resource's data items from NCBI Entrez resources such as PubMed, 3) Web-based interoperation with a resource, 4) sharing a resource's lexicon and ontology, 5) sharing a resource's database schema, and 6) participation by the resource in neuroscience-related RSS news dissemination. The developers of a resource are free to choose which DISCO capabilities their resource will participate in. Although DISCO is used by NIF to facilitate neuroscience data integration, its capabilities have general applicability to other areas of research.

75 FR 27793 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-18

...: Imaging and Radiation Therapy. Date: June 8, 2010. Time: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Agenda: To review and...-402- 5671, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience...

Korea Brain Initiative: Integration and Control of Brain Functions.

PubMed

Jeong, Sung-Jin; Lee, Haejin; Hur, Eun-Mi; Choe, Youngshik; Koo, Ja Wook; Rah, Jong-Cheol; Lee, Kea Joo; Lim, Hyun-Ho; Sun, Woong; Moon, Cheil; Kim, Kyungjin

2016-11-02

This article introduces the history and the long-term goals of the Korea Brain Initiative, which is centered on deciphering the brain functions and mechanisms that mediate the integration and control of brain functions that underlie decision-making. The goal of this initiative is the mapping of a functional connectome with searchable, multi-dimensional, and information-integrated features. The project also includes the development of novel technologies and neuro-tools for integrated brain mapping. Beyond the scientific goals this grand endeavor will ultimately have socioeconomic ramifications that not only facilitate global collaboration in the neuroscience community, but also develop various brain science-related industrial and medical innovations. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Regulation and Function of Adult Neurogenesis: From Genes to Cognition

PubMed Central

Aimone, James B.; Li, Yan; Lee, Star W.; Clemenson, Gregory D.; Deng, Wei; Gage, Fred H.

2014-01-01

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is a notable process due not only to its uniqueness and potential impact on cognition but also to its localized vertical integration of different scales of neuroscience, ranging from molecular and cellular biology to behavior. This review summarizes the recent research regarding the process of adult neurogenesis from these different perspectives, with particular emphasis on the differentiation and development of new neurons, the regulation of the process by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and their ultimate function in the hippocampus circuit. Arising from a local neural stem cell population, new neurons progress through several stages of maturation, ultimately integrating into the adult dentate gyrus network. The increased appreciation of the full neurogenesis process, from genes and cells to behavior and cognition, makes neurogenesis both a unique case study for how scales in neuroscience can link together and suggests neurogenesis as a potential target for therapeutic intervention for a number of disorders. PMID:25287858

Biological Risk for the Development of Problem Behavior in Adolescence: Integrating Insights from Behavioral Genetics and Neuroscience.

PubMed

Harden, K Paige; Mann, Frank D

2015-12-01

Adolescence is a time of increasing engagement in a variety of problem behaviors, including substance use and delinquency. Genetic risk for problem behavior increases over adolescence, is mediated partially by individual differences in sensation seeking, and is exacerbated by involvement with deviant peers. In this article, we describe how findings from behavioral genetic research on problem behavior intersect with research from developmental neuroscience. In particular, the incentive-processing system, including the ventral striatum, responds increasingly to rewards in adolescence, particularly in peer contexts. This developmental shift may be influenced by hormonal changes at puberty. Individual differences in the structure and function of reward-responsive brain regions may be intermediary phenotypes that mediate adolescents' genetic risk for problem behavior. The study of problem behavior can be enriched by interdisciplinary research that integrates measures of brain structure and function into genetically informed studies.

AlzPharm: integration of neurodegeneration data using RDF.

PubMed

Lam, Hugo Y K; Marenco, Luis; Clark, Tim; Gao, Yong; Kinoshita, June; Shepherd, Gordon; Miller, Perry; Wu, Elizabeth; Wong, Gwendolyn T; Liu, Nian; Crasto, Chiquito; Morse, Thomas; Stephens, Susie; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2007-05-09

Neuroscientists often need to access a wide range of data sets distributed over the Internet. These data sets, however, are typically neither integrated nor interoperable, resulting in a barrier to answering complex neuroscience research questions. Domain ontologies can enable the querying heterogeneous data sets, but they are not sufficient for neuroscience since the data of interest commonly span multiple research domains. To this end, e-Neuroscience seeks to provide an integrated platform for neuroscientists to discover new knowledge through seamless integration of the very diverse types of neuroscience data. Here we present a Semantic Web approach to building this e-Neuroscience framework by using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and its vocabulary description language, RDF Schema (RDFS), as a standard data model to facilitate both representation and integration of the data. We have constructed a pilot ontology for BrainPharm (a subset of SenseLab) using RDFS and then converted a subset of the BrainPharm data into RDF according to the ontological structure. We have also integrated the converted BrainPharm data with existing RDF hypothesis and publication data from a pilot version of SWAN (Semantic Web Applications in Neuromedicine). Our implementation uses the RDF Data Model in Oracle Database 10g release 2 for data integration, query, and inference, while our Web interface allows users to query the data and retrieve the results in a convenient fashion. Accessing and integrating biomedical data which cuts across multiple disciplines will be increasingly indispensable and beneficial to neuroscience researchers. The Semantic Web approach we undertook has demonstrated a promising way to semantically integrate data sets created independently. It also shows how advanced queries and inferences can be performed over the integrated data, which are hard to achieve using traditional data integration approaches. Our pilot results suggest that our Semantic Web approach is suitable for realizing e-Neuroscience and generic enough to be applied in other biomedical fields.

AlzPharm: integration of neurodegeneration data using RDF

PubMed Central

Lam, Hugo YK; Marenco, Luis; Clark, Tim; Gao, Yong; Kinoshita, June; Shepherd, Gordon; Miller, Perry; Wu, Elizabeth; Wong, Gwendolyn T; Liu, Nian; Crasto, Chiquito; Morse, Thomas; Stephens, Susie; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2007-01-01

Background Neuroscientists often need to access a wide range of data sets distributed over the Internet. These data sets, however, are typically neither integrated nor interoperable, resulting in a barrier to answering complex neuroscience research questions. Domain ontologies can enable the querying heterogeneous data sets, but they are not sufficient for neuroscience since the data of interest commonly span multiple research domains. To this end, e-Neuroscience seeks to provide an integrated platform for neuroscientists to discover new knowledge through seamless integration of the very diverse types of neuroscience data. Here we present a Semantic Web approach to building this e-Neuroscience framework by using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and its vocabulary description language, RDF Schema (RDFS), as a standard data model to facilitate both representation and integration of the data. Results We have constructed a pilot ontology for BrainPharm (a subset of SenseLab) using RDFS and then converted a subset of the BrainPharm data into RDF according to the ontological structure. We have also integrated the converted BrainPharm data with existing RDF hypothesis and publication data from a pilot version of SWAN (Semantic Web Applications in Neuromedicine). Our implementation uses the RDF Data Model in Oracle Database 10g release 2 for data integration, query, and inference, while our Web interface allows users to query the data and retrieve the results in a convenient fashion. Conclusion Accessing and integrating biomedical data which cuts across multiple disciplines will be increasingly indispensable and beneficial to neuroscience researchers. The Semantic Web approach we undertook has demonstrated a promising way to semantically integrate data sets created independently. It also shows how advanced queries and inferences can be performed over the integrated data, which are hard to achieve using traditional data integration approaches. Our pilot results suggest that our Semantic Web approach is suitable for realizing e-Neuroscience and generic enough to be applied in other biomedical fields. PMID:17493287

Integrating Neuroscience Knowledge into Social Work Education: A Case-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egan, Marcia; Neely-Barnes, Susan L.; Combs-Orme, Terri

2011-01-01

New knowledge from the rapidly growing field of neuroscience has important implications for our understanding of human behavior in the social environment, yet little of this knowledge has made its way into social work education. This article presents a model for integrating neuroscience into instruction on human development, the bio psychosocial…

Using Web Ontology Language to Integrate Heterogeneous Databases in the Neurosciences

PubMed Central

Lam, Hugo Y.K.; Marenco, Luis; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Miller, Perry L.; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2006-01-01

Integrative neuroscience involves the integration and analysis of diverse types of neuroscience data involving many different experimental techniques. This data will increasingly be distributed across many heterogeneous databases that are web-accessible. Currently, these databases do not expose their schemas (database structures) and their contents to web applications/agents in a standardized, machine-friendly way. This limits database interoperation. To address this problem, we describe a pilot project that illustrates how neuroscience databases can be expressed using the Web Ontology Language, which is a semantically-rich ontological language, as a common data representation language to facilitate complex cross-database queries. In this pilot project, an existing tool called “D2RQ” was used to translate two neuroscience databases (NeuronDB and CoCoDat) into OWL, and the resulting OWL ontologies were then merged. An OWL-based reasoner (Racer) was then used to provide a sophisticated query language (nRQL) to perform integrated queries across the two databases based on the merged ontology. This pilot project is one step toward exploring the use of semantic web technologies in the neurosciences. PMID:17238384

The Neuroscience Information Framework: A Data and Knowledge Environment for Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Akil, Huda; Ascoli, Giorgio A.; Bowden, Douglas M.; Bug, William; Donohue, Duncan E.; Goldberg, David H.; Grafstein, Bernice; Grethe, Jeffrey S.; Gupta, Amarnath; Halavi, Maryam; Kennedy, David N.; Marenco, Luis; Martone, Maryann E.; Miller, Perry L.; Müller, Hans-Michael; Robert, Adrian; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Sternberg, Paul W.; Van Essen, David C.; Williams, Robert W.

2009-01-01

With support from the Institutes and Centers forming the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, we have designed and implemented a new initiative for integrating access to and use of Web-based neuroscience resources: the Neuroscience Information Framework. The Framework arises from the expressed need of the neuroscience community for neuroinformatic tools and resources to aid scientific inquiry, builds upon prior development of neuroinformatics by the Human Brain Project and others, and directly derives from the Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Database Gateway. Partnered with the Society, its Neuroinformatics Committee, and volunteer consultant-collaborators, our multi-site consortium has developed: (1) a comprehensive, dynamic, inventory of Web-accessible neuroscience resources, (2) an extended and integrated terminology describing resources and contents, and (3) a framework accepting and aiding concept-based queries. Evolving instantiations of the Framework may be viewed at http://nif.nih.gov, http://neurogateway.org, and other sites as they come on line. PMID:18946742

77 FR 5260 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-02

... Special Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Integrative and Functional Neuroscience. Date: February 28-29... Medicine; 93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333, 93.337, 93.393-93.396, 93.837-93.844, 93.846-93.878...

Sensori-Motor Experience Leads to Changes in Visual Processing in the Developing Brain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Karin Harman

2010-01-01

Since Broca's studies on language processing, cortical functional specialization has been considered to be integral to efficient neural processing. A fundamental question in cognitive neuroscience concerns the type of learning that is required for functional specialization to develop. To address this issue with respect to the development of neural…

A compact light-sheet microscope for the study of the mammalian central nervous system

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhengyi; Haslehurst, Peter; Scott, Suzanne; Emptage, Nigel; Dholakia, Kishan

2016-01-01

Investigation of the transient processes integral to neuronal function demands rapid and high-resolution imaging techniques over a large field of view, which cannot be achieved with conventional scanning microscopes. Here we describe a compact light sheet fluorescence microscope, featuring a 45° inverted geometry and an integrated photolysis laser, that is optimized for applications in neuroscience, in particular fast imaging of sub-neuronal structures in mammalian brain slices. We demonstrate the utility of this design for three-dimensional morphological reconstruction, activation of a single synapse with localized photolysis, and fast imaging of neuronal Ca2+ signalling across a large field of view. The developed system opens up a host of novel applications for the neuroscience community. PMID:27215692

77 FR 297 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-04

... of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Developmental Brain...- 9866, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated...

Coordination Dynamics in Cognitive Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Bressler, Steven L.; Kelso, J. A. Scott

2016-01-01

Many researchers and clinicians in cognitive neuroscience hold to a modular view of cognitive function in which the cerebral cortex operates by the activation of areas with circumscribed elementary cognitive functions. Yet an ongoing paradigm shift to a dynamic network perspective is underway. This new viewpoint treats cortical function as arising from the coordination dynamics within and between cortical regions. Cortical coordination dynamics arises due to the unidirectional influences imposed on a cortical area by inputs from other areas that project to it, combined with the projection reciprocity that characterizes cortical connectivity and gives rise to reentrant processing. As a result, cortical dynamics exhibits both segregative and integrative tendencies and gives rise to both cooperative and competitive relations within and between cortical areas that are hypothesized to underlie the emergence of cognition in brains. PMID:27695395

An Envisioned Bridge: Schooling as a Neurocognitive Developmental Institution

PubMed Central

Baker, David P.; Salinas, Daniel; Eslinger, Paul J.

2013-01-01

The potential contribution of social science research to close the gap of knowledge between cognitive neuroscience and educational research has been underappreciated. Despite their virtual absence in the interdisciplinary dialog of neuroscience, sociology of education and related study of the cultural impact of formal education have generated research relevant to an understanding of how the social environment, such as widespread schooling, co-evolves with, and enhances neurocognitive development. Two clusters of isolated research literatures are synthesized that taken together anticipates a dynamic integration of neuroscience and education. The first cluster is on the social construction of cognition through formal education in contemporary society, including the effects of schooling on neurological and cognitive development; the demographic expansion of exposure to the developmental influence of schooling; and education’s cultural impact on the meaning of the learning experience and reinforcement of cognition as the key human capability across ever more key institutions in postindustrial society. The second cluster turns the issue around by examining current investigations from neuroscience that support neurological hypotheses about the causes behind the schooling effect on neurocognitive development. We propose that further integration of these literatures will provide a more ecologically valid context in which to investigate the evolving functional architecture of the contemporary brain. PMID:22682912

75 FR 994 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

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2010-01-07

..., Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group; Molecular Genetics C Study Section. Date: February 4-5...: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neural Oxidative Metabolism [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review...

75 FR 54638 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

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2010-09-08

....gov . Name of Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group... . Name of Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group, Molecular... Integrated Review Group, Genetic Variation and Evolution Study Section. Date: October 14-15, 2010. Time: 8:30...

Towards a synergy framework across neuroscience and robotics: Lessons learned and open questions. Reply to comments on: "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jorntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Schaeffer, Alin Abu; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

We would like to thank all commentators for their insightful commentaries. Thanks to their diverse and complementary expertise in neuroscience and robotics, the commentators have provided us with the opportunity to further discuss state-of-the-art and gaps in the integration of neuroscience and robotics reviewed in our article. We organized our reply in two sections that capture the main points of all commentaries [1-9]: (1) Advantages and limitations of the synergy approach in neuroscience and robotics, and (2) Learning and role of sensory feedback in biological and robotics synergies.

[Interactions between human sexual arousal and sexual desire: a challenge for social neuroscience].

PubMed

Ortigue, Stephanie; Bianchi-Demicheli, Francesco

2007-03-28

The frequent interaction and synergy between sexual arousal and sexual desire occuring during a sexual experience explains the difficulty in disentagling these two phenomena in the human sexual response. Sexual desire is defined as a goal-directed motivational state integrating the other in one's personal sphere on the basis of intentionality, rather than by instinct only. Sexual arousal includes physical manifestations and subjective perception of excitement. Interest in sexual arousal has engendered a growing body of research concerning its nature and function as well as the biological basis of the mechanisms sustaining it. Recent functional imaging has played a key role in seeking to isolate brain regions specific to sexual arousal. This field may represent a new challenge for social neuroscience.

Regulation and Function of Adult Neurogenesis. From Genes to Cognition

DOE PAGES

Aimone, J. B.; Li, Y.; Lee, S. W.; ...

2014-10-01

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is a notable process due not only to its uniqueness and potential impact on cognition but also to its localized vertical integration of different scales of neuroscience, ranging from molecular and cellular biology to behavior. Our review summarizes the recent research regarding the process of adult neurogenesis from these different perspectives, with particular emphasis on the differentiation and development of new neurons, the regulation of the process by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and their ultimate function in the hippocampus circuit. Arising from a local neural stem cell population, new neurons progress through several stages ofmore » maturation, ultimately integrating into the adult dentate gyrus network. Furthermore, the increased appreciation of the full neurogenesis process, from genes and cells to behavior and cognition, makes neurogenesis both a unique case study for how scales in neuroscience can link together and suggests neurogenesis as a potential target for therapeutic intervention for a number of disorders.« less

Regulation and Function of Adult Neurogenesis. From Genes to Cognition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aimone, J. B.; Li, Y.; Lee, S. W.

Adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus is a notable process due not only to its uniqueness and potential impact on cognition but also to its localized vertical integration of different scales of neuroscience, ranging from molecular and cellular biology to behavior. Our review summarizes the recent research regarding the process of adult neurogenesis from these different perspectives, with particular emphasis on the differentiation and development of new neurons, the regulation of the process by extrinsic and intrinsic factors, and their ultimate function in the hippocampus circuit. Arising from a local neural stem cell population, new neurons progress through several stages ofmore » maturation, ultimately integrating into the adult dentate gyrus network. Furthermore, the increased appreciation of the full neurogenesis process, from genes and cells to behavior and cognition, makes neurogenesis both a unique case study for how scales in neuroscience can link together and suggests neurogenesis as a potential target for therapeutic intervention for a number of disorders.« less

Assessing the Effectiveness of Neurofeedback Training in the Context of Clinical and Social Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Orndorff-Plunkett, Franklin; Singh, Fiza

2017-01-01

Social neuroscience benefits from the experimental manipulation of neuronal activity. One possible manipulation, neurofeedback, is an operant conditioning-based technique in which individuals sense, interact with, and manage their own physiological and mental states. Neurofeedback has been applied to a wide variety of psychiatric illnesses, as well as to treat sub-clinical symptoms, and even to enhance performance in healthy populations. Despite growing interest, there persists a level of distrust and/or bias in the medical and research communities in the USA toward neurofeedback and other functional interventions. As a result, neurofeedback has been largely ignored, or disregarded within social neuroscience. We propose a systematic, empirically-based approach for assessing the effectiveness, and utility of neurofeedback. To that end, we use the term perturbative physiologic plasticity to suggest that biological systems function as an integrated whole that can be perturbed and guided, either directly or indirectly, into different physiological states. When the intention is to normalize the system, e.g., via neurofeedback, we describe it as self-directed neuroplasticity, whose outcome is persistent functional, structural, and behavioral changes. We argue that changes in physiological, neuropsychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and societal functioning following neurofeedback can serve as objective indices and as the metrics necessary for assessing levels of efficacy. In this chapter, we examine the effects of neurofeedback on functional connectivity in a few clinical disorders as case studies for this approach. We believe this broader perspective will open new avenues of investigation, especially within social neuroscience, to further elucidate the mechanisms and effectiveness of these types of interventions, and their relevance to basic research. PMID:28783134

Assessing the Effectiveness of Neurofeedback Training in the Context of Clinical and Social Neuroscience.

PubMed

Orndorff-Plunkett, Franklin; Singh, Fiza; Aragón, Oriana R; Pineda, Jaime A

2017-08-07

Social neuroscience benefits from the experimental manipulation of neuronal activity. One possible manipulation, neurofeedback, is an operant conditioning-based technique in which individuals sense, interact with, and manage their own physiological and mental states. Neurofeedback has been applied to a wide variety of psychiatric illnesses, as well as to treat sub-clinical symptoms, and even to enhance performance in healthy populations. Despite growing interest, there persists a level of distrust and/or bias in the medical and research communities in the USA toward neurofeedback and other functional interventions. As a result, neurofeedback has been largely ignored, or disregarded within social neuroscience. We propose a systematic, empirically-based approach for assessing the effectiveness, and utility of neurofeedback. To that end, we use the term perturbative physiologic plasticity to suggest that biological systems function as an integrated whole that can be perturbed and guided, either directly or indirectly, into different physiological states. When the intention is to normalize the system, e.g., via neurofeedback, we describe it as self-directed neuroplasticity, whose outcome is persistent functional, structural, and behavioral changes. We argue that changes in physiological, neuropsychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and societal functioning following neurofeedback can serve as objective indices and as the metrics necessary for assessing levels of efficacy. In this chapter, we examine the effects of neurofeedback on functional connectivity in a few clinical disorders as case studies for this approach. We believe this broader perspective will open new avenues of investigation, especially within social neuroscience, to further elucidate the mechanisms and effectiveness of these types of interventions, and their relevance to basic research.

78 FR 57169 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

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2013-09-17

..., Molecular and Integrative Reproduction Study Section. Date: October 9, 2013. Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m...: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neurogenesis and Cell Fate [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review...

Cognitive Neuroscience Approaches to Understanding Behavior Change in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatments.

PubMed

Naqvi, Nasir H; Morgenstern, Jon

2015-01-01

Researchers have begun to apply cognitive neuroscience concepts and methods to study behavior change mechanisms in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatments. This review begins with an examination of the current state of treatment mechanisms research using clinical and social psychological approaches. It then summarizes what is currently understood about the pathophysiology of addiction from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Finally, it reviews recent efforts to use cognitive neuroscience approaches to understand the neural mechanisms of behavior change in AUD, including studies that use neural functioning to predict relapse and abstinence; studies examining neural mechanisms that operate in current evidence-based behavioral interventions for AUD; as well as research on novel behavioral interventions that are being derived from our emerging understanding of the neural and cognitive mechanisms of behavior change in AUD. The article highlights how the regulation of subcortical regions involved in alcohol incentive motivation by prefrontal cortical regions involved in cognitive control may be a core mechanism that plays a role in these varied forms of behavior change in AUD. We also lay out a multilevel framework for integrating cognitive neuroscience approaches with more traditional methods for examining AUD treatment mechanisms.

77 FR 55852 - Center for Scientific Review Notice of Closed Meetings

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2012-09-11

... unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental...: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Synapses, Cytoskeleton and... . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Cellular...

75 FR 3241 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-20

... Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neurodifferentiation..., (301) 435- 1178, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study Section. Date...

Large scale digital atlases in neuroscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawrylycz, M.; Feng, D.; Lau, C.; Kuan, C.; Miller, J.; Dang, C.; Ng, L.

2014-03-01

Imaging in neuroscience has revolutionized our current understanding of brain structure, architecture and increasingly its function. Many characteristics of morphology, cell type, and neuronal circuitry have been elucidated through methods of neuroimaging. Combining this data in a meaningful, standardized, and accessible manner is the scope and goal of the digital brain atlas. Digital brain atlases are used today in neuroscience to characterize the spatial organization of neuronal structures, for planning and guidance during neurosurgery, and as a reference for interpreting other data modalities such as gene expression and connectivity data. The field of digital atlases is extensive and in addition to atlases of the human includes high quality brain atlases of the mouse, rat, rhesus macaque, and other model organisms. Using techniques based on histology, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as gene expression data, modern digital atlases use probabilistic and multimodal techniques, as well as sophisticated visualization software to form an integrated product. Toward this goal, brain atlases form a common coordinate framework for summarizing, accessing, and organizing this knowledge and will undoubtedly remain a key technology in neuroscience in the future. Since the development of its flagship project of a genome wide image-based atlas of the mouse brain, the Allen Institute for Brain Science has used imaging as a primary data modality for many of its large scale atlas projects. We present an overview of Allen Institute digital atlases in neuroscience, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities for image processing and computation.

Enactive neuroscience, the direct perception hypothesis, and the socially extended mind.

PubMed

Froese, Tom

2015-01-01

Pessoa's The Cognitive-Emotional Brain (2013) is an integrative approach to neuroscience that complements other developments in cognitive science, especially enactivism. Both accept complexity as essential to mind; both tightly integrate perception, cognition, and emotion, which enactivism unifies in its foundational concept of sense-making; and both emphasize that the spatial extension of mental processes is not reducible to specific brain regions and neuroanatomical connectivity. An enactive neuroscience is emerging.

Biodiversity Meets Neuroscience: From the Sequencing Ship (Ship-Seq) to Deciphering Parallel Evolution of Neural Systems in Omic's Era.

PubMed

Moroz, Leonid L

2015-12-01

The origins of neural systems and centralized brains are one of the major transitions in evolution. These events might occur more than once over 570-600 million years. The convergent evolution of neural circuits is evident from a diversity of unique adaptive strategies implemented by ctenophores, cnidarians, acoels, molluscs, and basal deuterostomes. But, further integration of biodiversity research and neuroscience is required to decipher critical events leading to development of complex integrative and cognitive functions. Here, we outline reference species and interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing the evolution of nervous systems. In the "omic" era, it is now possible to establish fully functional genomics laboratories aboard of oceanic ships and perform sequencing and real-time analyses of data at any oceanic location (named here as Ship-Seq). In doing so, fragile, rare, cryptic, and planktonic organisms, or even entire marine ecosystems, are becoming accessible directly to experimental and physiological analyses by modern analytical tools. Thus, we are now in a position to take full advantages from countless "experiments" Nature performed for us in the course of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution. Together with progress in computational and comparative genomics, evolutionary neuroscience, proteomic and developmental biology, a new surprising picture is emerging that reveals many ways of how nervous systems evolved. As a result, this symposium provides a unique opportunity to revisit old questions about the origins of biological complexity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Understanding Youth Antisocial Behavior Using Neuroscience through a Developmental Psychopathology Lens: Review, Integration, and Directions for Research

PubMed Central

Hyde, Luke W.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Hariri, Ahmad R.

2013-01-01

Youth antisocial behavior (AB) is an important public health concern impacting perpetrators, victims, and society. Functional neuroimaging is becoming a more common and useful modality for understanding neural correlates of youth AB. Although there has been a recent increase in neuroimaging studies of youth AB and corresponding theoretical articles on the neurobiology of AB, there has been little work critically examining the strengths and weaknesses of individual studies and using this knowledge to inform the design of future studies. Additionally, research on neuroimaging and youth AB has not been integrated within the broader framework of developmental psychopathology. Thus, this paper provides an in-depth review of the youth AB functional neuroimaging literature with the following goals: 1. to evaluate how this literature has informed our understanding of youth AB, 2. to evaluate current neuroimaging studies of youth AB from a developmental psychopathology perspective with a focus on integrating research from neuroscience and developmental psychopathology, as well as placing this research in the context of other related areas (e.g., psychopathy, molecular genetics), and 3. to examine strengths and weaknesses of neuroimaging and behavioral studies of youth AB to suggest how future studies can develop a more informed and integrated understanding of youth AB. PMID:24273368

75 FR 54893 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-09

... 7850, Bethesda, MD 20892. 301-435-3009. [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling... . Name of Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group, Molecular...

Neural Events in the Reinforcement Contingency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Maria Teresa Araujo; Goncalves, Fabio Leyser; Garcia-Mijares, Miriam

2007-01-01

When neural events are analyzed as stimuli and responses, functional relations among them and among overt stimuli and responses can be unveiled. The integration of neuroscience and the experimental analysis of behavior is beginning to provide empirical evidence of involvement of neural events in the three-term contingency relating discriminative…

Culturing the adolescent brain: what can neuroscience learn from anthropology?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Cultural neuroscience is set to flourish in the next few years. As the field develops, it is necessary to reflect on what is meant by ‘culture’ and how this can be translated for the laboratory context. This article uses the example of the adolescent brain to discuss three aspects of culture that may help us to shape and reframe questions, interpretations and applications in cultural neuroscience: cultural contingencies of categories, cultural differences in experience and cultural context of neuroscience research. The last few years have seen a sudden increase in the study of adolescence as a period of both structural and functional plasticity, with new brain-based explanations of teenage behaviour being taken up in education, policy and medicine. However, the concept of adolescence, as an object of behavioural science, took shape relatively recently, not much more than a hundred years ago and was shaped by a number of cultural and historical factors. Moreover, research in anthropology and cross-cultural psychology has shown that the experience of adolescence, as a period of the lifespan, is variable and contingent upon culture. The emerging field of cultural neuroscience has begun to tackle the question of cultural differences in social cognitive processing in adults. In this article, I explore what a cultural neuroscience can mean in the case of adolescence. I consider how to integrate perspectives from social neuroscience and anthropology to conceptualize, and to empirically study, adolescence as a culturally variable phenomenon, which, itself, has been culturally constructed. PMID:19959484

Epigenetics: An Emerging Framework for Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nursing.

PubMed

DeSocio, Janiece E

2016-07-01

The aims of this paper are to synthesize and report research findings from neuroscience and epigenetics that contribute to an emerging explanatory framework for advanced practice psychiatric nursing. Discoveries in neuroscience and epigenetics reveal synergistic mechanisms that support the integration of psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and psychoeducation in practice. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses will benefit from an expanded knowledge base in neuroscience and epigenetics that informs and explains the scientific rationale for our integrated practice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuroscience curriculum changes and outcomes: medical university of South Carolina, 2006 to 2010.

PubMed

Holden, Kenton R; Cooper, S Lewis; Wong, Jeffrey G

2012-07-01

To develop future neurologists and translational neuroscientists, we created a neurosciences pathway throughout our medical school curriculum that included early exposure to clinical neurosciences decision-making and added variety to the choices of later clinical neurosciences experiences. Our curricular innovation had 3 parts: (1) integrating basic neurosciences content into an explicit clinical context in a College of Medicine (COM) first year of medical school; (2) expanding pathophysiological principles related to neurosciences in COM second year of medical school; and (3) creating a variety of 3-week clinical neurosciences selectives in COM third year of medical school and 4-week electives/externships for interested learners in COM fourth year of medical school. These new changes were evaluated (1) by comparing national standardized examinations including Neurology Subject examination scores for students choosing clinical neurosciences selectives; (2) by student satisfaction Graduate Questionnaires; and (3) by the total number of our graduates matching in US neurosciences disciplines. Students taking neuroscience selectives demonstrated a nonsignificant trend toward higher Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores. The students' Neurology Subject examination scores were comparable with those scores reported nationally for other US COM third year of medical school students on 4-week rotations. Student-reported satisfaction in clinical neurology teaching improved from 43.9% (before) to 81.8% (after). The percentage of students matching into clinical neuroscience disciplines rose from 2% (before) to 6% (after). Our neurosciences curricular innovation increased graduating student satisfaction scores, had a mild positive impact on Step 2 Clinical Knowledge scores, and increased the number of students choosing careers in the clinical neurosciences. This model may be a consideration for other medical schools who wish to integrate neurosciences teaching throughout their curriculum.

77 FR 3277 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-23

... Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group; Molecular Neurogenetics Study Section. Date: February 16-17..., [email protected] . Name of Committee: Vascular and Hematology Integrated Review Group; Molecular and...- 1213, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience...

History of neurosciences at the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

PubMed

Idris, Badrisyah; Sayuti, Sani; Abdullah, Jafri Malin

2007-02-01

Universiti Sains Malaysia is the only institution in Malaysia which incorporates all fields of the neurosciences under one roof. The integration of basic and clinical neurosciences has made it possible for this institution to become an excellent academic and research centre. This article describes the history, academic contributions and scientific progress of neurosciences at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Integrating neuroscience in the training of psychiatrists: a patient-centered didactic curriculum based on adult learning principles.

PubMed

Ross, David A; Rohrbaugh, Robert

2014-04-01

The authors describe the development and implementation of a new adult psychiatry residency didactic curriculum based on adult learning principles and an integrative, patient-centered approach that includes a progressive 4-year neuroscience curriculum. The authors describe the process of conducting a needs assessment, engaging stakeholders and developing guiding principles for the new curriculum. The curriculum was evaluated using qualitative measures, a resident survey, course evaluations, and a pilot version of a specialized assessment tool. Feedback from the resident survey and from course evaluations was positive, and residents indicated interest in receiving additional training in neuroscience. Residents self-reported not incorporating neuroscience into formulation and treatment planning as often as other perspectives. They also reported that neuroscience was reinforced less by clinical faculty than other perspectives. Performance on the curriculum assessment corroborated that clinical application of neuroscience may benefit from additional reinforcement. Residents responded well to the design and content of the new didactic curriculum. The neuroscience component appears to have achieved its primary objective of enhancing attitudes to the field. Continued work including enhancing the culture of neuroscience at the clinical sites may be required to achieve broader behavioral goals.

The scientist-practitioner model: how do advances in clinical and cognitive neuroscience affect neuropsychology in the courtroom?

PubMed

Wood, Rodger Ll

2009-01-01

One of the core tenets of the scientist-practitioner model, slightly modified to make it applicable to modern neuropsychology, is that assessment procedures should be developed, applied, and interpreted in a relevant scientific framework. However, over the last 30 years, the general structure of a neuropsychological assessment has changed little, if at all. It has continued to focus mainly on the assessment of cognitive constructs such as intelligence, memory, attention, and perception. During the same time period, cognitive neuroscience has focused on integrative systems, largely controlled by frontal mechanisms, that allow individuals to utilize cognitive functions in an adaptive way, especially in the context of novel situations or when social stimuli are ambiguous. Consequently, the gulf between cognitive neuroscience and the practice of clinical neuropsychology has grown uncomfortably large. This article attempts to review some of the developments in cognitive and affective neuroscience that are relevant to an evaluation of neuropsychological abilities, especially in a medicolegal context, to determine whether conventional neuropsychological methods can be considered fit for purpose.

Tools of the trade: theory and method in mindfulness neuroscience.

PubMed

Tang, Yi-Yuan; Posner, Michael I

2013-01-01

Mindfulness neuroscience is an emerging research field that investigates the underlying mechanisms of different mindfulness practices, different stages and different states of practice as well as different effects of practice over the lifespan. Mindfulness neuroscience research integrates theory and methods from eastern contemplative traditions, western psychology and neuroscience, and from neuroimaging techniques, physiological measures and behavioral tests. We here review several key theoretical and methodological challenges in the empirical study of mindfulness neuroscience and provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges.

Developments in cognitive neuroscience: I. Conflict, compromise, and connectionism.

PubMed

Westen, Drew; Gabbard, Glen O

2002-01-01

The strength of psychoanalysis has always been its understanding of affect and motivation. Contemporary developments in cognitive neuroscience offer possibilities of integrating sophisticated, experimentally informed models of thought and memory with an understanding of dynamically and clinically meaningful processes. Aspects of contemporary theory and research in cognitive neuroscience are integrated with psychoanalytic theory and technique, particularly theories of conflict and compromise. After a description of evolving models of the mind in cognitive neuroscience, several issues relevant to psychoanalytic theory and practice are addressed. These include the nature of representations, the interaction of cognition and affect, and the mechanisms by which the mind unconsciously forges compromise solutions that best fit multiple cognitive and affective-motivational constraints.

78 FR 6334 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-30

..., Oral and Skin Sciences Integrated Review Group, Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering Study Section. [email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Clinical Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration Study Section. Date: February 26, 2013. Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00...

78 FR 55086 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-09

...: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group; Bioengineering of Neuroscience, Vision and Low Vision Technologies Study Section. Date: October 3-4, 2013. Time: 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m... . Name of Committee: Bioengineering Sciences & Technologies Integrated Review Group; Biomaterials and...

Importance of Empathy for Social Work Practice: Integrating New Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerdes, Karen E.; Segal, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Empathy is more important than ever to a national population worried about difficult political and socioeconomic situations. During the last 10 years, an enormous amount of research has been carried out to elucidate the nature, mechanism, and function of empathy. New research from social-cognitive neuroscience and related fields indicates that,…

Using Both Sides of the Brain: Experiences that Integrate Art and Talk Therapy Through Scribble Drawings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamee, Carole M.

2004-01-01

Neuroscience researchers identify a cerebral cortex with two functioning hemispheres: a left hemisphere associated with language and speech and a right hemisphere associated with visual-motor activities. Additionally, neuroscientists argue that contemporary lifestyles favor the verbal, logical left brain and often ignore the truths that present in…

Attachment in integrative neuroscientific perspective.

PubMed

Hruby, Radovan; Hasto, Jozef; Minarik, Peter

2011-01-01

Attachment theory is a very influential general concept of human social and emotional development, which emphasizes the role of early mother-infant interactions for infant's adaptive behavioural and stress copying strategies, personality organization and mental health. Individuals with disrupted development of secure attachment to mother/primary caregiver are at higher risk of developing mental disorders. This theory consists of the complex developmental psycho-neurobiological model of attachment and emerges from principles of psychoanalysis, evolutionary biology, cognitive-developmental psychology, ethology, physiology and control systems theory. The progress of modern neuroscience enables interpretation of neurobiological aspects of the theory as multi-level neural interactions and functional development of important neural structures, effects of neuromediattors, hormones and essential neurobiological processes including emotional, cognitive, social interactions and the special key role of mentalizing. It has multiple neurobiological, neuroendocrine, neurophysiological, ethological, genetic, developmental, psychological, psychotherapeutic and neuropsychiatric consequences and is a prototype of complex neuroscientific concept as interpretation of modern integrated neuroscience.

Sigmund Freud-early network theories of the brain.

PubMed

Surbeck, Werner; Killeen, Tim; Vetter, Johannes; Hildebrandt, Gerhard

2018-06-01

Since the early days of modern neuroscience, psychological models of brain function have been a key component in the development of new knowledge. These models aim to provide a framework that allows the integration of discoveries derived from the fundamental disciplines of neuroscience, including anatomy and physiology, as well as clinical neurology and psychiatry. During the initial stages of his career, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), became actively involved in these nascent fields with a burgeoning interest in functional neuroanatomy. In contrast to his contemporaries, Freud was convinced that cognition could not be localised to separate modules and that the brain processes cognition not in a merely serial manner but in a parallel and dynamic fashion-anticipating fundamental aspects of current network theories of brain function. This article aims to shed light on Freud's seminal, yet oft-overlooked, early work on functional neuroanatomy and his reasons for finally abandoning the conventional neuroscientific "brain-based" reference frame in order to conceptualise the mind from a purely psychological perspective.

Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): Transition to the Intelligence Community

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Case Study P U Pc Pt Ft Pa 1 Clinical vs. Actuarial Geospatial Profiling Strategies X X 2 Route Security in Baghdad X X X X 3 International...Information Sciences , 176, 1570-1589. Burns, K., & Bonaceto, C. (2014). Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking

Applied Neuroscience at the AFRL 711th Human Performance Wing

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Support teaming and collaboration research performed by RHCPT 25 History of Applied Neuroscience Research First EEG studies of workload at AFRL...First to classify mental workload based on integrated EEG /ECG 26 First successful real- time workload classification Measured EEG workload in...complex tasks Closed-loop adaptive aiding based on EEG /ECG History of Applied Neuroscience Research 27 Current Applied Neuroscience Research • Mix of in

A neuroscience agenda for counseling psychology research.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Oscar F; Perrone-McGovern, Kristin M

2014-10-01

Recent advances in the field of neuroscience have dramatically changed our understanding of brain-behavior relationships. In this article, we illustrate how neuroscience can provide a conceptual and methodological framework to understand our clients within a transdiagnostic developmental perspective. We provide directions for integrating neuroscience into future process and outcome research. We present examples on how neuroscience can be integrated into researching the effects of contextual counseling interventions. We posit that interpersonal and environmental factors, such as neurotoxic factors (e.g., emotional neglect, stress), positive neurodevelopmental factors (e.g., nurturing and caring, environmental enrichment), and therapeutic interventions influence psychological processes (executive control, behavioral flexibility, reinforcement learning and approach motivation, emotional expression and regulation, self-representation and theory of mind). These psychological processes influence brain networks (attention, motivational, emotional regulation, social cognition), which influence cognitive, social, emotional, identity, and vocational development. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Biodiversity Meets Neuroscience: From the Sequencing Ship (Ship-Seq) to Deciphering Parallel Evolution of Neural Systems in Omic’s Era

PubMed Central

Moroz, Leonid L.

2015-01-01

The origins of neural systems and centralized brains are one of the major transitions in evolution. These events might occur more than once over 570–600 million years. The convergent evolution of neural circuits is evident from a diversity of unique adaptive strategies implemented by ctenophores, cnidarians, acoels, molluscs, and basal deuterostomes. But, further integration of biodiversity research and neuroscience is required to decipher critical events leading to development of complex integrative and cognitive functions. Here, we outline reference species and interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing the evolution of nervous systems. In the “omic” era, it is now possible to establish fully functional genomics laboratories aboard of oceanic ships and perform sequencing and real-time analyses of data at any oceanic location (named here as Ship-Seq). In doing so, fragile, rare, cryptic, and planktonic organisms, or even entire marine ecosystems, are becoming accessible directly to experimental and physiological analyses by modern analytical tools. Thus, we are now in a position to take full advantages from countless “experiments” Nature performed for us in the course of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution. Together with progress in computational and comparative genomics, evolutionary neuroscience, proteomic and developmental biology, a new surprising picture is emerging that reveals many ways of how nervous systems evolved. As a result, this symposium provides a unique opportunity to revisit old questions about the origins of biological complexity. PMID:26163680

Integrating Brain Science into Health Studies: An Interdisciplinary Course in Contemplative Neuroscience and Yoga

PubMed Central

Wolfe, Uta; Moran, Amy

2017-01-01

As neuroscience knowledge grows in its scope of societal applications so does the need to educate a wider audience on how to critically evaluate its research findings. Efforts at finding teaching approaches that are interdisciplinary, accessible and highly applicable to student experience are thus ongoing. The article describes an interdisciplinary undergraduate health course that combines the academic study of contemplative neuroscience with contemplative practice, specifically yoga. The class aims to reach a diverse mix of students by teaching applicable, health-relevant neuroscience material while directly connecting it to first-hand experience. Outcomes indicate success on these goals: The course attracted a wide range of students, including nearly 50% non-science majors. On a pre/post test, students showed large increases in their knowledge of neuroscience. Students’ ratings of the course overall, of increases in positive feelings about its field, and of their progress on specific course objectives were highly positive. Finally, students in their written work applied neuroscience course content to their personal and professional lives. Such results indicate that this approach could serve as a model for the interdisciplinary, accessible and applied integration of relevant neuroscience material into the undergraduate health curriculum. PMID:29371845

MRIVIEW: An interactive computational tool for investigation of brain structure and function

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ranken, D.; George, J.

MRIVIEW is a software system which uses image processing and visualization to provide neuroscience researchers with an integrated environment for combining functional and anatomical information. Key features of the software include semi-automated segmentation of volumetric head data and an interactive coordinate reconciliation method which utilizes surface visualization. The current system is a precursor to a computational brain atlas. We describe features this atlas will incorporate, including methods under development for visualizing brain functional data obtained from several different research modalities.

Interactionist Neuroscience.

PubMed

Badre, David; Frank, Michael J; Moore, Christopher I

2015-12-02

We argue that bidirectional interaction between animal and human studies is essential for understanding the human brain. The revolution in meso-scale study of circuits in non-human species provides a historical opportunity. However, to fully realize its potential requires integration with human neuroscience. We describe three strategies for successful interactionist neuroscience. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Potential Relevance of Cognitive Neuroscience for the Development and Use of Technology-Enhanced Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard-Jones, Paul; Ott, Michela; van Leeuwen, Theo; De Smedt, Bert

2015-01-01

There is increasing interest in the application of cognitive neuroscience in educational thinking and practice, and here we review findings from neuroscience that demonstrate its potential relevance to technology-enhanced learning (TEL). First, we identify some of the issues in integrating neuroscientific concepts into TEL research. We caution…

A Plea for Cross-species Social Neuroscience.

PubMed

Keysers, Christian; Gazzola, Valeria

2017-01-01

Over the past two decades, the question of how our brain makes us sensitive to the state of conspecifics and how that affects our behaviour has undergone a profound change. Twenty years ago what would now be called social neuroscience was focused on the visual processing of facial expressions and body movements in temporal lobe structures of primates (Puce and Perrett 2003). With the discovery of mirror neurons, this changed rapidly towards the modern field of social neuroscience, in which high-level vision is but one of many focuses of interest. In this essay, we will argue that for the further progress of the field, the integration of animal neuroscience and human neuroscience is paramount. We will do so, by focusing on the field of embodied social cognition. We will first show how the combination of animal and human neuroscience was critical in how the discovery of mirror neurons placed the motor system on the map of social cognition. We will then argue why an integrated cross-species approach will be pivotal to our understanding of the neural basis of emotional empathy and its link to prosocial behaviour.

The Mind Research Network - Mental Illness Neuroscience Discovery Grant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberts, J.; Calhoun, V.

The scientific and technological programs of the Mind Research Network (MRN), reflect DOE missions in basic science and associated instrumentation, computational modeling, and experimental techniques. MRN's technical goals over the course of this project have been to develop and apply integrated, multi-modality functional imaging techniques derived from a decade of DOE-support research and technology development.

Toward an Integration of Deep Learning and Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Marblestone, Adam H.; Wayne, Greg; Kording, Konrad P.

2016-01-01

Neuroscience has focused on the detailed implementation of computation, studying neural codes, dynamics and circuits. In machine learning, however, artificial neural networks tend to eschew precisely designed codes, dynamics or circuits in favor of brute force optimization of a cost function, often using simple and relatively uniform initial architectures. Two recent developments have emerged within machine learning that create an opportunity to connect these seemingly divergent perspectives. First, structured architectures are used, including dedicated systems for attention, recursion and various forms of short- and long-term memory storage. Second, cost functions and training procedures have become more complex and are varied across layers and over time. Here we think about the brain in terms of these ideas. We hypothesize that (1) the brain optimizes cost functions, (2) the cost functions are diverse and differ across brain locations and over development, and (3) optimization operates within a pre-structured architecture matched to the computational problems posed by behavior. In support of these hypotheses, we argue that a range of implementations of credit assignment through multiple layers of neurons are compatible with our current knowledge of neural circuitry, and that the brain's specialized systems can be interpreted as enabling efficient optimization for specific problem classes. Such a heterogeneously optimized system, enabled by a series of interacting cost functions, serves to make learning data-efficient and precisely targeted to the needs of the organism. We suggest directions by which neuroscience could seek to refine and test these hypotheses. PMID:27683554

Struggle for life, struggle for love and recognition: the neglected self in social cognitive neuroscience

PubMed Central

Paradiso, Sergio; Rudrauf, David

2012-01-01

In the following article we present a view that social cognition and social neuroscience, as shaped by the current research paradigms, are not sufficient to improve our understanding of psychopathological phenomena. We hold that the self, self-awareness, and inter-subjectivity are integral to social perception and actions. In addition, we emphasize that the self and self-awareness are, by their very nature and function, involved over the entire lifespan with the way the individual is perceived in the social environment. Likewise, the modes of operation and identification of the self and self-awareness receive strong developmental contributions from social interactions with parental figures, siblings, peers, and significant others. These contributions are framed by a competitive and cooperative struggle for love and recognition. We suggest that in humans social cognitive neuroscience should be informed by a thoughtful appreciation of the equal significance of the struggle for “life” and that for love and recognition. In order to be better positioned to improve the research agenda and practice of clinical psychiatry, we propose that cognitive and social neurosciences explicitly incorporate in their models phenomena relative to the self, self-awareness, and inter-subjectivity. PMID:22577306

Struggle for life, struggle for love and recognition: the neglected self in social cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Paradiso, Sergio; Rudrauf, David

2012-03-01

In the following article we present a view that social cognition and social neuroscience, as shaped by the current research paradigms, are not sufficient to improve our understanding of psychopathological phenomena. We hold that the self, self-awareness, and inter-subjectivity are integral to social perception and actions. In addition, we emphasize that the self and self-awareness are, by their very nature and function, involved over the entire lifespan with the way the individual is perceived in the social environment. Likewise, the modes of operation and identification of the self and self-awareness receive strong developmental contributions from social interactions with parental figures, siblings, peers, and significant others. These contributions are framed by a competitive and cooperative struggle for love and recognition. We suggest that in humans social cognitive neuroscience should be informed by a thoughtful appreciation of the equal significance of the struggle for "life" and that for love and recognition. In order to be better positioned to improve the research agenda and practice of clinical psychiatry, we propose that cognitive and social neurosciences explicitly incorporate in their models phenomena relative to the self, self-awareness, and inter-subjectivity.

Can Neuroscience Help Us Do a Better Job of Teaching Music?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Donald A.

2010-01-01

We are just at the beginning stages of applying neuroscientific findings to music teaching. A simple model of the learning cycle based on neuroscience is Sense [right arrow] Integrate [right arrow] Act (sometimes modified as Act [right arrow] Sense [right arrow] Integrate). Additional components can be added to the model, including such concepts…

Value-based choice: An integrative, neuroscience-informed model of health goals.

PubMed

Berkman, Elliot T

2018-01-01

Traditional models of health behaviour focus on the roles of cognitive, personality and social-cognitive constructs (e.g. executive function, grit, self-efficacy), and give less attention to the process by which these constructs interact in the moment that a health-relevant choice is made. Health psychology needs a process-focused account of how various factors are integrated to produce the decisions that determine health behaviour. I present an integrative value-based choice model of health behaviour, which characterises the mechanism by which a variety of factors come together to determine behaviour. This model imports knowledge from research on behavioural economics and neuroscience about how choices are made to the study of health behaviour, and uses that knowledge to generate novel predictions about how to change health behaviour. I describe anomalies in value-based choice that can be exploited for health promotion, and review neuroimaging evidence about the involvement of midline dopamine structures in tracking and integrating value-related information during choice. I highlight how this knowledge can bring insights to health psychology using illustrative case of healthy eating. Value-based choice is a viable model for health behaviour and opens new avenues for mechanism-focused intervention.

Affective neuroscience of self-generated thought.

PubMed

Fox, Kieran C R; Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R; Mills, Caitlin; Dixon, Matthew L; Markovic, Jelena; Thompson, Evan; Christoff, Kalina

2018-05-12

Despite increasing scientific interest in self-generated thought-mental content largely independent of the immediate environment-there has yet to be any comprehensive synthesis of the subjective experience and neural correlates of affect in these forms of thinking. Here, we aim to develop an integrated affective neuroscience encompassing many forms of self-generated thought-normal and pathological, moderate and excessive, in waking and in sleep. In synthesizing existing literature on this topic, we reveal consistent findings pertaining to the prevalence, valence, and variability of emotion in self-generated thought, and highlight how these factors might interact with self-generated thought to influence general well-being. We integrate these psychological findings with recent neuroimaging research, bringing attention to the neural correlates of affect in self-generated thought. We show that affect in self-generated thought is prevalent, positively biased, highly variable (both within and across individuals), and consistently recruits many brain areas implicated in emotional processing, including the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, insula, and medial prefrontal cortex. Many factors modulate these typical psychological and neural patterns, however; the emerging affective neuroscience of self-generated thought must endeavor to link brain function and subjective experience in both everyday self-generated thought as well as its dysfunctions in mental illness. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Undergraduate Neuroscience Education: Blueprints for the 21st Century

PubMed Central

Wiertelak, Eric P.; Ramirez, Julio J.

2008-01-01

Paralleling the explosive growth of neuroscientific knowledge over the last two decades, numerous institutions from liberal arts colleges to research universities have either implemented or begun exploring the possibility of implementing undergraduate programs in neuroscience. In 1995, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) partnered with Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) to offer a workshop exploring how undergraduate neuroscience education should proceed. Four blueprints were created to provide direction to the burgeoning interest in developing programs in undergraduate neuroscience education: 1) Neuroscience nested in psychology; 2) Neuroscience nested in biology; 3) Neuroscience as a minor; and 4) Neuroscience as a major. In 2005, FUN again partnered with PKAL to revisit the blueprints in order to align the blueprints with modern pedagogical philosophy and technology. The original four blueprints were modified and updated. One particularly exciting outgrowth of the 2005 workshop was the introduction of a fifth curricular blueprint that strongly emphasizes the integration of the humanities and social sciences into neuroscience: Neuroscience Studies. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience, an education in neuroscience will prepare the next generation of students to think critically, synthetically, and creatively as they confront the problems facing humanity in the 21st century. PMID:23493318

Teaching About the Brain and Reaching the Community: Undergraduates in the Pipeline Neuroscience Program at the University of Pennsylvania

PubMed Central

Edlow, Brian L.; Hamilton, Karen; Hamilton, Roy H.

2007-01-01

This article provides an overview of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Pipeline Neuroscience Program, a multi-tiered mentorship and education program for Philadelphia high school students in which University of Pennsylvania undergraduates are integrally involved. The Pipeline Neuroscience Program provides mentorship and education for students at all levels. High school students are taught by undergraduates, who learn from medical students who, in turn, are guided by neurology residents and fellows. Throughout a semester-long course, undergraduates receive instruction in neuroanatomy, neuroscience, and clinical neurology as part of the Pipeline’s case-based curriculum. During weekly classes, undergraduates make the transition from students to community educators by integrating their new knowledge into lesson plans that they teach to small groups of medically and academically underrepresented Philadelphia high school students. The Pipeline program thus achieves the dual goals of educating undergraduates about neuroscience and providing them with an opportunity to perform community service. PMID:23493190

A room with a view of integrity and professionalism: personal reflections on teaching responsible conduct of research in the neurosciences.

PubMed

Bell, Emily

2015-04-01

Neuroscientists are increasingly put into situations which demand critical reflection about the ethical and appropriate use of research tools and scientific knowledge. Students or trainees also have to know how to navigate the ethical domains of this context. At a time when neuroscience is expected to advance policy and practice outcomes, in the face of academic pressures and complex environments, the importance of scientific integrity comes into focus and with it the need for training at the graduate level in the responsible conduct of research (RCR). I describe my experience teaching RCR in a graduate neuroscience program and identify three personal reflections where further dialogue could be warranted: (1) mobilizing a common set of competencies and virtues standing for professionalism in the neurosciences; (2) tailoring RCR for the neurosciences and empowering students through the active engagement of mentors; (3) soliciting shared responsibility for RCR training between disciplines, institutions and governmental or funding agencies.

A Semester-Long Student-Directed Research Project Involving Enzyme Immunoassay: Appropriate for Immunology, Endocrinology, or Neuroscience Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goyette, Sharon Ramos; DeLuca, Jane

2007-01-01

The following project aimed at promoting integrated and long-lasting learning is described for an Immunology course, but it may be adapted to other disciplines. Students were asked to develop and carry out a research project to examine the relationship between immune function and stress. The experiments were required to include the assessment of…

Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2011-2036

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

neuroscience , and cognition science may lead to the implementation of some of the most critical functionalities of heterogeneous, sensor net...Roadmap FY2011-2036 69 7.4.5.4 Encryption Unmanned systems incorporation of data encryption includes National Security Agency ( NSA ) Type 1 (for...see DODI 4660). Numerous other policies and initiatives are under development within the NSA to significantly streamline the certification processes

An integrative approach for analyzing hundreds of neurons in task performing mice using wide-field calcium imaging.

PubMed

Mohammed, Ali I; Gritton, Howard J; Tseng, Hua-an; Bucklin, Mark E; Yao, Zhaojie; Han, Xue

2016-02-08

Advances in neurotechnology have been integral to the investigation of neural circuit function in systems neuroscience. Recent improvements in high performance fluorescent sensors and scientific CMOS cameras enables optical imaging of neural networks at a much larger scale. While exciting technical advances demonstrate the potential of this technique, further improvement in data acquisition and analysis, especially those that allow effective processing of increasingly larger datasets, would greatly promote the application of optical imaging in systems neuroscience. Here we demonstrate the ability of wide-field imaging to capture the concurrent dynamic activity from hundreds to thousands of neurons over millimeters of brain tissue in behaving mice. This system allows the visualization of morphological details at a higher spatial resolution than has been previously achieved using similar functional imaging modalities. To analyze the expansive data sets, we developed software to facilitate rapid downstream data processing. Using this system, we show that a large fraction of anatomically distinct hippocampal neurons respond to discrete environmental stimuli associated with classical conditioning, and that the observed temporal dynamics of transient calcium signals are sufficient for exploring certain spatiotemporal features of large neural networks.

Integration of culture and biology in human development.

PubMed

Mistry, Jayanthi

2013-01-01

The challenge of integrating biology and culture is addressed in this chapter by emphasizing human development as involving mutually constitutive, embodied, and epigenetic processes. Heuristically rich constructs extrapolated from cultural psychology and developmental science, such as embodiment, action, and activity, are presented as promising approaches to the integration of cultural and biology in human development. These theoretical notions are applied to frame the nascent field of cultural neuroscience as representing this integration of culture and biology. Current empirical research in cultural neuroscience is then synthesized to illustrate emerging trends in this body of literature that examine the integration of biology and culture.

Towards an Understanding of Neuroscience for Science Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Mary

2011-01-01

Advances in neuroscience have brought new insights to the development of cognitive functions. These data are of considerable interest to educators concerned with how students learn. This review documents some of the recent findings in neuroscience, which is richer in describing cognitive functions than affective aspects of learning. A brief…

Boundary as Bridge: An Analysis of the Educational Neuroscience Literature from a Boundary Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beauchamp, Catherine; Beauchamp, Miriam H.

2013-01-01

Within the emerging field of educational neuroscience, concerns exist that the impact of neuroscience research on education has been less effective than hoped. In seeking a way forward, it may be useful to consider the problems of integrating two complex fields in the context of disciplinary boundaries. Here, a boundary perspective is used as a…

Imagining with the body in analytical psychology. Movement as active imagination: an interdisciplinary perspective from philosophy and neuroscience.

PubMed

Deligiannis, Ana

2018-04-01

This article explores how the body and imagination operate as pathways of knowledge through the use of Movement as Active Imagination in clinical practice. This method activates the transcendent function, thus encouraging new therapeutic responses. A philosophical perspective (Spinoza, Nietzsche, Merleau-Ponty) and some concepts from neuroscience (embodied cognition, somatic markers, image schema, mirror neurons, neuronal plasticity) will accompany us throughout this work, illustrated with a clinical vignette. Three levels of integration: 1) body, 2) body-emotion, 3) body-emotion-imagination are proposed: these mark a progressive sense of articulation and complexity. Finally the relation between creativity and neuronal plasticity will be considered. © 2018, The Society of Analytical Psychology.

Joint Estimation of Effective Brain Wave Activation Modes Using EEG/MEG Sensor Arrays and Multimodal MRI Volumes.

PubMed

Galinsky, Vitaly L; Martinez, Antigona; Paulus, Martin P; Frank, Lawrence R

2018-04-13

In this letter, we present a new method for integration of sensor-based multifrequency bands of electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography data sets into a voxel-based structural-temporal magnetic resonance imaging analysis by utilizing the general joint estimation using entropy regularization (JESTER) framework. This allows enhancement of the spatial-temporal localization of brain function and the ability to relate it to morphological features and structural connectivity. This method has broad implications for both basic neuroscience research and clinical neuroscience focused on identifying disease-relevant biomarkers by enhancing the spatial-temporal resolution of the estimates derived from current neuroimaging modalities, thereby providing a better picture of the normal human brain in basic neuroimaging experiments and variations associated with disease states.

Dreaming and the brain: from phenomenology to neurophysiology

PubMed Central

Nir, Yuval; Tononi, Giulio

2009-01-01

Dreams are a most remarkable experiment in psychology and neuroscience, conducted every night in every sleeping person. They show that our brain, disconnected from the environment, can generate by itself an entire world of conscious experiences. Content analysis and developmental studies have furthered our understanding of dream phenomenology. In parallel, brain lesion studies, functional imaging, and neurophysiology have advanced our knowledge of the neural basis of dreaming. It is now possible to start integrating these two strands of research in order to address some fundamental questions that dreams pose for cognitive neuroscience: how conscious experiences in sleep relate to underlying brain activity; why the dreamer is largely disconnected from the environment; and whether dreaming is more closely related to mental imagery or to perception. PMID:20079677

Dreaming and the brain: from phenomenology to neurophysiology.

PubMed

Nir, Yuval; Tononi, Giulio

2010-02-01

Dreams are a remarkable experiment in psychology and neuroscience, conducted every night in every sleeping person. They show that the human brain, disconnected from the environment, can generate an entire world of conscious experiences by itself. Content analysis and developmental studies have promoted understanding of dream phenomenology. In parallel, brain lesion studies, functional imaging and neurophysiology have advanced current knowledge of the neural basis of dreaming. It is now possible to start integrating these two strands of research to address fundamental questions that dreams pose for cognitive neuroscience: how conscious experiences in sleep relate to underlying brain activity; why the dreamer is largely disconnected from the environment; and whether dreaming is more closely related to mental imagery or to perception. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The brain, self and society: a social-neuroscience model of predictive processing.

PubMed

Kelly, Michael P; Kriznik, Natasha M; Kinmonth, Ann Louise; Fletcher, Paul C

2018-05-10

This paper presents a hypothesis about how social interactions shape and influence predictive processing in the brain. The paper integrates concepts from neuroscience and sociology where a gulf presently exists between the ways that each describe the same phenomenon - how the social world is engaged with by thinking humans. We combine the concepts of predictive processing models (also called predictive coding models in the neuroscience literature) with ideal types, typifications and social practice - concepts from the sociological literature. This generates a unified hypothetical framework integrating the social world and hypothesised brain processes. The hypothesis combines aspects of neuroscience and psychology with social theory to show how social behaviors may be "mapped" onto brain processes. It outlines a conceptual framework that connects the two disciplines and that may enable creative dialogue and potential future research.

Neuroscience is awaiting for a breakthrough: an essay bridging the concepts of Descartes, Einstein, Heisenberg, Hebb and Hayek with the explanatory formulations in this special issue.

PubMed

Başar, Erol; Karakaş, Sirel

2006-05-01

The paper presents gedankenmodels which, based on the theories and models in the present special issue, describe the conditions for a breakthrough in brain sciences and neuroscience. The new model is based on contemporary findings which show that the brain and its cognitive processes show super-synchronization. Accordingly, understanding the brain/body-mind complex is possible only when these three are considered as a wholistic entity and not as discrete structures or functions. Such a breakthrough and the related perspectives to the brain/body-mind complex will involve a transition from the mechanistic Cartesian system to a nebulous Cartesian system, one that is basically characterized by parallel computing and is further parallel to quantum mechanics. This integrated outlook on the brain/body-mind, or dynamic functionality, will make the treatment of also the meta-cognitive processes and the greater part of the iceberg, the unconscious, possible. All this will be possible only through the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach that will bring together the knowledge and the technology of the four P's which consist of physics, physiology, psychology and philosophy. The genetic approach to the functional dynamics of the brain/body-mind, where the oscillatory responses were found to be laws of brain activity, is presented in this volume as one of the most recent perspectives of neuroscience.

Xenomelia: a social neuroscience view of altered bodily self-consciousness.

PubMed

Brugger, Peter; Lenggenhager, Bigna; Giummarra, Melita J

2013-01-01

Xenomelia, the "foreign limb syndrome," is characterized by the non-acceptance of one or more of one's own extremities and the resulting desire for elective limb amputation or paralysis. Formerly labeled "body integrity identity disorder" (BIID), the condition was originally considered a psychological or psychiatric disorder, but a brain-centered Zeitgeist and a rapidly growing interest in the neural underpinnings of bodily self-consciousness has shifted the focus toward dysfunctional central nervous system circuits. The present article outlays both mind-based and brain-based views highlighting their shortcomings. We propose that full insight into what should be conceived a "xenomelia spectrum disorder" will require interpretation of individual symptomatology in a social context. A proper social neuroscience of xenomelia respects the functional neuroanatomy of corporeal awareness, but also acknowledges the brain's plasticity in response to an individual's history, which is lived against a cultural background. This integrated view of xenomelia will promote the subfield of consciousness research concerned with the unity of body and self.

The 'whole-animal approach' as a heuristic principle in neuroscience research.

PubMed

Serani-Merlo, Alejandro; Paz, Rodrigo; Castillo, Andrés

2005-01-01

Neuroscience embraces a heterogeneous group of disciplines. A conceptual framework that allows a better articulation of these different theoretical and experimental perspectives is needed. A 'whole-animal approach is proposed as a theoretical and hermeneutic tool. To illustrate the potential of this point of view, an overview of the research that has been performed in the extinction of fear-conditioned responses from Pavlov to the present is discussed. This is an example of how a whole-animal-based approach may help to organize and integrate basic and clinical neuroscience research. Our proposal is in agreement with recent statements calling for more integrative approaches in biological and neuropsychiatric research.

Grid-wide neuroimaging data federation in the context of the NeuroLOG project

PubMed Central

Michel, Franck; Gaignard, Alban; Ahmad, Farooq; Barillot, Christian; Batrancourt, Bénédicte; Dojat, Michel; Gibaud, Bernard; Girard, Pascal; Godard, David; Kassel, Gilles; Lingrand, Diane; Malandain, Grégoire; Montagnat, Johan; Pélégrini-Issac, Mélanie; Pennec, Xavier; Rojas Balderrama, Javier; Wali, Bacem

2010-01-01

Grid technologies are appealing to deal with the challenges raised by computational neurosciences and support multi-centric brain studies. However, core grids middleware hardly cope with the complex neuroimaging data representation and multi-layer data federation needs. Moreover, legacy neuroscience environments need to be preserved and cannot be simply superseded by grid services. This paper describes the NeuroLOG platform design and implementation, shedding light on its Data Management Layer. It addresses the integration of brain image files, associated relational metadata and neuroscience semantic data in a heterogeneous distributed environment, integrating legacy data managers through a mediation layer. PMID:20543431

76 FR 4928 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-27

..., and Cognitive Neuroscience. Date: February 28-March 1, 2011. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Agenda: To review... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review...

Deep Belief Networks Learn Context Dependent Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-26

cortical mechanisms for goal- directed behavior. J Cogn Neurosci 17: 1115–1129. 13. Koene RA, Hasselmo ME (2005) An integrate-and-fire model of prefrontal... Neuroscience and Neural Technology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, 2 Center of Excellence for Learning in Education...America, 4 Department of Psychology and Graduate Program for Neuroscience , Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Abstract With

Optimising, generalising and integrating educational practice using neuroscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colvin, Robert

2016-07-01

Practical collaboration at the intersection of education and neuroscience research is difficult because the combined discipline encompasses both the activity of microscopic neurons and the complex social interactions of teachers and students in a classroom. Taking a pragmatic view, this paper discusses three education objectives to which neuroscience can be effectively applied: optimising, generalising and integrating instructional techniques. These objectives are characterised by: (1) being of practical importance; (2) building on existing education and cognitive research; and (3) being infeasible to address based on behavioural experiments alone. The focus of the neuroscientific aspect of collaborative research should be on the activity of the brain before, during and after learning a task, as opposed to performance of a task. The objectives are informed by literature that highlights possible pitfalls with educational neuroscience research, and are described with respect to the static and dynamic aspects of brain physiology that can be measured by current technology.

Theory and practice in sport psychology and motor behaviour needs to be constrained by integrative modelling of brain and behaviour.

PubMed

Keil, D; Holmes, P; Bennett, S; Davids, K; Smith, N

2000-06-01

Because of advances in technology, the non-invasive study of the human brain has enhanced the knowledge base within the neurosciences, resulting in an increased impact on the psychological study of human behaviour. We argue that application of this knowledge base should be considered in theoretical modelling within sport psychology and motor behaviour alongside existing ideas. We propose that interventions founded on current theoretical and empirical understanding in both psychology and the neurosciences may ultimately lead to greater benefits for athletes during practice and performance. As vehicles for exploring the arguments of a greater integration of psychology and neurosciences research, imagery and perception-action within the sport psychology and motor behaviour domains will serve as exemplars. Current neuroscience evidence will be discussed in relation to theoretical developments; the implications for sport scientists will be considered.

Reflections on 50 Years of Neuroscience Nursing: Publication Trends in Neurotrauma.

PubMed

McNett, Molly; Keiser, Megan; Douglas, Heather; McNair, Norma D

2018-04-01

In 2018, the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses will celebrate its 50th anniversary as the premier member organization for neuroscience nurses. In recent decades, one of the highest rated member benefits has been the ability for members to join special focus groups (SFGs). The SFGs were initiated to allow an avenue for information sharing and communication for neuroscience nurses in a variety of subspecialties. In this anniversary edition, the neurotrauma SFG presents a review of trends in the publication of articles in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing related to neurotrauma. Findings from this article illustrate how these publications have impacted the nursing care of patients who have sustained traumatic injuries of the central and peripheral nervous system and the integral role of neuroscience nurses throughout the decades.

Assessing Development of an Interdisciplinary Perspective in an Undergraduate Neuroscience Course

PubMed Central

Crisp, Kevin M.; Muir, Gary M.

2012-01-01

Neuroscience is an intrinsically interdisciplinary (ID) field yet little has been published regarding assessment of ID learning in undergraduate neuroscience students. This study attempted to empirically assess the development of an interdisciplinary perspective in 25 undergraduate neuroscience students in a neuroscience program core course. Data were collected using two simple assessment instruments: 1) written responses to the open-ended question “What is neuroscience?” and 2) a term-discipline relevance survey in which students indicated all disciplinary perspectives to which terms (such as electrode, taste, dx/dt) were relevant. Comparison of student responses early in the course (week 1 or 5) and at the end of the course (week 15) showed evidence of development of an interdisciplinary perspective, with students using significantly more integrative terms in their responses and demonstrating an increased awareness of the complexity of the field of neuroscience. PMID:23504673

The functional-cognitive framework as a tool for accelerating progress in cognitive neuroscience: On the benefits of bridging rather than reducing levels of analyses.

PubMed

Vahey, Nigel; Whelan, Robert

2016-02-01

The subject matter of neuroscience research is complex, and synthesising the wealth of data from this research to better understand mental processes is challenging. A useful strategy, therefore, may be to distinguish explicitly between the causal effects of the environment on behaviour (i.e. functional analyses) and the mental processes that mediate these effects (i.e. cognitive analyses). In this article, we describe how the functional-cognitive (F-C) framework can accelerate cognitive neuroscience and also advance a functional treatment of brain activity. We first highlight that cognitive neuroscience can particularly benefit from the F-C approach by providing an alternative to the problematic practice of reducing cognitive constructs to behavioural and/or neural proxies. Next, we outline how functional (behaviour-environment) relations can serve as a bridge between cognitive and neural processes by restoring mental constructs to their original role as heuristic tools. Finally, we give some examples of how both cognitive neuroscience and traditional functional approaches can mutually benefit from the F-C framework. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Adapting Social Neuroscience Measures for Schizophrenia Clinical Trials, Part 3: Fathoming External Validity

PubMed Central

Olbert, Charles M.

2013-01-01

It is unknown whether measures adapted from social neuroscience linked to specific neural systems will demonstrate relationships to external variables. Four paradigms adapted from social neuroscience were administered to 173 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia to determine their relationships to functionally meaningful variables and to investigate their incremental validity beyond standard measures of social and nonsocial cognition. The 4 paradigms included 2 that assess perception of nonverbal social and action cues (basic biological motion and emotion in biological motion) and 2 that involve higher level inferences about self and others’ mental states (self- referential memory and empathic accuracy). Overall, social neuroscience paradigms showed significant relationships to functional capacity but weak relationships to community functioning; the paradigms also showed weak correlations to clinical symptoms. Evidence for incremental validity beyond standard measures of social and nonsocial cognition was mixed with additional predictive power shown for functional capacity but not community functioning. Of the newly adapted paradigms, the empathic accuracy task had the broadest external validity. These results underscore the difficulty of translating developments from neuroscience into clinically useful tasks with functional significance. PMID:24072806

Adapting social neuroscience measures for schizophrenia clinical trials, part 3: fathoming external validity.

PubMed

Olbert, Charles M; Penn, David L; Kern, Robert S; Lee, Junghee; Horan, William P; Reise, Steven P; Ochsner, Kevin N; Marder, Stephen R; Green, Michael F

2013-11-01

It is unknown whether measures adapted from social neuroscience linked to specific neural systems will demonstrate relationships to external variables. Four paradigms adapted from social neuroscience were administered to 173 clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia to determine their relationships to functionally meaningful variables and to investigate their incremental validity beyond standard measures of social and nonsocial cognition. The 4 paradigms included 2 that assess perception of nonverbal social and action cues (basic biological motion and emotion in biological motion) and 2 that involve higher level inferences about self and others' mental states (self-referential memory and empathic accuracy). Overall, social neuroscience paradigms showed significant relationships to functional capacity but weak relationships to community functioning; the paradigms also showed weak correlations to clinical symptoms. Evidence for incremental validity beyond standard measures of social and nonsocial cognition was mixed with additional predictive power shown for functional capacity but not community functioning. Of the newly adapted paradigms, the empathic accuracy task had the broadest external validity. These results underscore the difficulty of translating developments from neuroscience into clinically useful tasks with functional significance.

Decision Neuroscience: Neuroeconomics

PubMed Central

Smith, David V.; Huettel, Scott A.

2012-01-01

Few aspects of human cognition are more personal than the choices we make. Our decisions – from the mundane to the impossibly complex – continually shape the courses of our lives. In recent years, researchers have applied the tools of neuroscience to understand the mechanisms that underlie decision making, as part of the new discipline of decision neuroscience. A primary goal of this emerging field has been to identify the processes that underlie specific decision variables, including the value of rewards, the uncertainty associated with particular outcomes, and the consequences of social interactions. Recent work suggests potential neural substrates that integrate these variables, potentially reflecting a common neural currency for value, to facilitate value comparisons. Despite the successes of decision neuroscience research for elucidating brain mechanisms, significant challenges remain. These include building new conceptual frameworks for decision making, integrating research findings across disparate techniques and species, and extending results from neuroscience to shape economic theory. To overcome these challenges, future research will likely focus on interpersonal variability in decision making, with the eventual goal of creating biologically plausible models for individual choice. PMID:22754602

[Neuropathology in the neurosciences. A system in transition].

PubMed

Seitelberger, F

1993-08-01

Neuropathology (Np) is a full member of the neurosciences. As a basic neuroscience it is directed to the behaviour of nervous tissues under pathogenic conditions. The theoretical and methodical core of Np concerns the morphological features of pathological disorders and processes of the nervous system. The goal of Np data presentation is an objective description of the structural changes; their time course as processes, and if possible their causal constellations. Complementary to this analytical task is that of reconstructing the pathological process and at a higher level the conception of pathomorphological entities, e.g. as syndromes. Clinical Np is an alliance of Np with neurology, psychiatry and neurosurgery for representing the structural basis of diseases and the role of morphology in diagnosis and clinical management. Prerequisite for the proper functioning of Np is an integration with these other specialist fields. The clinical neuropathologist therefore has to be in certain respects also a neurologist. The same is true of the alliances of Np with other neurosciences, which is already reflected in recent neuropathological methodology. Detailed training programs are necessary for clinical Np, covering all aspects of its medical and social implications. Enough options should be offered for horizontal flexibility of curricula, futherance of secondary special training and support of good unconventional approaches by junior scientists.

Semantic SenseLab: implementing the vision of the Semantic Web in neuroscience

PubMed Central

Samwald, Matthias; Chen, Huajun; Ruttenberg, Alan; Lim, Ernest; Marenco, Luis; Miller, Perry; Shepherd, Gordon; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2011-01-01

Summary Objective Integrative neuroscience research needs a scalable informatics framework that enables semantic integration of diverse types of neuroscience data. This paper describes the use of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and other Semantic Web technologies for the representation and integration of molecular-level data provided by several of SenseLab suite of neuroscience databases. Methods Based on the original database structure, we semi-automatically translated the databases into OWL ontologies with manual addition of semantic enrichment. The SenseLab ontologies are extensively linked to other biomedical Semantic Web resources, including the Subcellular Anatomy Ontology, Brain Architecture Management System, the Gene Ontology, BIRNLex and UniProt. The SenseLab ontologies have also been mapped to the Basic Formal Ontology and Relation Ontology, which helps ease interoperability with many other existing and future biomedical ontologies for the Semantic Web. In addition, approaches to representing contradictory research statements are described. The SenseLab ontologies are designed for use on the Semantic Web that enables their integration into a growing collection of biomedical information resources. Conclusion We demonstrate that our approach can yield significant potential benefits and that the Semantic Web is rapidly becoming mature enough to realize its anticipated promises. The ontologies are available online at http://neuroweb.med.yale.edu/senselab/ PMID:20006477

Semantic SenseLab: Implementing the vision of the Semantic Web in neuroscience.

PubMed

Samwald, Matthias; Chen, Huajun; Ruttenberg, Alan; Lim, Ernest; Marenco, Luis; Miller, Perry; Shepherd, Gordon; Cheung, Kei-Hoi

2010-01-01

Integrative neuroscience research needs a scalable informatics framework that enables semantic integration of diverse types of neuroscience data. This paper describes the use of the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and other Semantic Web technologies for the representation and integration of molecular-level data provided by several of SenseLab suite of neuroscience databases. Based on the original database structure, we semi-automatically translated the databases into OWL ontologies with manual addition of semantic enrichment. The SenseLab ontologies are extensively linked to other biomedical Semantic Web resources, including the Subcellular Anatomy Ontology, Brain Architecture Management System, the Gene Ontology, BIRNLex and UniProt. The SenseLab ontologies have also been mapped to the Basic Formal Ontology and Relation Ontology, which helps ease interoperability with many other existing and future biomedical ontologies for the Semantic Web. In addition, approaches to representing contradictory research statements are described. The SenseLab ontologies are designed for use on the Semantic Web that enables their integration into a growing collection of biomedical information resources. We demonstrate that our approach can yield significant potential benefits and that the Semantic Web is rapidly becoming mature enough to realize its anticipated promises. The ontologies are available online at http://neuroweb.med.yale.edu/senselab/. 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Giving up on convergence and autonomy: Why the theories of psychology and neuroscience are codependent as well as irreconcilable.

PubMed

Hochstein, Eric

2016-04-01

There is a long-standing debate in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of science regarding how best to interpret the relationship between neuroscience and psychology. It has traditionally been argued that either the two domains will evolve and change over time until they converge on a single unified account of human behaviour, or else that they will continue to work in isolation given that they identify properties and states that exist autonomously from one another (due to the multiple-realizability of psychological states). In this paper, I argue that progress in psychology and neuroscience is contingent on the fact that both of these positions are false. Contra the convergence position, I argue that the theories of psychology and the theories of neuroscience are scientifically valuable as representational tools precisely because they cannot be integrated into a single account. However, contra the autonomy position, I propose that the theories of psychology and neuroscience are deeply dependent on one another for further refinement and improvement. In this respect, there is an irreconcilable codependence between psychology and neuroscience that is necessary for both domains to improve and progress. The two domains are forever linked while simultaneously being unable to integrate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neuroscience-informed psychoeducation for addiction medicine: A neurocognitive perspective

PubMed Central

Ekhtiari, Hamed; Rezapour, Tara; Aupperle, Robin L.; Paulus, Martin P.

2018-01-01

Psychoeducation (PE) is defined as an intervention with systematic, structured, and didactic knowledge transfer for an illness and its treatment, integrating emotional and motivational aspects to enable patients to cope with the illness and to improve its treatment adherence and efficacy. PE is considered an important component of treatment in both medical and psychiatric disorders, especially for mental health disorders associated with lack of insight, such as alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUDs). New advancements in neuroscience have shed light on how various aspects of ASUDs may relate to neural processes. However, the actual impact of neuroscience in the real-life clinical practice of addiction medicine is minimal. In this chapter, we provide a perspective on how PE in addiction medicine can be informed by neuroscience in two dimensions: content (knowledge we transfer in PE) and structure (methods we use to deliver PE). The content of conventional PE targets knowledge about etiology of illness, treatment process, adverse effects of prescribed medications, coping strategies, family education, and life skill training. Adding neuroscience evidence to the content of PE could be helpful in communicating not only the impact of drug use but also the beneficial impact of various treatments (i.e., on brain function), thus enhancing motivation for compliance and further destigmatizing their symptoms. PE can also be optimized in its “structure” by implicitly and explicitly engaging different neurocognitive processes, including salience/attention, memory, and self-awareness. There are many interactions between these two dimensions, structure and content, in the delivery of neuroscience-informed psychoeducation (NIPE). We explore these interactions in the development of a cartoon-based NIPE to promote brain recovery during addiction treatment as a part of the brain awareness for addiction recovery initiative. PMID:29054291

Neuroscience-informed psychoeducation for addiction medicine: A neurocognitive perspective.

PubMed

Ekhtiari, Hamed; Rezapour, Tara; Aupperle, Robin L; Paulus, Martin P

2017-01-01

Psychoeducation (PE) is defined as an intervention with systematic, structured, and didactic knowledge transfer for an illness and its treatment, integrating emotional and motivational aspects to enable patients to cope with the illness and to improve its treatment adherence and efficacy. PE is considered an important component of treatment in both medical and psychiatric disorders, especially for mental health disorders associated with lack of insight, such as alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUDs). New advancements in neuroscience have shed light on how various aspects of ASUDs may relate to neural processes. However, the actual impact of neuroscience in the real-life clinical practice of addiction medicine is minimal. In this chapter, we provide a perspective on how PE in addiction medicine can be informed by neuroscience in two dimensions: content (knowledge we transfer in PE) and structure (methods we use to deliver PE). The content of conventional PE targets knowledge about etiology of illness, treatment process, adverse effects of prescribed medications, coping strategies, family education, and life skill training. Adding neuroscience evidence to the content of PE could be helpful in communicating not only the impact of drug use but also the beneficial impact of various treatments (i.e., on brain function), thus enhancing motivation for compliance and further destigmatizing their symptoms. PE can also be optimized in its "structure" by implicitly and explicitly engaging different neurocognitive processes, including salience/attention, memory, and self-awareness. There are many interactions between these two dimensions, structure and content, in the delivery of neuroscience-informed psychoeducation (NIPE). We explore these interactions in the development of a cartoon-based NIPE to promote brain recovery during addiction treatment as a part of the brain awareness for addiction recovery initiative. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Dynamic Brain: From Spiking Neurons to Neural Masses and Cortical Fields

PubMed Central

Deco, Gustavo; Jirsa, Viktor K.; Robinson, Peter A.; Breakspear, Michael; Friston, Karl

2008-01-01

The cortex is a complex system, characterized by its dynamics and architecture, which underlie many functions such as action, perception, learning, language, and cognition. Its structural architecture has been studied for more than a hundred years; however, its dynamics have been addressed much less thoroughly. In this paper, we review and integrate, in a unifying framework, a variety of computational approaches that have been used to characterize the dynamics of the cortex, as evidenced at different levels of measurement. Computational models at different space–time scales help us understand the fundamental mechanisms that underpin neural processes and relate these processes to neuroscience data. Modeling at the single neuron level is necessary because this is the level at which information is exchanged between the computing elements of the brain; the neurons. Mesoscopic models tell us how neural elements interact to yield emergent behavior at the level of microcolumns and cortical columns. Macroscopic models can inform us about whole brain dynamics and interactions between large-scale neural systems such as cortical regions, the thalamus, and brain stem. Each level of description relates uniquely to neuroscience data, from single-unit recordings, through local field potentials to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), and magnetoencephalogram (MEG). Models of the cortex can establish which types of large-scale neuronal networks can perform computations and characterize their emergent properties. Mean-field and related formulations of dynamics also play an essential and complementary role as forward models that can be inverted given empirical data. This makes dynamic models critical in integrating theory and experiments. We argue that elaborating principled and informed models is a prerequisite for grounding empirical neuroscience in a cogent theoretical framework, commensurate with the achievements in the physical sciences. PMID:18769680

Evaluating the functional state of adult-born neurons in the adult dentate gyrus of the hippocampus: from birth to functional integration.

PubMed

Aguilar-Arredondo, Andrea; Arias, Clorinda; Zepeda, Angélica

2015-01-01

Hippocampal neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain in various species, including humans. A compelling question that arose when neurogenesis was accepted to occur in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) is whether new neurons become functionally relevant over time, which is key for interpreting their potential contributions to synaptic circuitry. The functional state of adult-born neurons has been evaluated using various methodological approaches, which have, in turn, yielded seemingly conflicting results regarding the timing of maturation and functional integration. Here, we review the contributions of different methodological approaches to addressing the maturation process of adult-born neurons and their functional state, discussing the contributions and limitations of each method. We aim to provide a framework for interpreting results based on the approaches currently used in neuroscience for evaluating functional integration. As shown by the experimental evidence, adult-born neurons are prone to respond from early stages, even when they are not yet fully integrated into circuits. The ongoing integration process for the newborn neurons is characterised by different features. However, they may contribute differently to the network depending on their maturation stage. When combined, the strategies used to date convey a comprehensive view of the functional development of newly born neurons while providing a framework for approaching the critical time at which new neurons become functionally integrated and influence brain function.

Computational Models of Neuronal Biophysics and the Characterization of Potential Neuropharmacological Targets

PubMed Central

Ferrante, Michele; Blackwell, Kim T.; Migliore, Michele; Ascoli, Giorgio A.

2012-01-01

The identification and characterization of potential pharmacological targets in neurology and psychiatry is a fundamental problem at the intersection between medicinal chemistry and the neurosciences. Exciting new techniques in proteomics and genomics have fostered rapid progress, opening numerous questions as to the functional consequences of ligand binding at the systems level. Psycho- and neuro-active drugs typically work in nerve cells by affecting one or more aspects of electrophysiological activity. Thus, an integrated understanding of neuropharmacological agents requires bridging the gap between their molecular mechanisms and the biophysical determinants of neuronal function. Computational neuroscience and bioinformatics can play a major role in this functional connection. Robust quantitative models exist describing all major active membrane properties under endogenous and exogenous chemical control. These include voltage-dependent ionic channels (sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.), synaptic receptor channels (e.g. glutamatergic, GABAergic, cholinergic), and G protein coupled signaling pathways (protein kinases, phosphatases, and other enzymatic cascades). This brief review of neuromolecular medicine from the computational perspective provides compelling examples of how simulations can elucidate, explain, and predict the effect of chemical agonists, antagonists, and modulators in the nervous system. PMID:18855673

Psychiatry as a Clinical Neuroscience Discipline

PubMed Central

Insel, Thomas R.; Quirion, Remi

2006-01-01

One of the fundamental insights emerging from contemporary neuroscience is that mental illnesses are brain disorders. In contrast to classic neurological illnesses that involve discrete brain lesions, mental disorders need to be addressed as disorders of distributed brain systems with symptoms forged by developmental and social experiences. While genomics will be important for revealing risk, and cellular neuroscience should provide targets for novel treatments for these disorders, it is most likely that the tools of systems neuroscience will yield the biomarkers needed to revolutionize psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. This essay considers the discoveries that will be necessary over the next two decades to translate the promise of modern neuroscience into strategies for prevention and cures of mental disorders. To deliver on this spectacular new potential, clinical neuroscience must be integrated into the discipline of psychiatry, thereby transforming current psychiatric training, tools, and practices. PMID:16264165

Infusing Neuroscience into Teacher Professional Development

PubMed Central

Dubinsky, Janet M; Roehrig, Gillian; Varma, Sashank

2015-01-01

Bruer (1997) advocated connecting neuroscience and education indirectly through the intermediate discipline of psychology. We argue for a parallel route: the neurobiology of learning, and in particular the core concept of plasticity, have the potential to directly transform teacher preparation and professional development, and ultimately to affect how students think about their own learning. We present a case study of how the core concepts of neuroscience can be brought to in-service teachers – the BrainU workshops. We then discuss how neuroscience can be meaningfully integrated into pre-service teacher preparation, focusing on institutional and cultural barriers. PMID:26139861

Can Neuroscience Contribute to Practical Ethics? A Critical Review and Discussion of the Methodological and Translational Challenges of the Neuroscience of Ethics.

PubMed

Racine, Eric; Dubljević, Veljko; Jox, Ralf J; Baertschi, Bernard; Christensen, Julia F; Farisco, Michele; Jotterand, Fabrice; Kahane, Guy; Müller, Sabine

2017-06-01

Neuroethics is an interdisciplinary field that arose in response to novel ethical challenges posed by advances in neuroscience. Historically, neuroethics has provided an opportunity to synergize different disciplines, notably proposing a two-way dialogue between an 'ethics of neuroscience' and a 'neuroscience of ethics'. However, questions surface as to whether a 'neuroscience of ethics' is a useful and unified branch of research and whether it can actually inform or lead to theoretical insights and transferable practical knowledge to help resolve ethical questions. In this article, we examine why the neuroscience of ethics is a promising area of research and summarize what we have learned so far regarding its most promising goals and contributions. We then review some of the key methodological challenges which may have hindered the use of results generated thus far by the neuroscience of ethics. Strategies are suggested to address these challenges and improve the quality of research and increase neuroscience's usefulness for applied ethics and society at large. Finally, we reflect on potential outcomes of a neuroscience of ethics and discuss the different strategies that could be used to support knowledge transfer to help different stakeholders integrate knowledge from the neuroscience of ethics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving Executive Function and its Neurobiological Mechanisms through a Mindfulness-Based Intervention: Advances within the Field of Developmental Neuroscience.

PubMed

Tang, Yi-Yuan; Yang, Lizhu; Leve, Leslie D; Harold, Gordon T

2012-12-01

Poor executive function (EF) has been associated with a host of short- and long-term problems across the lifespan, including elevated rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, drug abuse, and antisocial behavior. Mindfulness-based interventions that focus on increasing awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and actions have been shown to improve specific aspects of EF, including attention, cognitive control, and emotion regulation. In this article, we apply a developmental neuroscience perspective to review research relevant to one specific mindfulness-based intervention, Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT). Randomized controlled trials of IBMT indicate improvements in specific EF components, and uniquely highlight the role of neural circuitry specific to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) as two brain-based mechanisms that underlie IBMT-related improvements. The relevance of improving specific dimensions of EF through short-term IBMT to prevent a cascade of risk behaviors for children and adolescents is described and future research directions are proposed.

The promises and pitfalls of applying computational models to neurological and psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Teufel, Christoph; Fletcher, Paul C

2016-10-01

Computational models have become an integral part of basic neuroscience and have facilitated some of the major advances in the field. More recently, such models have also been applied to the understanding of disruptions in brain function. In this review, using examples and a simple analogy, we discuss the potential for computational models to inform our understanding of brain function and dysfunction. We argue that they may provide, in unprecedented detail, an understanding of the neurobiological and mental basis of brain disorders and that such insights will be key to progress in diagnosis and treatment. However, there are also potential problems attending this approach. We highlight these and identify simple principles that should always govern the use of computational models in clinical neuroscience, noting especially the importance of a clear specification of a model's purpose and of the mapping between mathematical concepts and reality. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Integrating holism and reductionism in the science of art perception.

PubMed

Graham, Daniel J

2013-04-01

The contextualist claim that universalism is irrelevant to the proper study of art can be evaluated by examining an analogous question in neuroscience. Taking the reductionist-holist debate in visual neuroscience as a model, we see that the analog of orthodox contextualism is untenable, whereas integrated approaches have proven highly effective. Given the connection between art and vision, unified approaches are likewise more germane to the scientific study of art.

What Are the Parts of the Nervous System?

MedlinePlus

... Research Information Find a Study Resources and Publications Neuroscience Condition Information NICHD Research Information Find a Study ... functions does the nervous system control? Why study neuroscience? What are the areas of neuroscience? NICHD Research ...

A physiological perspective on the neuroscience of eating.

PubMed

Geary, Nori

2014-09-01

I present the thesis that 'being physiological,' i.e., analyzing eating under conditions that do not perturb, or minimally perturb, the organism's endogenous processes, should be a central goal of the neuroscience of eating. I describe my understanding of 'being physiological' based on [i] the central neural-network heuristic of CNS function that traces back to Cajal and Sherrington, [ii] research on one of the simpler problems in the neuroscience of eating, identification of endocrine signals that control eating. In this context I consider natural meals, physiological doses and ranges, and antagonist studies. Several examples involve CCK. Next I describe my view of the cutting edge in the molecular neuroscience of eating as it has evolved from the discovery of leptin signaling through the application of optogenetic and pharmacogenetic methods. Finally I describe some novel approaches that may advance the neuroscience of eating in the foreseeable future. I conclude that [i] the neuroscience of eating may soon be able to discern 'physiological' function in the operation of CNS networks mediating eating, [ii] the neuroscience of eating should capitalize on methods developed in other areas of neuroscience, e.g., improved methods to record and manipulate CNS function in behaving animals, identification of canonical regional circuits, use of population electrophysiology, etc., and [iii] subjective aspects of eating are crucial aspects of eating science, but remain beyond mechanistic understanding. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rethinking Leadership and Whole of Government National Security Reform: Problems, Progress, and Prospects

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

functional organiza- tions that control policy implementation. Although the National Security Advisor ( NSA ) is institutionally positioned to promote...directions substantially affect their orga- nizational equities. Former NSA Zbigniew Brzezinski observed that: 38 Integration is needed, but this cannot...cooperative structures that benefit most of the people most of the time. Neurosci - ence is beginning to show us that the “will to power” may have a

An Integrated Neuroscience Perspective on Formulation and Treatment Planning for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Educational Review.

PubMed

Ross, David A; Arbuckle, Melissa R; Travis, Michael J; Dwyer, Jennifer B; van Schalkwyk, Gerrit I; Ressler, Kerry J

2017-04-01

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychiatric illness, increasingly in the public spotlight in the United States due its prevalence in the soldiers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. This educational review presents a contemporary approach for how to incorporate a modern neuroscience perspective into an integrative case formulation. The article is organized around key neuroscience "themes" most relevant for PTSD. Within each theme, the article highlights how seemingly diverse biological, psychological, and social perspectives all intersect with our current understanding of neuroscience. Any contemporary neuroscience formulation of PTSD should include an understanding of fear conditioning, dysregulated circuits, memory reconsolidation, epigenetics, and genetic factors. Fear conditioning and other elements of basic learning theory offer a framework for understanding how traumatic events can lead to a range of behaviors associated with PTSD. A circuit dysregulation framework focuses more broadly on aberrant network connectivity, including between the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures. In the process of memory reconsolidation, it is now clear that every time a memory is reactivated it becomes momentarily labile-with implications for the genesis, maintenance, and treatment of PTSD. Epigenetic changes secondary to various experiences, especially early in life, can have long-term effects, including on the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby affecting an individual's ability to regulate the stress response. Genetic factors are surprisingly relevant: PTSD has been shown to be highly heritable despite being definitionally linked to specific experiences. The relevance of each of these themes to current clinical practice and its potential to transform future care are discussed. Together, these perspectives contribute to an integrative, neuroscience-informed approach to case formulation and treatment planning. This may help to bridge the gap between the traditionally distinct viewpoints of clinicians and researchers.

The Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) data repository: Structural and functional MRI, MEG, and cognitive data from a cross-sectional adult lifespan sample.

PubMed

Taylor, Jason R; Williams, Nitin; Cusack, Rhodri; Auer, Tibor; Shafto, Meredith A; Dixon, Marie; Tyler, Lorraine K; Cam-Can; Henson, Richard N

2017-01-01

This paper describes the data repository for the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) initial study cohort. The Cam-CAN Stage 2 repository contains multi-modal (MRI, MEG, and cognitive-behavioural) data from a large (approximately N=700), cross-sectional adult lifespan (18-87years old) population-based sample. The study is designed to characterise age-related changes in cognition and brain structure and function, and to uncover the neurocognitive mechanisms that support healthy cognitive ageing. The database contains raw and preprocessed structural MRI, functional MRI (active tasks and resting state), and MEG data (active tasks and resting state), as well as derived scores from cognitive behavioural experiments spanning five broad domains (attention, emotion, action, language, and memory), and demographic and neuropsychological data. The dataset thus provides a depth of neurocognitive phenotyping that is currently unparalleled, enabling integrative analyses of age-related changes in brain structure, brain function, and cognition, and providing a testbed for novel analyses of multi-modal neuroimaging data. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief.

PubMed

Kapogiannis, Dimitrios; Barbey, Aron K; Su, Michael; Zamboni, Giovanna; Krueger, Frank; Grafman, Jordan

2009-03-24

We propose an integrative cognitive neuroscience framework for understanding the cognitive and neural foundations of religious belief. Our analysis reveals 3 psychological dimensions of religious belief (God's perceived level of involvement, God's perceived emotion, and doctrinal/experiential religious knowledge), which functional MRI localizes within networks processing Theory of Mind regarding intent and emotion, abstract semantics, and imagery. Our results are unique in demonstrating that specific components of religious belief are mediated by well-known brain networks, and support contemporary psychological theories that ground religious belief within evolutionary adaptive cognitive functions.

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience: Origins, Issues, and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennington, Bruce F.; Snyder, Kelly A.; Roberts, Ralph J., Jr.

2007-01-01

This commentary explains how the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) holds the promise of a much wider interdisciplinary integration across sciences concerned with development: psychology, molecular genetics, neurobiology, and evolutionary developmental biology. First we present a brief history of DCN, including the key theoretical…

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

PubMed

Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

2014-01-01

The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

Neuroscience in the HBSE Sequence: Mandate and Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Combs-Orme, Terri; Lefmann, Tess; Pilkay, Stefanie; Strong, Joe; Thompson, Phyllis; Veerman, Tara

2017-01-01

Important findings from neuroscience research provide valuable knowledge for social work practice, and although these findings are already being incorporated into practice in many other disciplines, social work has been slow to integrate this content into foundation professional education. This article describes how one social work program…

Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Current Status and Working Hypotheses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidya, Chandan J.; Stollstorff, Melanie

2008-01-01

Cognitive neuroscience studies of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) suggest multiple loci of pathology with respect to both cognitive domains and neural circuitry. Cognitive deficits extend beyond executive functioning to include spatial, temporal, and lower-level "nonexecutive" functions. Atypical functional anatomy extends beyond…

John Hughlings Jackson and the conceptual foundations of the neurosciences.

PubMed

Greenblatt, S H

1999-01-01

Cerebral localization, including hierarchical organization of the nervous system, was the critical conceptual advance that made possible the development of modern neuroscience in the nineteenth century. Some of our most basic ideas about neural organization were contributed by Hughlings Jackson. In the early twentieth century, Charles Sherrington combined localization with the neurone theory to create the paradigm of neurophysiological integration. Because Sherrington was educated in the Jacksonian tradition of British neurology, Sherringtonian integration contains ideas that are derived from Jackson and from Herbert Spencer.

Educational Neuroscience: Neuroethical Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lalancette, Helene; Campbell, Stephen R.

2012-01-01

Research design and methods in educational neuroscience involve using neuroscientific tools such as brain image technologies to investigate cognitive functions and inform educational practices. The ethical challenges raised by research in social neuroscience have become the focus of neuroethics, a sub-discipline of bioethics. More specifically…

Neuroscience and the fallacies of functionalism.

PubMed

Reddy, William M

2010-01-01

Smail's "On Deep History and the Brain" is rightly critical of the functionalist fallacies that have plagued evolutionary theory, sociobiology, and evolutionary psychology. However, his attempt to improve on these efforts relies on functional explanations that themselves oversimplify the lessons of neuroscience. In addition, like explanations in evolutionary psychology, they are highly speculative and cannot be confirmed or disproved by evidence. Neuroscience research is too diverse to yield a single picture of brain functioning. Some recent developments in neuroscience research, however, do suggest that cognitive processing provides a kind of “operating system” that can support a great diversity of cultural material. These developments include evidence of “top-down” processing in motor control, in visual processing, in speech recognition, and in “emotion regulation.” The constraints that such a system may place on cultural learning and transmission are worth investigating. At the same time, historians are well advised to remain wary of the pitfalls of functionalism.

Culture in social neuroscience: a review.

PubMed

Rule, Nicholas O; Freeman, Jonathan B; Ambady, Nalini

2013-01-01

The aim of this review is to highlight an emerging field: the neuroscience of culture. This new field links cross-cultural psychology with cognitive neuroscience across fundamental domains of cognitive and social psychology. We present a summary of studies on emotion, perspective-taking, memory, object perception, attention, language, and the self, showing cultural differences in behavior as well as in neural activation. Although it is still nascent, the broad impact of merging the study of culture with cognitive neuroscience holds mutual distributed benefits for multiple related fields. Thus, cultural neuroscience may be uniquely poised to provide insights and breakthroughs for longstanding questions and problems in the study of behavior and thought, and its capacity for integration across multiple levels of analysis is especially high. These findings attest to the plasticity of the brain and its adaptation to cultural contexts.

Implementation of an Integrated Neuroscience Unit.

PubMed

Breslin, Rory P; Franker, Lauren; Sterchi, Suzanne; Sani, Sepehr

2016-02-01

Many challenges exist in today's health care delivery system, and much focus and research are invested into ways to improve care with cost-effective measures. Specialty-specific dedicated care units are one solution for inpatient hospital care because they improve outcomes and decrease mortality. The neuroscience population encompasses a wide variety of diagnoses of spinal to cranial issues with a wide spectrum of needs varying from one patient to the next. Neuroscience care must be patient-specific during the course of frequent acuity changes, and one way to achieve this is through a neuroscience-focused unit. Few resources are available on how to implement this type of unit. Advanced practice nurses are committed to providing high-quality, safe, and cost-effective care and are instrumental in the success of instituting a unit dedicated to the care of neuroscience patients.

SOCIAL: an integrative framework for the development of social skills.

PubMed

Beauchamp, Miriam H; Anderson, Vicki

2010-01-01

Despite significant advances in the field of social neuroscience, much remains to be understood regarding the development and maintenance of social skills across the life span. Few comprehensive models exist that integrate multidisciplinary perspectives and explain the multitude of factors that influence the emergence and expression of social skills. Here, a developmental biopsychosocial model (SOCIAL) is offered that incorporates the biological underpinnings and socio-cognitive skills that underlie social function (attention/executive function, communication, socio-emotional skills), as well as the internal and external (environmental) factors that mediate these skills. The components of the model are discussed in the context of the social brain network and are supported by evidence from 3 conditions known to affect social functioning (autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and traumatic brain injury). This integrative model is intended to provide a theoretical structure for understanding the origins of social dysfunction and the factors that influence the emergence of social skills through childhood and adolescence in both healthy and clinical populations.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

PubMed Central

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M.L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2017-01-01

The term ‘synergy’ – from the Greek synergia – means ‘working together’. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project “The Hand Embodied” (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. PMID:26923030

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands.

PubMed

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M L; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project "The Hand Embodied" (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santello, Marco; Bianchi, Matteo; Gabiccini, Marco; Ricciardi, Emiliano; Salvietti, Gionata; Prattichizzo, Domenico; Ernst, Marc; Moscatelli, Alessandro; Jörntell, Henrik; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Kyriakopoulos, Kostas; Albu-Schäffer, Alin; Castellini, Claudio; Bicchi, Antonio

2016-07-01

The term 'synergy' - from the Greek synergia - means 'working together'. The concept of multiple elements working together towards a common goal has been extensively used in neuroscience to develop theoretical frameworks, experimental approaches, and analytical techniques to understand neural control of movement, and for applications for neuro-rehabilitation. In the past decade, roboticists have successfully applied the framework of synergies to create novel design and control concepts for artificial hands, i.e., robotic hands and prostheses. At the same time, robotic research on the sensorimotor integration underlying the control and sensing of artificial hands has inspired new research approaches in neuroscience, and has provided useful instruments for novel experiments. The ambitious goal of integrating expertise and research approaches in robotics and neuroscience to study the properties and applications of the concept of synergies is generating a number of multidisciplinary cooperative projects, among which the recently finished 4-year European project ;The Hand Embodied; (THE). This paper reviews the main insights provided by this framework. Specifically, we provide an overview of neuroscientific bases of hand synergies and introduce how robotics has leveraged the insights from neuroscience for innovative design in hardware and controllers for biomedical engineering applications, including myoelectric hand prostheses, devices for haptics research, and wearable sensing of human hand kinematics. The review also emphasizes how this multidisciplinary collaboration has generated new ways to conceptualize a synergy-based approach for robotics, and provides guidelines and principles for analyzing human behavior and synthesizing artificial robotic systems based on a theory of synergies.

Challenges in Developing Novel Treatments for Childhood Disorders: Lessons from Research on Anxiety

PubMed Central

Pine, Daniel S; Helfinstein, Sarah M; Bar-Haim, Yair; Nelson, Eric; Fox, Nathan A

2009-01-01

Alterations in brain development may contribute to chronic mental disorders. Novel treatments targeted toward the early-childhood manifestations of such chronic disorders may provide unique therapeutic opportunities. However, attempts to develop and deliver novel treatments face many challenges. Work on pediatric anxiety disorders illustrates both the inherent challenges as well as the unusual opportunities for therapeutic advances. The present review summarizes three aspects of translational research on pediatric anxiety disorders as the work informs efforts to develop novel interventions. First, the review summarizes data on developmental conceptualizations of anxiety from both basic neuroscience and clinical perspectives. This summary is integrated with a discussion of the two best-established treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Second, the review summarizes work on attention bias to threat, considering implications for both novel treatments and translational research on neural circuitry functional development. This illustrates the manner in which clinical findings inform basic systems neuroscience research. Finally, the review summarizes work in basic science on fear learning, as studied in fear conditioning, consolidation, and extinction paradigms. This summary ends by describing potential novel treatments, illustrating the manner in which basic neuroscience informs therapeutics. PMID:18754004

Evolution of neuroarchitecture, multi-level analyses and calibrative reductionism

PubMed Central

Berntson, Gary G.; Norman, Greg J.; Hawkley, Louise C.; Cacioppo, John T.

2012-01-01

Evolution has sculpted the incredibly complex human nervous system, among the most complex functions of which extend beyond the individual to an intricate social structure. Although these functions are deterministic, those determinants are legion, heavily interacting and dependent on a specific evolutionary trajectory. That trajectory was directed by the adaptive significance of quasi-random genetic variations, but was also influenced by chance and caprice. With a different evolutionary pathway, the same neural elements could subserve functions distinctly different from what they do in extant human brains. Consequently, the properties of higher level neural networks cannot be derived readily from the properties of the lower level constituent elements, without studying these elements in the aggregate. Thus, a multi-level approach to integrative neuroscience may offer an optimal strategy. Moreover, the process of calibrative reductionism, by which concepts and understandings from one level of organization or analysis can mutually inform and ‘calibrate’ those from other levels (both higher and lower), may represent a viable approach to the application of reductionism in science. This is especially relevant in social neuroscience, where the basic subject matter of interest is defined by interacting organisms across diverse environments. PMID:23386961

Culture and neuroscience: additive or synergistic?

PubMed Central

Dapretto, Mirella; Iacoboni, Marco

2010-01-01

The investigation of cultural phenomena using neuroscientific methods—cultural neuroscience (CN)—is receiving increasing attention. Yet it is unclear whether the integration of cultural study and neuroscience is merely additive, providing additional evidence of neural plasticity in the human brain, or truly synergistic, yielding discoveries that neither discipline could have achieved alone. We discuss how the parent fields to CN: cross-cultural psychology, psychological anthropology and cognitive neuroscience inform the investigation of the role of cultural experience in shaping the brain. Drawing on well-established methodologies from cross-cultural psychology and cognitive neuroscience, we outline a set of guidelines for CN, evaluate 17 CN studies in terms of these guidelines, and provide a summary table of our results. We conclude that the combination of culture and neuroscience is both additive and synergistic; while some CN methodologies and findings will represent the direct union of information from parent fields, CN studies employing the methodological rigor required by this logistically challenging new field have the potential to transform existing methodologies and produce unique findings. PMID:20083533

Neurocognitive mechanisms of mathematical giftedness: A literature review.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Gan, John Q; Wang, Haixian

2017-01-01

Mathematically gifted children/adolescents have demonstrated exceptional abilities and traits in logical reasoning, mental imagery, and creative thinking. In the field of cognitive neuroscience, the past studies on mathematically gifted brains have concentrated on investigating event-related brain activation regions, cerebral laterality of cognitive functions, functional specialization that is uniquely dedicated for specific cognitive purposes, and functional interactions among discrete brain regions. From structural and functional perspectives, these studies have witnessed both "general" and "unique" neural characteristics of mathematically gifted brains. In this article, the theoretical background, empirical studies, and neurocognitive mechanisms of mathematically gifted children/adolescents are reviewed. Based on the integration of the findings, some potential directions for the future research are identified and discussed.

76 FR 54778 - Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

..., Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering Study Section. Date: September 29-30, 2011. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Agenda: [email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Clinical Neuroscience and Neurodegeneration Study Section. Date: October 5-6, 2011. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m...

Wisdom, the Body, and Adult Learning: Insights from Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Ann L.

2011-01-01

In adult education, there has recently been a recognition of the body's role in adult learning. Attention to neuroscience is somewhat limited, though is emerging. These two perspectives are not integrated. With this article, the author argues that adult education must look to science to achieve a deeper understanding of the evolving…

Hyperintense White Matter Lesions in 50 High-Altitude Pilots with Neurologic Decompression Sickness

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

Environ Med 2004 ; 75 : 969 – 72 . 4. Bartzokis G, Tishler TA, Shin IS, Lu PH, Cummings JL . Brain ferritin iron as a risk factor for...Coyle T, Lancaster J, et al. Can structural MRI indices of cerebral integrity track cognitive trends in executive control function during normal...Digital brain atlases . Trends Neurosci 1995 ; 18 : 210 – 1 . 28. Miura K, Soyama Y, Morikawa Y, Nishijo M, Nakanishi Y, et al

Addressing Literacy through Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Steve; Tallal, Paula A.

2006-01-01

Brain is the source of all human thoughts, feelings and emotions. Now the mysteries of the human brain are rapidly being elucidated by neuroscience research. For more than 150 years, neuroscience has held that most of the brain's functionality develops during critical periods in early childhood and that once past these critical periods, the window…

K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

Computational neuroscience approach to biomarkers and treatments for mental disorders.

PubMed

Yahata, Noriaki; Kasai, Kiyoto; Kawato, Mitsuo

2017-04-01

Psychiatry research has long experienced a stagnation stemming from a lack of understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of phenomenologically defined mental disorders. Recently, the application of computational neuroscience to psychiatry research has shown great promise in establishing a link between phenomenological and pathophysiological aspects of mental disorders, thereby recasting current nosology in more biologically meaningful dimensions. In this review, we highlight recent investigations into computational neuroscience that have undertaken either theory- or data-driven approaches to quantitatively delineate the mechanisms of mental disorders. The theory-driven approach, including reinforcement learning models, plays an integrative role in this process by enabling correspondence between behavior and disorder-specific alterations at multiple levels of brain organization, ranging from molecules to cells to circuits. Previous studies have explicated a plethora of defining symptoms of mental disorders, including anhedonia, inattention, and poor executive function. The data-driven approach, on the other hand, is an emerging field in computational neuroscience seeking to identify disorder-specific features among high-dimensional big data. Remarkably, various machine-learning techniques have been applied to neuroimaging data, and the extracted disorder-specific features have been used for automatic case-control classification. For many disorders, the reported accuracies have reached 90% or more. However, we note that rigorous tests on independent cohorts are critically required to translate this research into clinical applications. Finally, we discuss the utility of the disorder-specific features found by the data-driven approach to psychiatric therapies, including neurofeedback. Such developments will allow simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders using neuroimaging, thereby establishing 'theranostics' for the first time in clinical psychiatry. © 2016 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2016 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

An integrative architecture for general intelligence and executive function revealed by lesion mapping

PubMed Central

Colom, Roberto; Solomon, Jeffrey; Krueger, Frank; Forbes, Chad; Grafman, Jordan

2012-01-01

Although cognitive neuroscience has made remarkable progress in understanding the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in executive control, the broader functional networks that support high-level cognition and give rise to general intelligence remain to be well characterized. Here, we investigated the neural substrates of the general factor of intelligence (g) and executive function in 182 patients with focal brain damage using voxel-based lesion–symptom mapping. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System were used to derive measures of g and executive function, respectively. Impaired performance on these measures was associated with damage to a distributed network of left lateralized brain areas, including regions of frontal and parietal cortex and white matter association tracts, which bind these areas into a coordinated system. The observed findings support an integrative framework for understanding the architecture of general intelligence and executive function, supporting their reliance upon a shared fronto-parietal network for the integration and control of cognitive representations and making specific recommendations for the application of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System to the study of high-level cognition in health and disease. PMID:22396393

A cognitive neuroscience perspective on psychopathy: evidence for paralimbic system dysfunction.

PubMed

Kiehl, Kent A

2006-06-15

Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder that includes interpersonal and affective traits such as glibness, lack of empathy, guilt or remorse, shallow affect, and irresponsibility, and behavioral characteristics such as impulsivity, poor behavioral control, and promiscuity. Much is known about the assessment of psychopathy; however, relatively little is understood about the relevant brain disturbances. The present review integrates data from studies of behavioral and cognitive changes associated with focal brain lesions or insults and results from psychophysiology, cognitive psychology and cognitive and affective neuroscience in health and psychopathy. The review illustrates that the brain regions implicated in psychopathy include the orbital frontal cortex, insula, anterior and posterior cingulate, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and anterior superior temporal gyrus. The relevant functional neuroanatomy of psychopathy thus includes limbic and paralimbic structures that may be collectively termed 'the paralimbic system'. The paralimbic system dysfunction model of psychopathy is discussed as it relates to the extant literature on psychopathy.

The neurosciences and the search for a unified psychology: the science and esthetics of a single framework

PubMed Central

Stam, Henderikus J.

2015-01-01

The search for a so-called unified or integrated theory has long served as a goal for some psychologists, even if the search is often implicit. But if the established sciences do not have an explicitly unified set of theories, then why should psychology? After examining this question again I argue that psychology is in fact reasonably unified around its methods and its commitment to functional explanations, an indeterminate functionalism. The question of the place of the neurosciences in this framework is complex. On the one hand, the neuroscientific project will not likely renew and synthesize the disparate arms of psychology. On the other hand, their reformulation of what it means to be human will exert an influence in multiple ways. One way to capture that influence is to conceptualize the brain in terms of a technology that we interact with in a manner that we do not yet fully understand. In this way we maintain both a distance from neuro-reductionism and refrain from committing to an unfettered subjectivity. PMID:26500571

Stereo, Shading, and Surfaces: Curvature Constraints Couple Neural Computations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-23

Bullier, and J. S. Lund, ‘‘Circuits for local and global signal integration in primary visual cortex,’’ J. Neurosci ., vol. 22, no. 19, pp. 8633–8646...cortex,’’ J. Neurosci ., vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 2112–2127, Mar. 15, 1997. [16] Y. Boykov, O. Veksler, and R. Zabih, ‘‘Fast approximate energy minimization...plasticity: A Hebbian learning rule,’’ Annu. Rev. Neurosci ., vol. 31, pp. 25–46, 2008. [19] V. A. Casagrande and J. H. Kaas, ‘‘The afferent, intrinsic

Intrinsic electrical properties of mammalian neurons and CNS function: a historical perspective

PubMed Central

Llinás, Rodolfo R.

2014-01-01

This brief review summarizes work done in mammalian neuroscience concerning the intrinsic electrophysiological properties of four neuronal types; Cerebellar Purkinje cells, inferior olivary cells, thalamic cells, and some cortical interneurons. It is a personal perspective addressing an interesting time in neuroscience when the reflex view of brain function, as the paradigm to understand global neuroscience, began to be modified toward one in which sensory input modulates rather than dictates brain function. The perspective of the paper is not a comprehensive description of the intrinsic electrical properties of all nerve cells but rather addresses a set of cell types that provide indicative examples of mechanisms that modulate brain function. PMID:25408634

All the Vice Chancellor's Neuroscientists: Unity to Achieve Success in Solving Malaysia's Diseases via Upgrading Clinical Services and Neuroscience Research.

PubMed

Abdullah, Jafri Malin

2013-05-01

President Obama of the United States of America announced this April the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN for short) investment, while Professor Henry Markram's team based in the European Union will spend over a billion euros on the Human Brain Project, breaking through the unknowns in the fifth science of the decade: Neuroscience. Malaysia's growth in the same field needs to be augmented, and thus the Universiti Sains Malaysia's vision is to excel in the field of clinical brain sciences, mind sciences and neurosciences. This will naturally bring up the level of research in the country simultaneously. Thus, a center was recently established to coordinate this venture. The four-year Integrated Neuroscience Program established recently will be a sustainable source of neuroscientists for the country. We hope to establish ourselves by 2020 as a global university with neurosciences research as an important flagship.

Applying a cognitive neuroscience perspective to the disorder of psychopathy.

PubMed

Blair, R J R

2005-01-01

Four models of psychopathy (frontal lobe dysfunction, response set modulation, fear dysfunction, and violence inhibition mechanism hypotheses) are reviewed from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience. Each model is considered both with respect to the psychopathy data and, more importantly, for the present purposes, with respect to the broader cognitive neuroscience fields to which the model refers (e.g., models of attention with respect to the response set modulation account and models of emotion with respect to the fear dysfunction and violence inhibition mechanism models). The paper concludes with an articulation of the more recent integrated emotion systems model, an account inspired both by recent findings in affective cognitive neuroscience as well as in the study of psychopathy. Some directions for future work are considered.

The Brain Goes to School: Strengthening the Education-Neuroscience Connection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ansari, Daniel

2008-01-01

Investigations on the brain processes using a technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have led to the creation of a new field of research that bridges the gap between cognitive psychology and neuroscience: "cognitive neuroscience." Within this new field, studies examining the processes of learning and developing are…

A Model for Bridging the Gap between Neuroscience and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tommerdahl, Jodi

2010-01-01

As the brain sciences make advances in our understanding of how the human brain functions, many educators are looking to findings from the neurosciences to inform classroom teaching methodologies. This paper takes the view that the neurosciences are an excellent source of knowledge regarding learning processes, but also provides a warning…

Some Thoughts on the Relationship of Developmental Science and Population Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paus, Tomáš

2012-01-01

This essay describes briefly population neuroscience, the merging of genetics and epidemiology with neuroscience, and its goals with regard to (1) gaining new knowledge about "processes" leading to a particular "state" of brain structure and function, and (2) using this knowledge to predict the risk (and resilience) of an…

Multilayer Brain Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaiana, Michael; Muldoon, Sarah Feldt

2018-01-01

The field of neuroscience is facing an unprecedented expanse in the volume and diversity of available data. Traditionally, network models have provided key insights into the structure and function of the brain. With the advent of big data in neuroscience, both more sophisticated models capable of characterizing the increasing complexity of the data and novel methods of quantitative analysis are needed. Recently, multilayer networks, a mathematical extension of traditional networks, have gained increasing popularity in neuroscience due to their ability to capture the full information of multi-model, multi-scale, spatiotemporal data sets. Here, we review multilayer networks and their applications in neuroscience, showing how incorporating the multilayer framework into network neuroscience analysis has uncovered previously hidden features of brain networks. We specifically highlight the use of multilayer networks to model disease, structure-function relationships, network evolution, and link multi-scale data. Finally, we close with a discussion of promising new directions of multilayer network neuroscience research and propose a modified definition of multilayer networks designed to unite and clarify the use of the multilayer formalism in describing real-world systems.

Social Outcomes in Childhood Brain Disorder: A Heuristic Integration of Social Neuroscience and Developmental Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeates, Keith Owen; Bigler, Erin D.; Dennis, Maureen; Gerhardt, Cynthia A.; Rubin, Kenneth H.; Stancin, Terry; Taylor, H. Gerry; Vannatta, Kathryn

2007-01-01

The authors propose a heuristic model of the social outcomes of childhood brain disorder that draws on models and methods from both the emerging field of social cognitive neuroscience and the study of social competence in developmental psychology/psychopathology. The heuristic model characterizes the relationships between social adjustment, peer…

The Need for Novel Informatics Tools for Integrating and Planning Research in Molecular and Cellular Cognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Alcino J.; Müller, Klaus-Robert

2015-01-01

The sheer volume and complexity of publications in the biological sciences are straining traditional approaches to research planning. Nowhere is this problem more serious than in molecular and cellular cognition, since in this neuroscience field, researchers routinely use approaches and information from a variety of areas in neuroscience and other…

The Integration of Brain Dissection within the Medical Neuroscience Laboratory Enhances Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rae, Guenevere; Cork, R. John; Karpinski, Aryn C.; Swartz, William J.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design a one-hour brain dissection protocol for a medical neuroscience course and evaluate the short and long-term effects of its implementation on medical students. First-year medical students (n = 166) participated in a brain dissection activity that included dissection of the basal nuclei and associated deep…

The cognitive atlas: toward a knowledge foundation for cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Poldrack, Russell A; Kittur, Aniket; Kalar, Donald; Miller, Eric; Seppa, Christian; Gil, Yolanda; Parker, D Stott; Sabb, Fred W; Bilder, Robert M

2011-01-01

Cognitive neuroscience aims to map mental processes onto brain function, which begs the question of what "mental processes" exist and how they relate to the tasks that are used to manipulate and measure them. This topic has been addressed informally in prior work, but we propose that cumulative progress in cognitive neuroscience requires a more systematic approach to representing the mental entities that are being mapped to brain function and the tasks used to manipulate and measure mental processes. We describe a new open collaborative project that aims to provide a knowledge base for cognitive neuroscience, called the Cognitive Atlas (accessible online at http://www.cognitiveatlas.org), and outline how this project has the potential to drive novel discoveries about both mind and brain.

The Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience of Functional Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Michael C.

2009-01-01

Developmental cognitive neuroscience is a rapidly growing field that examines the relationships between biological development and cognitive ability. In the past decade, there has been ongoing refinement of concepts and methodology related to the study of "functional connectivity" among distributed brain regions believed to underlie cognition and…

Foundationalism and Neuroscience; Silence and Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keestra, Machiel; Cowley, Stephen J.

2009-01-01

Neuroscience offers more than new empirical evidence about the details of cognitive functions such as language, perception and action. Since it also shows many functions to be highly distributed, interconnected and dependent on mechanisms at different levels of processing, it challenges concepts that are traditionally used to describe these…

Study of behavior: science or pseudoscience (with comments of Bogdan Dreher, Giacomo Rizzolatti and Charles Gross).

PubMed

Konorski, Jerzy

2013-01-01

The manuscript printed below has been written by Professor Jerzy Konorski around 1970, a few years before his death in 1973. The manuscript has not been published before. It was recently discovered in Konorski's papers deposed in the Library of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology. In his critical review Konorski debates advantages and shortcomings of the physiological approach of Pavlov and purely behavioristic approaches advocated by Hull and Skinner. He supports close cooperation o behaviorists with neurophysiologists and neuroanatomists, with focus on the investigation of the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. Konorski's ideas concerning the integration of the study of behavior and neurophysiology anticipated contemporary path of neuroscience. Indeed, his approach, which at that time appeared somewhat controversial, is universally accepted by contemporary neuroscientists. By contrast, physiological theories of higher mental functions formulated by Pavlov as well as deliberately anti-physiological approaches of Skinner and Hull have all but disappeared from serious scientific discourse. However, the same problems such as strongly promoted self-importance of some branches of neuroscience, the lack of inter-communication between different branches and resulting lack of integrating ideas appear to emerge anew in each new generation of scientists. (Editors of Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis).

Integrative Understanding of Emergent Brain Properties, Quantum Brain Hypotheses, and Connectome Alterations in Dementia are Key Challenges to Conquer Alzheimer's Disease.

PubMed

Kuljiš, Rodrigo O

2010-01-01

The biological substrate for cognition remains a challenge as much as defining this function of living beings. Here, we examine some of the difficulties to understand normal and disordered cognition in humans. We use aspects of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders to illustrate how the wealth of information at many conceptually separate, even intellectually decoupled, physical scales - in particular at the Molecular Neuroscience versus Systems Neuroscience/Neuropsychology levels - presents a challenge in terms of true interdisciplinary integration towards a coherent understanding. These unresolved dilemmas include critically the as yet untested quantum brain hypothesis, and the embryonic attempts to develop and define the so-called connectome in humans and in non-human models of disease. To mitigate these challenges, we propose a scheme incorporating the vast array of scales of the space and time (space-time) manifold from at least the subatomic through cognitive-behavioral dimensions of inquiry, to achieve a new understanding of both normal and disordered cognition, that is essential for a new era of progress in the Generative Sciences and its application to translational efforts for disease prevention and treatment.

Biochemistry and neuroscience: the twain need to meet.

PubMed

Kennedy, Mary B

2017-04-01

Neuroscience has come to mean the study of electrophysiology of neurons and synapses, micro and macro-scale neuroanatomy, and the functional organization of brain areas. The molecular axis of the field, as reflected in textbooks, often includes only descriptions of the structure and function of individual channels and receptor proteins, and the extracellular signals that guide development and repair. Studies of cytosolic 'molecular machines', large assemblies of proteins that orchestrate regulation of neuronal functions, have been neglected. However, a complete understanding of brain function that will enable new strategies for treatment of the most intractable neural disorders will require that in vitro biochemical studies of molecular machines be reintegrated into the field of neuroscience. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How neuroscience is taught to North American dental students: results of the Basic Science Survey Series.

PubMed

Gould, Douglas J; Clarkson, Mackenzie J; Hutchins, Bob; Lambert, H Wayne

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how North American dental students are taught neuroscience during their preclinical dental education. This survey represents one part of a larger research project, the Basic Science Survey Series for Dentistry, which covers all of the biomedical science coursework required of preclinical students in North American dental schools. Members of the Section on Anatomical Sciences of the American Dental Education Association assembled, distributed, and analyzed the neuroscience survey, which had a 98.5 percent response from course directors of the sixty-seven North American dental schools. The eighteen-item instrument collected demographic data on the course directors, information on the content in each course, and information on how neuroscience content is presented. Findings indicate that 1) most neuroscience instruction is conducted by non-dental school faculty members; 2) large content variability exists between programs; and 3) an increase in didactic instruction, integrated curricula, and use of computer-aided instruction is occurring. It is anticipated that the information derived from the survey will help guide neuroscience curricula in dental schools and aid in identifying appropriate content.

78 FR 737 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-04

... Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Aging Systems and Geriatrics Study Section... Skin Sciences Integrated Review Group; Skeletal Muscle and Exercise Physiology Study Section. Date...

78 FR 54259 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-03

... . Name of Committee: Genes, Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group; Molecular Genetics B Study... . Name of Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group; Molecular...

Finding influential nodes for integration in brain networks using optimal percolation theory.

PubMed

Del Ferraro, Gino; Moreno, Andrea; Min, Byungjoon; Morone, Flaviano; Pérez-Ramírez, Úrsula; Pérez-Cervera, Laura; Parra, Lucas C; Holodny, Andrei; Canals, Santiago; Makse, Hernán A

2018-06-11

Global integration of information in the brain results from complex interactions of segregated brain networks. Identifying the most influential neuronal populations that efficiently bind these networks is a fundamental problem of systems neuroscience. Here, we apply optimal percolation theory and pharmacogenetic interventions in vivo to predict and subsequently target nodes that are essential for global integration of a memory network in rodents. The theory predicts that integration in the memory network is mediated by a set of low-degree nodes located in the nucleus accumbens. This result is confirmed with pharmacogenetic inactivation of the nucleus accumbens, which eliminates the formation of the memory network, while inactivations of other brain areas leave the network intact. Thus, optimal percolation theory predicts essential nodes in brain networks. This could be used to identify targets of interventions to modulate brain function.

The Muscle Sensor for on-site neuroscience lectures to pave the way for a better understanding of brain-machine-interface research.

PubMed

Koizumi, Amane; Nagata, Osamu; Togawa, Morio; Sazi, Toshiyuki

2014-01-01

Neuroscience is an expanding field of science to investigate enigmas of brain and human body function. However, the majority of the public have never had the chance to learn the basics of neuroscience and new knowledge from advanced neuroscience research through hands-on experience. Here, we report that we produced the Muscle Sensor, a simplified electromyography, to promote educational understanding in neuroscience. The Muscle Sensor can detect myoelectric potentials which are filtered and processed as 3-V pulse signals to shine a light bulb and emit beep sounds. With this educational tool, we delivered "On-Site Neuroscience Lectures" in Japanese junior-high schools to facilitate hands-on experience of neuroscientific electrophysiology and to connect their text-book knowledge to advanced neuroscience researches. On-site neuroscience lectures with the Muscle Sensor pave the way for a better understanding of the basics of neuroscience and the latest topics such as how brain-machine-interface technology could help patients with disabilities such as spinal cord injuries. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Cognitive Atlas: Toward a Knowledge Foundation for Cognitive Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Poldrack, Russell A.; Kittur, Aniket; Kalar, Donald; Miller, Eric; Seppa, Christian; Gil, Yolanda; Parker, D. Stott; Sabb, Fred W.; Bilder, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Cognitive neuroscience aims to map mental processes onto brain function, which begs the question of what “mental processes” exist and how they relate to the tasks that are used to manipulate and measure them. This topic has been addressed informally in prior work, but we propose that cumulative progress in cognitive neuroscience requires a more systematic approach to representing the mental entities that are being mapped to brain function and the tasks used to manipulate and measure mental processes. We describe a new open collaborative project that aims to provide a knowledge base for cognitive neuroscience, called the Cognitive Atlas (accessible online at http://www.cognitiveatlas.org), and outline how this project has the potential to drive novel discoveries about both mind and brain. PMID:21922006

[Neuroethics as the neuroscience of ethics].

PubMed

Álvarez-Díaz, Jorge Alberto

2013-10-16

The neurosciences have developed at a stunningly fast rate. Key points accounting for this progression include the introduction of functional neuroimaging techniques and the boost resulting from the Decade of the Brain project. This expansion has also allowed new disciplines such as neuroethics to appear. Those who have worked on neuroethics can be divided into three groups (neuroreductionists, neurosceptics and neurocritics), and each group has its own standpoint as regards what neuroethics is, with several scopes and limitations in their proposals. Neuroethics is a discipline that, prior to the year 2002, was understood only as an ethics of neuroscience (a branch of bioethics). As of that date, however, it is also understood as a neuroscience of ethics (a new discipline). Neuroreductionism proposes that all ethical life has a basis in the brain that determines ethical actions; neuroscepticism holds that neuroscience cannot be considered a normative function; and neurocriticism considers that the neuroscientific advances cannot be ignored and must be taken into account in some way in order to draw up ethical theories.

The Gene Ontology (GO) Cellular Component Ontology: integration with SAO (Subcellular Anatomy Ontology) and other recent developments

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Gene Ontology (GO) (http://www.geneontology.org/) contains a set of terms for describing the activity and actions of gene products across all kingdoms of life. Each of these activities is executed in a location within a cell or in the vicinity of a cell. In order to capture this context, the GO includes a sub-ontology called the Cellular Component (CC) ontology (GO-CCO). The primary use of this ontology is for GO annotation, but it has also been used for phenotype annotation, and for the annotation of images. Another ontology with similar scope to the GO-CCO is the Subcellular Anatomy Ontology (SAO), part of the Neuroscience Information Framework Standard (NIFSTD) suite of ontologies. The SAO also covers cell components, but in the domain of neuroscience. Description Recently, the GO-CCO was enriched in content and links to the Biological Process and Molecular Function branches of GO as well as to other ontologies. This was achieved in several ways. We carried out an amalgamation of SAO terms with GO-CCO ones; as a result, nearly 100 new neuroscience-related terms were added to the GO. The GO-CCO also contains relationships to GO Biological Process and Molecular Function terms, as well as connecting to external ontologies such as the Cell Ontology (CL). Terms representing protein complexes in the Protein Ontology (PRO) reference GO-CCO terms for their species-generic counterparts. GO-CCO terms can also be used to search a variety of databases. Conclusions In this publication we provide an overview of the GO-CCO, its overall design, and some recent extensions that make use of additional spatial information. One of the most recent developments of the GO-CCO was the merging in of the SAO, resulting in a single unified ontology designed to serve the needs of GO annotators as well as the specific needs of the neuroscience community. PMID:24093723

Neuroscience & the Classroom: Making Connections. A Video Course for Grades K-12 Teachers and School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annenberg Learner, 2012

2012-01-01

Exciting developments in the field of neuroscience are leading to a new understanding of how the brain works that is beginning to transform teaching in the classroom. "Neuroscience & the Classroom: Making Connections" brings together researchers and educators in a dialog about how insights into brain function can be harnessed by teachers for use…

BIOMASSCOMP: Artificial Neural Networks and Neurocomputers

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

52 APPENDICES A. NTSU NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORY (30 pages) B. SOFTWARE LISTINGS (27 pages) 1. DTEST - Structure Function...neurocomputers normally proceeds by using the best available data from the neuroscience community to build and test computational models of the components...53 Mo BIOHASSCOM? PHASE I FINAL REPORT Page 54 APPENDIX A THE NORTH TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORY OF PROF. GUENTER W. GROSS Dr

All the Vice Chancellor’s Neuroscientists: Unity to Achieve Success in Solving Malaysia’s Diseases via Upgrading Clinical Services and Neuroscience Research

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Jafri Malin

2013-01-01

President Obama of the United States of America announced this April the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN for short) investment, while Professor Henry Markram’s team based in the European Union will spend over a billion euros on the Human Brain Project, breaking through the unknowns in the fifth science of the decade: Neuroscience. Malaysia's growth in the same field needs to be augmented, and thus the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s vision is to excel in the field of clinical brain sciences, mind sciences and neurosciences. This will naturally bring up the level of research in the country simultaneously. Thus, a center was recently established to coordinate this venture. The four-year Integrated Neuroscience Program established recently will be a sustainable source of neuroscientists for the country. We hope to establish ourselves by 2020 as a global university with neurosciences research as an important flagship. PMID:23966818

The cognitive neuroscience of ageing.

PubMed

Grady, Cheryl

2012-06-20

The availability of neuroimaging technology has spurred a marked increase in the human cognitive neuroscience literature, including the study of cognitive ageing. Although there is a growing consensus that the ageing brain retains considerable plasticity of function, currently measured primarily by means of functional MRI, it is less clear how age differences in brain activity relate to cognitive performance. The field is also hampered by the complexity of the ageing process itself and the large number of factors that are influenced by age. In this Review, current trends and unresolved issues in the cognitive neuroscience of ageing are discussed.

Cognitive Functional Therapy: An Integrated Behavioral Approach for the Targeted Management of Disabling Low Back Pain.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Peter B; Caneiro, J P; O'Keeffe, Mary; Smith, Anne; Dankaerts, Wim; Fersum, Kjartan; O'Sullivan, Kieran

2018-05-01

Biomedical approaches for diagnosing and managing disabling low back pain (LBP) have failed to arrest the exponential increase in health care costs, with a concurrent increase in disability and chronicity. Health messages regarding the vulnerability of the spine and a failure to target the interplay among multiple factors that contribute to pain and disability may partly explain this situation. Although many approaches and subgrouping systems for disabling LBP have been proposed in an attempt to deal with this complexity, they have been criticized for being unidimensional and reductionist and for not improving outcomes. Cognitive functional therapy was developed as a flexible integrated behavioral approach for individualizing the management of disabling LBP. This approach has evolved from an integration of foundational behavioral psychology and neuroscience within physical therapist practice. It is underpinned by a multidimensional clinical reasoning framework in order to identify the modifiable and nonmodifiable factors associated with an individual's disabling LBP. This article illustrates the application of cognitive functional therapy to provide care that can be adapted to an individual with disabling LBP.

Cyber-workstation for computational neuroscience.

PubMed

Digiovanna, Jack; Rattanatamrong, Prapaporn; Zhao, Ming; Mahmoudi, Babak; Hermer, Linda; Figueiredo, Renato; Principe, Jose C; Fortes, Jose; Sanchez, Justin C

2010-01-01

A Cyber-Workstation (CW) to study in vivo, real-time interactions between computational models and large-scale brain subsystems during behavioral experiments has been designed and implemented. The design philosophy seeks to directly link the in vivo neurophysiology laboratory with scalable computing resources to enable more sophisticated computational neuroscience investigation. The architecture designed here allows scientists to develop new models and integrate them with existing models (e.g. recursive least-squares regressor) by specifying appropriate connections in a block-diagram. Then, adaptive middleware transparently implements these user specifications using the full power of remote grid-computing hardware. In effect, the middleware deploys an on-demand and flexible neuroscience research test-bed to provide the neurophysiology laboratory extensive computational power from an outside source. The CW consolidates distributed software and hardware resources to support time-critical and/or resource-demanding computing during data collection from behaving animals. This power and flexibility is important as experimental and theoretical neuroscience evolves based on insights gained from data-intensive experiments, new technologies and engineering methodologies. This paper describes briefly the computational infrastructure and its most relevant components. Each component is discussed within a systematic process of setting up an in vivo, neuroscience experiment. Furthermore, a co-adaptive brain machine interface is implemented on the CW to illustrate how this integrated computational and experimental platform can be used to study systems neurophysiology and learning in a behavior task. We believe this implementation is also the first remote execution and adaptation of a brain-machine interface.

Cyber-Workstation for Computational Neuroscience

PubMed Central

DiGiovanna, Jack; Rattanatamrong, Prapaporn; Zhao, Ming; Mahmoudi, Babak; Hermer, Linda; Figueiredo, Renato; Principe, Jose C.; Fortes, Jose; Sanchez, Justin C.

2009-01-01

A Cyber-Workstation (CW) to study in vivo, real-time interactions between computational models and large-scale brain subsystems during behavioral experiments has been designed and implemented. The design philosophy seeks to directly link the in vivo neurophysiology laboratory with scalable computing resources to enable more sophisticated computational neuroscience investigation. The architecture designed here allows scientists to develop new models and integrate them with existing models (e.g. recursive least-squares regressor) by specifying appropriate connections in a block-diagram. Then, adaptive middleware transparently implements these user specifications using the full power of remote grid-computing hardware. In effect, the middleware deploys an on-demand and flexible neuroscience research test-bed to provide the neurophysiology laboratory extensive computational power from an outside source. The CW consolidates distributed software and hardware resources to support time-critical and/or resource-demanding computing during data collection from behaving animals. This power and flexibility is important as experimental and theoretical neuroscience evolves based on insights gained from data-intensive experiments, new technologies and engineering methodologies. This paper describes briefly the computational infrastructure and its most relevant components. Each component is discussed within a systematic process of setting up an in vivo, neuroscience experiment. Furthermore, a co-adaptive brain machine interface is implemented on the CW to illustrate how this integrated computational and experimental platform can be used to study systems neurophysiology and learning in a behavior task. We believe this implementation is also the first remote execution and adaptation of a brain-machine interface. PMID:20126436

Integrative Physical and Cognitive Training Development to Better Meet Airman Mission Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-26

Warfighter Interface Division Applied Neuroscience Branch Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433 711 HPW/RHCP 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S...Interface Division) and Erica Johnson (AFRL, Applied Neuroscience Branch) for their contributions in technical development and manuscript editing that...Liston C. Hobson J. Stickgold, R. Cognitive flexibility across the sleep–wake cycle: REM-sleep enhancement of anagram problem solving. Cogn Brain

Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis: Mapping Schizophrenia Symptoms onto Brain Systems.

PubMed

Strik, Werner; Stegmayer, Katharina; Walther, Sebastian; Dierks, Thomas

2017-01-01

Schizophrenia research has been in a deadlock for many decades. Despite important advances in clinical treatment, there are still major concerns regarding long-term psychosocial reintegration and disease management, biological heterogeneity, unsatisfactory predictors of individual course and treatment strategies, and a confusing variety of controversial theories about its etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms. In the present perspective on schizophrenia research, we first discuss a methodological pitfall in contemporary schizophrenia research inherent in the attempt to link mental phenomena with the brain: we claim that the time-honored phenomenological method of defining mental symptoms should not be contaminated with the naturalistic approach of modern neuroscience. We then describe our Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis (SyNoPsis) project, which aims to overcome this intrinsic problem of psychiatric research. Considering schizophrenia primarily as a disorder of interindividual communication, we developed a neurobiologically informed semiotics of psychotic disorders, as well as an operational clinical rating scale. The novel psychopathology allows disentangling the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia into behavioral domains matching the functions of three well-described higher-order corticobasal brain systems involved in interindividual human communication, namely, the limbic, associative, and motor loops, including their corticocortical sensorimotor connections. The results of several empirical studies support the hypothesis that the proposed three-dimensional symptom structure, segregated into the affective, the language, and the motor domain, can be specifically mapped onto structural and functional abnormalities of the respective brain systems. New pathophysiological hypotheses derived from this brain system-oriented approach have helped to develop and improve novel treatment strategies with noninvasive brain stimulation and practicable clinical parameters. In clinical practice, the novel psychopathology allows confining the communication deficits of the individual patient, shifting attention from the symptoms to the intact resources. We have studied this approach and observed important advantages for therapeutic alliances, personalized treatment, and de-escalation strategies. Future studies will further conjoin clinical definitions of psychotic symptoms with brain structures and functions, and disentangle structural and functional deficit patterns within these systems to identify neurobiologically distinct subsyndromes. Neurobiologically homogeneous patient groups may provide new momentum for treatment research. Finally, lessons learned from schizophrenia research may contribute to developing a comprehensive perspective on human experience and behavior that integrates methodologically distinct, but internally consistent, insights from humanities and neuroscience. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Role of Cortical Plasticity in Recovery of Function Following Allogeneic Hand Transplantation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

difficult to understand given prevailing models in neuroscience that emphasize reinnervation errors. These results are summarized below. 15...improvements that may reflect central adaptations. Poster to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience , Washington, D.C...Neurorehabilitation and Society for Neuroscience , Washington, D.C. Peng H., Cirstea M.C., Valyear K.F., & Frey S.H. (November 2014). Diffusion

How Should Educational Neuroscience Conceptualise the Relation between Cognition and Brain Function? Mathematical Reasoning as a Network Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varma, Sashank; Schwartz, Daniel L.

2008-01-01

Background: There is increasing interest in applying neuroscience findings to topics in education. Purpose: This application requires a proper conceptualization of the relation between cognition and brain function. This paper considers two such conceptualizations. The area focus understands each cognitive competency as the product of one (and only…

Perceptual Anomalies in Schizophrenia: Integrating Phenomenology and Cognitive Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Uhlhaas, Peter J.; Mishara, Aaron L.

2007-01-01

From phenomenological and experimental perspectives, research in schizophrenia has emphasized deficits in “higher” cognitive functions, including attention, executive function, as well as memory. In contrast, general consensus has viewed dysfunctions in basic perceptual processes to be relatively unimportant in the explanation of more complex aspects of the disorder, including changes in self-experience and the development of symptoms such as delusions. We present evidence from phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience that changes in the perceptual field in schizophrenia may represent a core impairment. After introducing the phenomenological approach to perception (Husserl, the Gestalt School), we discuss the views of Paul Matussek, Klaus Conrad, Ludwig Binswanger, and Wolfgang Blankenburg on perception in schizophrenia. These 4 psychiatrists describe changes in perception and automatic processes that are related to the altered experience of self. The altered self-experience, in turn, may be responsible for the emergence of delusions. The phenomenological data are compatible with current research that conceptualizes dysfunctions in perceptual processing as a deficit in the ability to combine stimulus elements into coherent object representations. Relationships of deficits in perceptual organization to cognitive and social dysfunction as well as the possible neurobiological mechanisms are discussed. PMID:17118973

75 FR 25273 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... Genetics Integrated Review Group, Molecular Genetics C Study Section. Date: June 3-4, 2010. Time: 8 a.m. to... Committee: Oncology 1-Basic Translational Integrated Review Group, Cancer Molecular Pathobiology Study... Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Cellular and...

Details for Manuscript Number: SSM-D-09-00651 R2 “Contemporary neuroscience in the media”

PubMed Central

Racine, Eric; Waldman, Sarah; Rosenberg, Jarett; Illes, Judy

2010-01-01

Technological innovations in neuroscience have opened new windows to the understanding of brain function and the neuronal underpinnings of brain activity in neuropsychiatric disorders and social behavior. Public interest and support for neuroscience research through initiatives like the Decade of the Brain project and increasingly diverse brain-related initiatives have created new interfaces between neuroscience and society. Against this backdrop of dynamic innovation, we set out to examine how different features of neuroscience are depicted in print media. We used the ‘guided news’ function of the LexisNexis Academic database with keyword searches to find news articles published between 1995 and 2004 in major U.S. and U.K. English-language news sources. We performed searches on headlines, lead paragraphs, and body terms to maximize search yields. All articles were coded for overall tone of coverage, details on reported studies, presence of ethical, legal, and social discussion as well as the emerging interpretations of neuroscience – in the form of neuro-essentialism, neuro-realism, and neuro-policy. We found that print media coverage of the use of neurotechnology for diagnosis or therapy in neuropsychiatric disorders was generally optimistic. We also found that, even within articles that were identified as research reports, many did not provide details about research studies. We also gained additional insights into the previously identified phenomena of neuro-essentialism, neuro-realism, and neuro-policy showing some profound impacts of neuroscience on personal identity and policy-making. Our results highlight the implications of transfer of neuroscience knowledge to society given the substantial and authoritative weight ascribed to neuroscience knowledge in defining who we are. We also discuss the impact of these findings on neuroscience and on the respective contributions of the social sciences and the biological sciences in contemporary psychiatry and mental health policy. PMID:20609506

What does the functional organization of cortico-hippocampal networks tell us about the functional organization of memory?

PubMed

Reagh, Zachariah M; Ranganath, Charan

2018-04-25

Historically, research on the cognitive processes that support human memory proceeded, to a large extent, independently of research on the neural basis of memory. Accumulating evidence from neuroimaging, however, has enabled the field to develop a broader and more integrative perspective. Here, we briefly outline how advances in cognitive neuroscience can potentially shed light on concepts and controversies in human memory research. We argue that research on the functional properties of cortico-hippocampal networks informs us about how memories might be organized in the brain, which, in turn, helps to reconcile seemingly disparate perspectives in cognitive psychology. Finally, we discuss several open questions and directions for future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How can philosophy be a true cognitive science discipline?

PubMed

Bechtel, William

2010-07-01

Although philosophy has been only a minor contributor to cognitive science to date, this paper describes two projects in naturalistic philosophy of mind and one in naturalistic philosophy of science that have been pursued during the past 30 years and that can make theoretical and methodological contributions to cognitive science. First, stances on the mind-body problem (identity theory, functionalism, and heuristic identity theory) are relevant to cognitive science as it negotiates its relation to neuroscience and cognitive neuroscience. Second, analyses of mental representations address both their vehicles and their contents; new approaches to characterizing how representations have content are particularly relevant to understanding the relation of cognitive agents to their environments. Third, the recently formulated accounts of mechanistic explanation in philosophy of science both provide perspective on the explanatory project of cognitive science and may offer normative guidance to cognitive science (e.g., by providing perspective on how multiple disciplinary perspectives can be integrated in understanding a given mechanism). Copyright © 2010 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Electrophysiological evidence for differences between fusion and combination illusions in audiovisual speech perception.

PubMed

Baart, Martijn; Lindborg, Alma; Andersen, Tobias S

2017-11-01

Incongruent audiovisual speech stimuli can lead to perceptual illusions such as fusions or combinations. Here, we investigated the underlying audiovisual integration process by measuring ERPs. We observed that visual speech-induced suppression of P2 amplitude (which is generally taken as a measure of audiovisual integration) for fusions was similar to suppression obtained with fully congruent stimuli, whereas P2 suppression for combinations was larger. We argue that these effects arise because the phonetic incongruency is solved differently for both types of stimuli. © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Teaching Neuroscience at a Religious Institution: Pedagogical Models for Handling Neuroscience and Theology

PubMed Central

Struthers, William M.

2003-01-01

The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience makes it one of the most fascinating and complex subjects to address in the classroom. This can be compounded, however, by the addition of theology or a faith-related context at a religious institution (RI). The addition of theology and faith can enrich student appreciation and understanding of neuroscience and stimulate discussion in the classroom. This provides a practical way to make the course content relevant to students who may see neuroscience as antagonistic towards their faith. Over the past century questions of human experience and personhood that were long held to be under the authority of religion now can be addressed from findings in neuroscience. While there has been debate on a variety of topics which range from positions on origins to ethical questions about the nature of research (i.e. stem cells, cloning), it is important that teaching faculty at RIs be prepared to deal with the hard questions faced by students of faith. Recommendations for faculty are given including: self assessment of personal position on matters of faith and science, framing a number of models for the integration of neuroscience and theology, ‘Worldviews’, and mentoring students who are struggling with reconciling their faith with neuroscience. While this paper is designed for teachers at RIs, it may also aid teaching faculty at other institutions who may benefit from an awareness of this framework and aid in teaching students of faith in a secular setting. PMID:23741199

Behavioural evidence for separate mechanisms of audiovisual temporal binding as a function of leading sensory modality.

PubMed

Cecere, Roberto; Gross, Joachim; Thut, Gregor

2016-06-01

The ability to integrate auditory and visual information is critical for effective perception and interaction with the environment, and is thought to be abnormal in some clinical populations. Several studies have investigated the time window over which audiovisual events are integrated, also called the temporal binding window, and revealed asymmetries depending on the order of audiovisual input (i.e. the leading sense). When judging audiovisual simultaneity, the binding window appears narrower and non-malleable for auditory-leading stimulus pairs and wider and trainable for visual-leading pairs. Here we specifically examined the level of independence of binding mechanisms when auditory-before-visual vs. visual-before-auditory input is bound. Three groups of healthy participants practiced audiovisual simultaneity detection with feedback, selectively training on auditory-leading stimulus pairs (group 1), visual-leading stimulus pairs (group 2) or both (group 3). Subsequently, we tested for learning transfer (crossover) from trained stimulus pairs to non-trained pairs with opposite audiovisual input. Our data confirmed the known asymmetry in size and trainability for auditory-visual vs. visual-auditory binding windows. More importantly, practicing one type of audiovisual integration (e.g. auditory-visual) did not affect the other type (e.g. visual-auditory), even if trainable by within-condition practice. Together, these results provide crucial evidence that audiovisual temporal binding for auditory-leading vs. visual-leading stimulus pairs are independent, possibly tapping into different circuits for audiovisual integration due to engagement of different multisensory sampling mechanisms depending on leading sense. Our results have implications for informing the study of multisensory interactions in healthy participants and clinical populations with dysfunctional multisensory integration. © 2016 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"She Was a Little Social Butterfly": A Qualitative Analysis of Parent Perception of Social Functioning in Adolescent and Young Adult Brain Tumor Survivors.

PubMed

Wilford, Justin; Buchbinder, David; Fortier, Michelle A; Osann, Kathryn; Shen, Violet; Torno, Lilibeth; Sender, Leonard S; Parsons, Susan K; Wenzel, Lari

Psychosocial sequelae of diagnosis and treatment for childhood brain tumor survivors are significant, yet little is known about their impact on adolescent and young adult (AYA) brain tumor survivors. Interviews were conducted with parents of AYA brain tumor survivors with a focus on social functioning. Semistructured interviews were conducted with English- and Spanish-speaking parents of AYA brain tumor survivors ≥10 years of age who were >2 years postdiagnosis, and analyzed using emergent themes theoretically integrated with a social neuroscience model of social competence. Twenty parents representing 19 survivors with a survivor mean age 15.7 ± 3.3 years and 10.1 ± 4.8 years postdiagnosis were interviewed. Several themes relevant to the social neuroscience social competence model emerged. First, parents' perceptions of their children's impaired social functioning corroborated the model, particularly with regard to poor social adjustment, social withdrawal, impaired social information processing, and developmentally inappropriate peer communication. Second, ongoing physical and emotional sequelae of central nervous system insults were seen by parents as adversely affecting social functioning among survivors. Third, a disrupted family environment and ongoing parent psychosocial distress were experienced as salient features of daily life. We document that the aforementioned framework is useful for understanding the social impact of diagnosis and treatment on AYA brain tumor survivorship. Moreover, the framework highlights areas of intervention that may enhance social functioning for AYA brain tumor survivors.

Public-private partnership: a new engine for translational research in neurosciences.

PubMed

Murphy, Declan G M; Goldman, Michel; Loth, Eva; Spooren, Will

2014-11-05

We have made little recent progress developing effective new treatments for neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Novel molecular mechanisms have been identified, but have not translated into the clinic. We suggest an alternative: combinations of treatments targeting different aspects of final common pathways in biologically defined clinical subgroups. This will require integrated translational neuroscience and international public-private partnerships. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

100 years of Drosophila research and its impact on vertebrate neuroscience: a history lesson for the future.

PubMed

Bellen, Hugo J; Tong, Chao; Tsuda, Hiroshi

2010-07-01

Discoveries in fruit flies have greatly contributed to our understanding of neuroscience. The use of an unparalleled wealth of tools, many of which originated between 1910–1960, has enabled milestone discoveries in nervous system development and function. Such findings have triggered and guided many research efforts in vertebrate neuroscience. After 100 years, fruit flies continue to be the choice model system for many neuroscientists. The combinational use of powerful research tools will ensure that this model organism will continue to lead to key discoveries that will impact vertebrate neuroscience.

100 years of Drosophila research and its impact on vertebrate neuroscience: a history lesson for the future

PubMed Central

Bellen, Hugo J; Tong, Chao; Tsuda, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Discoveries in fruit flies have greatly contributed to our understanding of neuroscience. The use of an unparalleled wealth of tools, many of which originated between 1910–1960, has enabled milestone discoveries in nervous system development and function. Such findings have triggered and guided many research efforts in vertebrate neuroscience. After 100 years, fruit flies continue to be the choice model system for many neuroscientists. The combinational use of powerful research tools will ensure that this model organism will continue to lead to key discoveries that will impact vertebrate neuroscience. PMID:20383202

Widespread correlation patterns of fMRI signal across visual cortex reflect eccentricity organization.

PubMed

Arcaro, Michael J; Honey, Christopher J; Mruczek, Ryan E B; Kastner, Sabine; Hasson, Uri

2015-02-19

The human visual system can be divided into over two-dozen distinct areas, each of which contains a topographic map of the visual field. A fundamental question in vision neuroscience is how the visual system integrates information from the environment across different areas. Using neuroimaging, we investigated the spatial pattern of correlated BOLD signal across eight visual areas on data collected during rest conditions and during naturalistic movie viewing. The correlation pattern between areas reflected the underlying receptive field organization with higher correlations between cortical sites containing overlapping representations of visual space. In addition, the correlation pattern reflected the underlying widespread eccentricity organization of visual cortex, in which the highest correlations were observed for cortical sites with iso-eccentricity representations including regions with non-overlapping representations of visual space. This eccentricity-based correlation pattern appears to be part of an intrinsic functional architecture that supports the integration of information across functionally specialized visual areas.

Semantic domain-specific functional integration for action-related vs. abstract concepts.

PubMed

Ghio, Marta; Tettamanti, Marco

2010-03-01

A central topic in cognitive neuroscience concerns the representation of concepts and the specific neural mechanisms that mediate conceptual knowledge. Recently proposed modal theories assert that concepts are grounded on the integration of multimodal, distributed representations. The aim of the present work is to complement the available neuropsychological and neuroimaging evidence suggesting partially segregated anatomo-functional correlates for concrete vs. abstract concepts, by directly testing the semantic domain-specific patterns of functional integration between language and modal semantic brain regions. We report evidence from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study, in which healthy participants listened to sentences with either an action-related (actions involving physical entities) or an abstract (no physical entities involved) content. We measured functional integration using dynamic causal modeling, and found that the left superior temporal gyrus was more strongly connected: (1) for action-related vs. abstract sentences, with the left-hemispheric action representation system, including sensorimotor areas; (2) for abstract vs. action-related sentences, with left infero-ventral frontal, temporal, and retrosplenial cingulate areas. A selective directionality effect was observed, with causal modulatory effects exerted by perisylvian language regions on peripheral modal areas, and not vice versa. The observed condition-specific modulatory effects are consistent with embodied and situated language processing theories, and indicate that linguistic areas promote a semantic content-specific reactivation of modal simulations by top-down mechanisms. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 31954 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-28

....gov . Name of Committee: Genes, Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group; Molecular Genetics A..., Molecular and Integrative Reproduction Study Section. Date: June 20, 2013. Time: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m...: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group; Molecular Neurogenetics Study...

Person perception involves functional integration between the extrastriate body area and temporal pole.

PubMed

Greven, Inez M; Ramsey, Richard

2017-02-01

The majority of human neuroscience research has focussed on understanding functional organisation within segregated patches of cortex. The ventral visual stream has been associated with the detection of physical features such as faces and body parts, whereas the theory-of-mind network has been associated with making inferences about mental states and underlying character, such as whether someone is friendly, selfish, or generous. To date, however, it is largely unknown how such distinct processing components integrate neural signals. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and connectivity analyses, we investigated the contribution of functional integration to social perception. During scanning, participants observed bodies that had previously been associated with trait-based or neutral information. Additionally, we independently localised the body perception and theory-of-mind networks. We demonstrate that when observing someone who cues the recall of stored social knowledge compared to non-social knowledge, a node in the ventral visual stream (extrastriate body area) shows greater coupling with part of the theory-of-mind network (temporal pole). These results show that functional connections provide an interface between perceptual and inferential processing components, thus providing neurobiological evidence that supports the view that understanding the visual environment involves interplay between conceptual knowledge and perceptual processing. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Cognitive science speaks to the "common-sense" of chronic illness management.

PubMed

Leventhal, Howard; Leventhal, Elaine A; Breland, Jessica Y

2011-04-01

We describe the parallels between findings from cognitive science and neuroscience and Common-Sense Models in four areas: (1) Activation of illness representations by the automatic linkage of symptoms and functional changes with concepts (an integration of declarative and perceptual and procedural knowledge); (2) Action plans for the management of symptoms and disease; (3) Cognitive and behavioral heuristics (executive functions parallel to recent findings in cognitive science) involved in monitoring and modifying automatic control processes; (4) Perceiving and communicating to "other minds" during medical visits to address the declarative and non-declarative (perceptual and procedural) knowledge that comprise a patient's representations of illness and treatment (the transparency of other minds).

Neural Markers and Rehabilitation of Executive Functioning in Veterans with TBI and PTSD

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and will be in print this month. 11 o Military Benefit/Impact: TBI was characterized by a number of mechanisms, of...of the Society for Neuroscience in October 2016. The baseline fMRI manuscript # 1 has been completed, and being submitted to “Biological Psychiatry...Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging”, in January 2017. We examined the association between PTSD symptom severity, impulsivity, working memory

Representational Similarity Analysis – Connecting the Branches of Systems Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus; Mur, Marieke; Bandettini, Peter

2008-01-01

A fundamental challenge for systems neuroscience is to quantitatively relate its three major branches of research: brain-activity measurement, behavioral measurement, and computational modeling. Using measured brain-activity patterns to evaluate computational network models is complicated by the need to define the correspondency between the units of the model and the channels of the brain-activity data, e.g., single-cell recordings or voxels from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Similar correspondency problems complicate relating activity patterns between different modalities of brain-activity measurement (e.g., fMRI and invasive or scalp electrophysiology), and between subjects and species. In order to bridge these divides, we suggest abstracting from the activity patterns themselves and computing representational dissimilarity matrices (RDMs), which characterize the information carried by a given representation in a brain or model. Building on a rich psychological and mathematical literature on similarity analysis, we propose a new experimental and data-analytical framework called representational similarity analysis (RSA), in which multi-channel measures of neural activity are quantitatively related to each other and to computational theory and behavior by comparing RDMs. We demonstrate RSA by relating representations of visual objects as measured with fMRI in early visual cortex and the fusiform face area to computational models spanning a wide range of complexities. The RDMs are simultaneously related via second-level application of multidimensional scaling and tested using randomization and bootstrap techniques. We discuss the broad potential of RSA, including novel approaches to experimental design, and argue that these ideas, which have deep roots in psychology and neuroscience, will allow the integrated quantitative analysis of data from all three branches, thus contributing to a more unified systems neuroscience. PMID:19104670

How random is the random forest? Random forest algorithm on the service of structural imaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: from Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative (ADNI) database.

PubMed

Dimitriadis, Stavros I; Liparas, Dimitris

2018-06-01

Neuroinformatics is a fascinating research field that applies computational models and analytical tools to high dimensional experimental neuroscience data for a better understanding of how the brain functions or dysfunctions in brain diseases. Neuroinformaticians work in the intersection of neuroscience and informatics supporting the integration of various sub-disciplines (behavioural neuroscience, genetics, cognitive psychology, etc.) working on brain research. Neuroinformaticians are the pathway of information exchange between informaticians and clinicians for a better understanding of the outcome of computational models and the clinical interpretation of the analysis. Machine learning is one of the most significant computational developments in the last decade giving tools to neuroinformaticians and finally to radiologists and clinicians for an automatic and early diagnosis-prognosis of a brain disease. Random forest (RF) algorithm has been successfully applied to high-dimensional neuroimaging data for feature reduction and also has been applied to classify the clinical label of a subject using single or multi-modal neuroimaging datasets. Our aim was to review the studies where RF was applied to correctly predict the Alzheimer's disease (AD), the conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its robustness to overfitting, outliers and handling of non-linear data. Finally, we described our RF-based model that gave us the 1 st position in an international challenge for automated prediction of MCI from MRI data.

Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function.

PubMed

Mulkern, Robert V; Davis, Peter E; Haker, Steven J; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Panych, Lawrence P; Maier, Stephan E; Rivkin, Michael J

2006-05-01

Studying the intersection of brain structure and function is an important aspect of modern neuroscience. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the last 25 years has provided new and powerful tools for the study of brain structure and function. Two tools in particular, diffusion imaging and functional MRI (fMRI), are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating the complementary aspects of brain structure and function. In this work, we review basic technical features of diffusion imaging and fMRI for studying the integrity of white matter structural components and for determining the location and extent of cortical activation in gray matter, respectively. We then review a growing body of literature in which the complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI, applied as separate examinations but analyzed in tandem, have been exploited to enhance our knowledge of brain structure and function.

Simulator for neural networks and action potentials.

PubMed

Baxter, Douglas A; Byrne, John H

2007-01-01

A key challenge for neuroinformatics is to devise methods for representing, accessing, and integrating vast amounts of diverse and complex data. A useful approach to represent and integrate complex data sets is to develop mathematical models [Arbib (The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks, pp. 741-745, 2003); Arbib and Grethe (Computing the Brain: A Guide to Neuroinformatics, 2001); Ascoli (Computational Neuroanatomy: Principles and Methods, 2002); Bower and Bolouri (Computational Modeling of Genetic and Biochemical Networks, 2001); Hines et al. (J. Comput. Neurosci. 17, 7-11, 2004); Shepherd et al. (Trends Neurosci. 21, 460-468, 1998); Sivakumaran et al. (Bioinformatics 19, 408-415, 2003); Smolen et al. (Neuron 26, 567-580, 2000); Vadigepalli et al. (OMICS 7, 235-252, 2003)]. Models of neural systems provide quantitative and modifiable frameworks for representing data and analyzing neural function. These models can be developed and solved using neurosimulators. One such neurosimulator is simulator for neural networks and action potentials (SNNAP) [Ziv (J. Neurophysiol. 71, 294-308, 1994)]. SNNAP is a versatile and user-friendly tool for developing and simulating models of neurons and neural networks. SNNAP simulates many features of neuronal function, including ionic currents and their modulation by intracellular ions and/or second messengers, and synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity. SNNAP is written in Java and runs on most computers. Moreover, SNNAP provides a graphical user interface (GUI) and does not require programming skills. This chapter describes several capabilities of SNNAP and illustrates methods for simulating neurons and neural networks. SNNAP is available at http://snnap.uth.tmc.edu .

76 FR 2399 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

...: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Neurotransporters, Receptors...- 1198. [email protected] . Name of Committee: Genes, Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group.... (301) 435-1045. [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental...

Are We Ready for Real-world Neuroscience?

PubMed

Matusz, Pawel J; Dikker, Suzanne; Huth, Alexander G; Perrodin, Catherine

2018-06-19

Real-world environments are typically dynamic, complex, and multisensory in nature and require the support of top-down attention and memory mechanisms for us to be able to drive a car, make a shopping list, or pour a cup of coffee. Fundamental principles of perception and functional brain organization have been established by research utilizing well-controlled but simplified paradigms with basic stimuli. The last 30 years ushered a revolution in computational power, brain mapping, and signal processing techniques. Drawing on those theoretical and methodological advances, over the years, research has departed more and more from traditional, rigorous, and well-understood paradigms to directly investigate cognitive functions and their underlying brain mechanisms in real-world environments. These investigations typically address the role of one or, more recently, multiple attributes of real-world environments. Fundamental assumptions about perception, attention, or brain functional organization have been challenged-by studies adapting the traditional paradigms to emulate, for example, the multisensory nature or varying relevance of stimulation or dynamically changing task demands. Here, we present the state of the field within the emerging heterogeneous domain of real-world neuroscience. To be precise, the aim of this Special Focus is to bring together a variety of the emerging "real-world neuroscientific" approaches. These approaches differ in their principal aims, assumptions, or even definitions of "real-world neuroscience" research. Here, we showcase the commonalities and distinctive features of the different "real-world neuroscience" approaches. To do so, four early-career researchers and the speakers of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society 2017 Meeting symposium under the same title answer questions pertaining to the added value of such approaches in bringing us closer to accurate models of functional brain organization and cognitive functions.

Genetic and Diagnostic Biomarker Development in ASD Toddlers Using Resting State Functional MRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

8217 resting state networks in autism spectrum conditions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci . 2013;8(6):694- 701. 32. Washington SD, Gordon EM, Brar J, et al...plan of actions needed to achieve goals and milestones and we trained a new Neuroscience graduate student, Megan Kirchgessner, in my lab on fMRI...and milestone successfully as seen in the Report above. In addition, Dr. Courchesne recruited a Neuroscience graduate student, Megan Kirchgessner, to

Neuroscience and humanistic psychiatry: a residency curriculum.

PubMed

Griffith, James L

2014-04-01

Psychiatry residencies with a commitment to humanism commonly prioritize training in psychotherapy, cultural psychiatry, mental health policy, promotion of human rights, and similar areas reliant upon dialogue and collaborative therapeutic relationships. The advent of neuroscience as a defining paradigm for psychiatry has challenged residencies with a humanistic focus due to common perceptions that it would entail constriction of psychiatric practice to diagnostic and psychopharmacology roles. The author describes a neuroscience curriculum that has taught psychopharmacology effectively, while also advancing effectiveness of language-based and relationship-based therapeutics. In 2000, the George Washington University psychiatry residency initiated a neuroscience curriculum consisting of (1) a foundational postgraduate year 2 seminar teaching cognitive and social neuroscience and its integration into clinical psychopharmacology, (2) advanced seminars that utilized a neuroscience perspective in teaching specific psychotherapeutic skill sets, and (3) case-based teaching in outpatient clinical supervisions that incorporated a neuroscience perspective into traditional psychotherapy supervisions. Curricular assessment was conducted by (1) RRC reaccreditation site visit feedback, (2) examining career trajectories of residency graduates, (3) comparing PRITE exam Somatic Treatments subscale scores for 2010-2012 residents with pre-implementation residents, and (4) postresidency survey assessment by 2010-2012 graduates. The 2011 RRC site visit report recommended a "notable practice" citation for "innovative neurosciences curriculum." Three of twenty 2010-2012 graduates entered neuroscience research fellowships, as compared to none before the new curriculum. PRITE Somatic Treatments subscale scores improved from the 23rd percentile to the 62nd percentile in pre- to post-implementation of curriculum (p < .001). Recent graduates rated effectiveness of clinical psychopharmacology training as 8.6 on ten-point Likert scale. From multiple vantage points of assessment, these outcome results support effectiveness of this neuroscience curriculum for a residency committed to humanistic psychiatry as its primary mission. As a naturalistic study, further examination of its methods in pretest and posttest assessments and a multisite comparison is warranted.

Psychoanalysis and social cognitive neuroscience: a new framework for a dialogue.

PubMed

Georgieff, Nicolas

2011-12-01

The fields of psychoanalysis and neuroscience use different methods of description, analysis and comprehension of reality, and because each is based on a different methodology, each approach constructs a different representation of reality. Thus, psychoanalysis could contribute to a general psychology involving neuroscience to the extent that a "psychoanalytical psychology" (the theory of mental functioning that is extrapolated from psychoanalytical practice) defines natural objects of study (mind functions) for a multidisciplinary approach. However, the so called "naturalisation" of psychoanalytical concepts (metapsychology) does not imply the reduction of these concepts to biology; rather, it suggests a search for compatibility between psychoanalytical concepts and neuroscientific description. Such compatibility would mean the search for common objects that could be described from either a psychoanalytic or a neuroscientific point of view. We suggest that inter-subjectivity, empathy or "co-thinking" processes, from early development to the psychoanalytic relationship or the interaction between the patient and the analyst, could be such a common object for cognitive social neuroscience and psychoanalysis. Together, neuroscience and psychoanalysis could then contribute to a multidisciplinary approach of psychic inter- or co-activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the origins of anticipation as an evolutionary framework: functional systems perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurismaa, Andres

2015-08-01

This paper discusses the problem of anticipation from an evolutionary and systems-theoretical perspective, developed in the context of Russian/Soviet evolutionary biological and neurophysiological schools in the early and mid-twentieth century. On this background, an outline is given of the epigenetic interpretation of anticipatory capacities formulated and substantiated by the eminent Russian neurophysiologist academician Peter K. Anokhin in the framework of functional systems theory. It is considered that several key positions of this theory are well confirmed by recent evidence on anticipation as an evolutionarily basic adaptive capacity, possibly inherent to the organization of life. In the field of neuroscience, the theory of functional systems may potentially facilitate future studies at the intersection of learning, development and evolution by representing an integrative approach to the problem of anticipation.

Harnessing plasticity for the treatment of neurosurgical disorders: an overview.

PubMed

Chen, H Isaac; Attiah, Mark; Baltuch, Gordon; Smith, Douglas H; Hamilton, Roy H; Lucas, Timothy H

2014-11-01

Plasticity is fundamental to normal central nervous system function and its response to injury. Understanding this adaptive capacity is central to the development of novel surgical approaches to neurologic disease. These innovative interventions offer the promise of maximizing functional recovery for patients by harnessing targeted plasticity. Developing novel therapies will require the unprecedented integration of neuroscience, bioengineering, molecular biology, and physiology. Such synergistic approaches will create therapeutic options for patients previously outside of the scope of neurosurgery, such as those with permanent disability after traumatic brain injury or stroke. In this review, we synthesize the rapidly evolving field of plasticity and explore ways that neurosurgeons may enhance functional recovery in the future. We conclude that understanding plasticity is fundamental to modern neurosurgical education and practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An integrative and functional framework for the study of animal emotion and mood

PubMed Central

Mendl, Michael; Burman, Oliver H. P.; Paul, Elizabeth S.

2010-01-01

A better understanding of animal emotion is an important goal in disciplines ranging from neuroscience to animal welfare science. The conscious experience of emotion cannot be assessed directly, but neural, behavioural and physiological indicators of emotion can be measured. Researchers have used these measures to characterize how animals respond to situations assumed to induce discrete emotional states (e.g. fear). While advancing our understanding of specific emotions, this discrete emotion approach lacks an overarching framework that can incorporate and integrate the wide range of possible emotional states. Dimensional approaches that conceptualize emotions in terms of universal core affective characteristics (e.g. valence (positivity versus negativity) and arousal) can provide such a framework. Here, we bring together discrete and dimensional approaches to: (i) offer a structure for integrating different discrete emotions that provides a functional perspective on the adaptive value of emotional states, (ii) suggest how long-term mood states arise from short-term discrete emotions, how they also influence these discrete emotions through a bi-directional relationship and how they may function to guide decision-making, and (iii) generate novel hypothesis-driven measures of animal emotion and mood. PMID:20685706

An integrative and functional framework for the study of animal emotion and mood.

PubMed

Mendl, Michael; Burman, Oliver H P; Paul, Elizabeth S

2010-10-07

A better understanding of animal emotion is an important goal in disciplines ranging from neuroscience to animal welfare science. The conscious experience of emotion cannot be assessed directly, but neural, behavioural and physiological indicators of emotion can be measured. Researchers have used these measures to characterize how animals respond to situations assumed to induce discrete emotional states (e.g. fear). While advancing our understanding of specific emotions, this discrete emotion approach lacks an overarching framework that can incorporate and integrate the wide range of possible emotional states. Dimensional approaches that conceptualize emotions in terms of universal core affective characteristics (e.g. valence (positivity versus negativity) and arousal) can provide such a framework. Here, we bring together discrete and dimensional approaches to: (i) offer a structure for integrating different discrete emotions that provides a functional perspective on the adaptive value of emotional states, (ii) suggest how long-term mood states arise from short-term discrete emotions, how they also influence these discrete emotions through a bi-directional relationship and how they may function to guide decision-making, and (iii) generate novel hypothesis-driven measures of animal emotion and mood.

Integration of robotics and neuroscience beyond the hand: What kind of synergies?. Comment on "Hand synergies: Integration of robotics and neuroscience for understanding the control of biological and artificial hands" by Marco Santello et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Avella, Andrea

2016-07-01

Santello et al. [1] review an impressive amount of work on the control of biological and artificial hands that demonstrates how the concept of synergies can lead to a successful integration of robotics and neuroscience. Is it possible to generalize the same approach to the control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies beyond the hand? The human hand synergies that appear most relevant for robotic hands are those defined at the kinematic level, i.e. postural synergies [2]. Postural synergies capture the geometric relations among the many joints of the hand and allow for a low dimensional characterization and synthesis of the static hand postures involved in grasping and manipulating a large set of objects. However, many other complex motor skills such as walking, reaching, throwing, and catching require controlling multi-articular time-varying trajectories rather than static postures. Dynamic control of biological and artificial limbs and bodies, especially when geometric and inertial parameters are uncertain and the joints are compliant, poses great challenges. What kind of synergies might simplify the dynamic control of motor skills involving upper and lower limbs as well as the whole body?

76 FR 27070 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

[email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study Section. Date: June 13-14, 2011. Time... Committee: Population Sciences and Epidemiology Integrated Review Group; Epidemiology of Cancer Study...

Introductory life science mathematics and quantitative neuroscience courses.

PubMed

Duffus, Dwight; Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an upper-division course in computational neuroscience. We provide a description of each course, detailed syllabi, examples of content, and a brief discussion of the main issues encountered in developing and offering the courses.

Development and use of Ontologies Inside the Neuroscience Information Framework: A Practical Approach

PubMed Central

Imam, Fahim T.; Larson, Stephen D.; Bandrowski, Anita; Grethe, Jeffery S.; Gupta, Amarnath; Martone, Maryann E.

2012-01-01

An initiative of the NIH Blueprint for neuroscience research, the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) project advances neuroscience by enabling discovery and access to public research data and tools worldwide through an open source, semantically enhanced search portal. One of the critical components for the overall NIF system, the NIF Standardized Ontologies (NIFSTD), provides an extensive collection of standard neuroscience concepts along with their synonyms and relationships. The knowledge models defined in the NIFSTD ontologies enable an effective concept-based search over heterogeneous types of web-accessible information entities in NIF’s production system. NIFSTD covers major domains in neuroscience, including diseases, brain anatomy, cell types, sub-cellular anatomy, small molecules, techniques, and resource descriptors. Since the first production release in 2008, NIF has grown significantly in content and functionality, particularly with respect to the ontologies and ontology-based services that drive the NIF system. We present here on the structure, design principles, community engagement, and the current state of NIFSTD ontologies. PMID:22737162

Neuroscience Literacy: "Brain Tells" as Signals of Brain Dysfunction Affecting Daily Life.

PubMed

Royeen, Charlotte B; Brašić, James R; Dvorak, Leah; Provoziak-O'Brien, Casey; Sethi, Chetna; Ahmad, S Omar

2016-01-01

The structures and circuits of the central and the peripheral nervous systems provide the basis for thinking, speaking, experiencing sensations, and performing perceptual and motor activities in daily life. Healthy people experience normal functioning without giving brain functions a second thought, while dysfunction of the neural circuits may lead to marked impairments in cognition, communication, sensory awareness, and performing perceptual and motor tasks. Neuroscience literacy provides the knowledge to associate the deficits observed in patients with the underlying deficits in the structures and circuits of the nervous system. The purpose of this paper is to begin the conversation in this area via a neuroscience literacy model of "Brain Tells," defined as stereotypical or observable behaviors often associated with brain dysfunction. Occupational therapists and other allied health professionals should be alert for the signs of "Brain Tells" that may be early warning signs of brain pathology. We also suggest that neuroscience literacy be emphasized in training provided to public safety workers, teachers, caregivers, and health care professionals at all levels.

Wiki technology enhanced group project to promote active learning in a neuroscience course for first-year medical students: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Mi, Misa; Gould, Douglas

2014-01-01

A Wiki group project was integrated into a neuroscience course for first-year medical students. The project was developed as a self-directed, collaborative learning task to help medical students review course content and make clinically important connections. The goals of the project were to enhance students' understanding of key concepts in neuroscience, promote active learning, and reinforce their information literacy skills. The objective of the exploratory study was to provide a formative evaluation of the Wiki group project and to examine how Wiki technology was utilized to enhance active and collaborative learning of first-year medical students in the course and to reinforce information literacy skills.

Towards new human rights in the age of neuroscience and neurotechnology.

PubMed

Ienca, Marcello; Andorno, Roberto

2017-12-01

Rapid advancements in human neuroscience and neurotechnology open unprecedented possibilities for accessing, collecting, sharing and manipulating information from the human brain. Such applications raise important challenges to human rights principles that need to be addressed to prevent unintended consequences. This paper assesses the implications of emerging neurotechnology applications in the context of the human rights framework and suggests that existing human rights may not be sufficient to respond to these emerging issues. After analysing the relationship between neuroscience and human rights, we identify four new rights that may become of great relevance in the coming decades: the right to cognitive liberty, the right to mental privacy, the right to mental integrity, and the right to psychological continuity.

Integrative Convergence in Neuroscience: Trajectories, Problems, and the Need for a Progressive Neurobioethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giordano, J.

The advanced integrative scientific convergence (AISC) model represents a viable approach to neuroscience. Beyond simple multi-disciplinarity, the AISC model unifies constituent scientific and technological fields to foster innovation, invention and new ways of addressing seemingly intractable questions. In this way, AISC can yield novel methods and foster new trajectories of knowledge and discovery, and yield new epistemologies. As stand-alone disciplines, each and all of the constituent fields generate practical and ethical issues, and their convergence may establish a unique set of both potential benefits and problems. To effectively attend to these contingencies requires pragmatic assessment of the actual capabilities and limits of neurofocal AISC, and an openness to what new knowledge and scientific/technological achievements may be produced, and how such outcomes can affect humanity, the human condition, society and the global environment. It is proposed that a progressive neurobioethics may be needed to establish both a meta-ethical framework upon which to structure ethical decisions, and a system and method of ethics that is inclusive, convergent and innovative, and in thus aligned with and meaningful to use of an AISC model in neuroscience.

Efficient Integration of Coupled Electrical-Chemical Systems in Multiscale Neuronal Simulations

PubMed Central

Brocke, Ekaterina; Bhalla, Upinder S.; Djurfeldt, Mikael; Hellgren Kotaleski, Jeanette; Hanke, Michael

2016-01-01

Multiscale modeling and simulations in neuroscience is gaining scientific attention due to its growing importance and unexplored capabilities. For instance, it can help to acquire better understanding of biological phenomena that have important features at multiple scales of time and space. This includes synaptic plasticity, memory formation and modulation, homeostasis. There are several ways to organize multiscale simulations depending on the scientific problem and the system to be modeled. One of the possibilities is to simulate different components of a multiscale system simultaneously and exchange data when required. The latter may become a challenging task for several reasons. First, the components of a multiscale system usually span different spatial and temporal scales, such that rigorous analysis of possible coupling solutions is required. Then, the components can be defined by different mathematical formalisms. For certain classes of problems a number of coupling mechanisms have been proposed and successfully used. However, a strict mathematical theory is missing in many cases. Recent work in the field has not so far investigated artifacts that may arise during coupled integration of different approximation methods. Moreover, in neuroscience, the coupling of widely used numerical fixed step size solvers may lead to unexpected inefficiency. In this paper we address the question of possible numerical artifacts that can arise during the integration of a coupled system. We develop an efficient strategy to couple the components comprising a multiscale test problem in neuroscience. We introduce an efficient coupling method based on the second-order backward differentiation formula (BDF2) numerical approximation. The method uses an adaptive step size integration with an error estimation proposed by Skelboe (2000). The method shows a significant advantage over conventional fixed step size solvers used in neuroscience for similar problems. We explore different coupling strategies that define the organization of computations between system components. We study the importance of an appropriate approximation of exchanged variables during the simulation. The analysis shows a substantial impact of these aspects on the solution accuracy in the application to our multiscale neuroscientific test problem. We believe that the ideas presented in the paper may essentially contribute to the development of a robust and efficient framework for multiscale brain modeling and simulations in neuroscience. PMID:27672364

Efficient Integration of Coupled Electrical-Chemical Systems in Multiscale Neuronal Simulations.

PubMed

Brocke, Ekaterina; Bhalla, Upinder S; Djurfeldt, Mikael; Hellgren Kotaleski, Jeanette; Hanke, Michael

2016-01-01

Multiscale modeling and simulations in neuroscience is gaining scientific attention due to its growing importance and unexplored capabilities. For instance, it can help to acquire better understanding of biological phenomena that have important features at multiple scales of time and space. This includes synaptic plasticity, memory formation and modulation, homeostasis. There are several ways to organize multiscale simulations depending on the scientific problem and the system to be modeled. One of the possibilities is to simulate different components of a multiscale system simultaneously and exchange data when required. The latter may become a challenging task for several reasons. First, the components of a multiscale system usually span different spatial and temporal scales, such that rigorous analysis of possible coupling solutions is required. Then, the components can be defined by different mathematical formalisms. For certain classes of problems a number of coupling mechanisms have been proposed and successfully used. However, a strict mathematical theory is missing in many cases. Recent work in the field has not so far investigated artifacts that may arise during coupled integration of different approximation methods. Moreover, in neuroscience, the coupling of widely used numerical fixed step size solvers may lead to unexpected inefficiency. In this paper we address the question of possible numerical artifacts that can arise during the integration of a coupled system. We develop an efficient strategy to couple the components comprising a multiscale test problem in neuroscience. We introduce an efficient coupling method based on the second-order backward differentiation formula (BDF2) numerical approximation. The method uses an adaptive step size integration with an error estimation proposed by Skelboe (2000). The method shows a significant advantage over conventional fixed step size solvers used in neuroscience for similar problems. We explore different coupling strategies that define the organization of computations between system components. We study the importance of an appropriate approximation of exchanged variables during the simulation. The analysis shows a substantial impact of these aspects on the solution accuracy in the application to our multiscale neuroscientific test problem. We believe that the ideas presented in the paper may essentially contribute to the development of a robust and efficient framework for multiscale brain modeling and simulations in neuroscience.

Ambient intelligence for monitoring and research in clinical neurophysiology and medicine: the MIMERICA* project and prototype.

PubMed

Pignolo, L; Riganello, F; Dolce, G; Sannita, W G

2013-04-01

Ambient Intelligence (AmI) provides extended but unobtrusive sensing and computing devices and ubiquitous networking for human/environment interaction. It is a new paradigm in information technology compliant with the international Integrating Healthcare Enterprise board (IHE) and eHealth HL7 technological standards in the functional integration of biomedical domotics and informatics in hospital and home care. AmI allows real-time automatic recording of biological/medical information and environmental data. It is extensively applicable to patient monitoring, medicine and neuroscience research, which require large biomedical data sets; for example, in the study of spontaneous or condition-dependent variability or chronobiology. In this respect, AML is equivalent to a traditional laboratory for data collection and processing, with minimal dedicated equipment, staff, and costs; it benefits from the integration of artificial intelligence technology with traditional/innovative sensors to monitor clinical or functional parameters. A prototype AmI platform (MIMERICA*) has been implemented and is operated in a semi-intensive unit for the vegetative and minimally conscious states, to investigate the spontaneous or environment-related fluctuations of physiological parameters in these conditions.

A competency-based longitudinal core curriculum in medical neuroscience.

PubMed

Merlin, Lisa R; Horak, Holli A; Milligan, Tracey A; Kraakevik, Jeff A; Ali, Imran I

2014-07-29

Current medical educational theory encourages the development of competency-based curricula. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's 6 core competencies for resident education (medical knowledge, patient care, professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, practice-based learning, and systems-based practice) have been embraced by medical schools as the building blocks necessary for becoming a competent licensed physician. Many medical schools are therefore changing their educational approach to an integrated model in which students demonstrate incremental acquisition and mastery of all competencies as they progress through medical school. Challenges to medical schools include integration of preclinical and clinical studies as well as development of learning objectives and assessment measures for each competency. The Undergraduate Education Subcommittee (UES) of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) assembled a group of neuroscience educators to outline a longitudinal competency-based curriculum in medical neuroscience encompassing both preclinical and clinical coursework. In development of this curriculum, the committee reviewed United States Medical Licensing Examination content outlines, Liaison Committee on Medical Education requirements, prior AAN-mandated core curricula for basic neuroscience and clinical neurology, and survey responses from educators in US medical schools. The newly recommended curriculum provides an outline of learning objectives for each of the 6 competencies, listing each learning objective in active terms. Documentation of experiences is emphasized, and assessment measures are suggested to demonstrate adequate achievement in each competency. These guidelines, widely vetted and approved by the UES membership, aspire to be both useful as a stand-alone curriculum and also provide a framework for neuroscience educators who wish to develop a more detailed focus in certain areas of study. © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

Neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience: contributions to neurology.

PubMed

Javor, Andrija; Koller, Monika; Lee, Nick; Chamberlain, Laura; Ransmayr, Gerhard

2013-02-06

'Neuromarketing' is a term that has often been used in the media in recent years. These public discussions have generally centered around potential ethical aspects and the public fear of negative consequences for society in general, and consumers in particular. However, positive contributions to the scientific discourse from developing a biological model that tries to explain context-situated human behavior such as consumption have often been neglected. We argue for a differentiated terminology, naming commercial applications of neuroscientific methods 'neuromarketing' and scientific ones 'consumer neuroscience'. While marketing scholars have eagerly integrated neuroscientific evidence into their theoretical framework, neurology has only recently started to draw its attention to the results of consumer neuroscience. In this paper we address key research topics of consumer neuroscience that we think are of interest for neurologists; namely the reward system, trust and ethical issues. We argue that there are overlapping research topics in neurology and consumer neuroscience where both sides can profit from collaboration. Further, neurologists joining the public discussion of ethical issues surrounding neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience could contribute standards and experience gained in clinical research. We identify the following areas where consumer neuroscience could contribute to the field of neurology:First, studies using game paradigms could help to gain further insights into the underlying pathophysiology of pathological gambling in Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia, epilepsy, and Huntington's disease.Second, we identify compulsive buying as a common interest in neurology and consumer neuroscience. Paradigms commonly used in consumer neuroscience could be applied to patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and frontotemporal dementia to advance knowledge of this important behavioral symptom.Third, trust research in the medical context lacks empirical behavioral and neuroscientific evidence. Neurologists entering this field of research could profit from the extensive knowledge of the biological foundation of trust that scientists in economically-orientated neurosciences have gained.Fourth, neurologists could contribute significantly to the ethical debate about invasive methods in neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience. Further, neurologists should investigate biological and behavioral reactions of neurological patients to marketing and advertising measures, as they could show special consumer vulnerability and be subject to target marketing.

High density event-related potential data acquisition in cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Slotnick, Scott D

2010-04-16

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is currently the standard method of evaluating brain function in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience, in part because fMRI data acquisition and analysis techniques are readily available. Because fMRI has excellent spatial resolution but poor temporal resolution, this method can only be used to identify the spatial location of brain activity associated with a given cognitive process (and reveals virtually nothing about the time course of brain activity). By contrast, event-related potential (ERP) recording, a method that is used much less frequently than fMRI, has excellent temporal resolution and thus can track rapid temporal modulations in neural activity. Unfortunately, ERPs are under utilized in Cognitive Neuroscience because data acquisition techniques are not readily available and low density ERP recording has poor spatial resolution. In an effort to foster the increased use of ERPs in Cognitive Neuroscience, the present article details key techniques involved in high density ERP data acquisition. Critically, high density ERPs offer the promise of excellent temporal resolution and good spatial resolution (or excellent spatial resolution if coupled with fMRI), which is necessary to capture the spatial-temporal dynamics of human brain function.

Henri Ey's neojacksonism and the psychopathology of disintegrated mind.

PubMed

Farina, Benedetto; Ceccarelli, Maurizio; Di Giannantonio, Massimo

2005-01-01

The French psychiatrist Henri Ey developed his organo-dynamic theory of the mind function and consciousness 50 years ago incorporating Hughling Jackson's thinking, along with psychiatric and philosophical theorizations by Janet and Bergson. This model has not received the attention it deserved, but recent advances in neuroscience rekindled interest for Ey's theory. By overcoming the Cartesian mind-body dualism and treating the mind-body unit as an inseparable whole, this model opens the way for the integrated treatment of mental disorders. Ey's conceptualization of consciousness as being simultaneously both synchronous and diachronic anticipates current theories of consciousness (Damasio, Edelman, Mesulam).

Neuroscience and education.

PubMed

Goswami, Usha

2004-03-01

Neuroscience is a relatively new discipline encompassing neurology, psychology and biology. It has made great strides in the last 100 years, during which many aspects of the physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and structure of the vertebrate brain have been understood. Understanding of some of the basic perceptual, cognitive, attentional, emotional and mnemonic functions is also making progress, particularly since the advent of the cognitive neurosciences, which focus specifically on understanding higher level processes of cognition via imaging technology. Neuroimaging has enabled scientists to study the human brain at work in vivo, deepening our understanding of the very complex processes underpinning speech and language, thinking and reasoning, reading and mathematics. It seems timely, therefore, to consider how we might implement our increased understanding of brain development and brain function to explore educational questions.

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Commercialisation of CMOS integrated circuit technology in multi-electrode arrays for neuroscience and cell-based biosensors.

PubMed

Graham, Anthony H D; Robbins, Jon; Bowen, Chris R; Taylor, John

2011-01-01

The adaptation of standard integrated circuit (IC) technology as a transducer in cell-based biosensors in drug discovery pharmacology, neural interface systems and electrophysiology requires electrodes that are electrochemically stable, biocompatible and affordable. Unfortunately, the ubiquitous Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) IC technology does not meet the first of these requirements. For devices intended only for research, modification of CMOS by post-processing using cleanroom facilities has been achieved. However, to enable adoption of CMOS as a basis for commercial biosensors, the economies of scale of CMOS fabrication must be maintained by using only low-cost post-processing techniques. This review highlights the methodologies employed in cell-based biosensor design where CMOS-based integrated circuits (ICs) form an integral part of the transducer system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the application of multi-electrode arrays for in vitro neuroscience applications. Identifying suitable IC packaging methods presents further significant challenges when considering specific applications. The various challenges and difficulties are reviewed and some potential solutions are presented.

Virtual Reality for Research in Social Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Parsons, Thomas D.; Gaggioli, Andrea; Riva, Giuseppe

2017-01-01

The emergence of social neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of the relationship that exists between social processes and their neurobiological underpinnings. Social neuroscience research often involves the use of simple and static stimuli lacking many of the potentially important aspects of real world activities and social interactions. Whilst this research has merit, there is a growing interest in the presentation of dynamic stimuli in a manner that allows researchers to assess the integrative processes carried out by perceivers over time. Herein, we discuss the potential of virtual reality for enhancing ecological validity while maintaining experimental control in social neuroscience research. Virtual reality is a technology that allows for the creation of fully interactive, three-dimensional computerized models of social situations that can be fully controlled by the experimenter. Furthermore, the introduction of interactive virtual characters—either driven by a human or by a computer—allows the researcher to test, in a systematic and independent manner, the effects of various social cues. We first introduce key technical features and concepts related to virtual reality. Next, we discuss the potential of this technology for enhancing social neuroscience protocols, drawing on illustrative experiments from the literature. PMID:28420150

Changing requirements and resulting needs for IT-infrastructure for longitudinal research in the neurosciences.

PubMed

Buckow, Karoline; Quade, Matthias; Rienhoff, Otto; Nussbeck, Sara Y

2016-01-01

The observation of growing "difficulties" in IT-infrastructures in neuroscience research during the last years led to a search for reasons and an analysis on how this phenomenon is reflected in the scientific literature. With a retrospective analysis of nine examples of multicenter research projects in the neurosciences and a literature review the observation was systematically analyzed. Results show that the rise in complexity mainly stems from two reasons: (1) more and more need for information on quality and context of research data (metadata) and (2) long-term requirements to handle the consent and identity/pseudonyms of study participants and biomaterials in relation to legal requirements. The combination of these two aspects together with very long study times and data evaluation periods are components of the subjectively perceived "difficulties". A direct consequence of this result is that big multicenter trials are becoming part of integrated research data environments and are not standing alone for themselves anymore. This drives up the resource needs regarding the IT-infrastructure in neuroscience research. In contrast to these findings, literature on this development is scarce and the problem probably underestimated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Virtual Reality for Research in Social Neuroscience.

PubMed

Parsons, Thomas D; Gaggioli, Andrea; Riva, Giuseppe

2017-04-16

The emergence of social neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of the relationship that exists between social processes and their neurobiological underpinnings. Social neuroscience research often involves the use of simple and static stimuli lacking many of the potentially important aspects of real world activities and social interactions. Whilst this research has merit, there is a growing interest in the presentation of dynamic stimuli in a manner that allows researchers to assess the integrative processes carried out by perceivers over time. Herein, we discuss the potential of virtual reality for enhancing ecological validity while maintaining experimental control in social neuroscience research. Virtual reality is a technology that allows for the creation of fully interactive, three-dimensional computerized models of social situations that can be fully controlled by the experimenter. Furthermore, the introduction of interactive virtual characters-either driven by a human or by a computer-allows the researcher to test, in a systematic and independent manner, the effects of various social cues. We first introduce key technical features and concepts related to virtual reality. Next, we discuss the potential of this technology for enhancing social neuroscience protocols, drawing on illustrative experiments from the literature.

The use of repetition suppression paradigms in developmental cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Nordt, Marisa; Hoehl, Stefanie; Weigelt, Sarah

2016-07-01

Repetition suppression paradigms allow a more detailed look at brain functioning than classical paradigms and have been applied vigorously in adult cognitive neuroscience. These paradigms are well suited for studies in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience as they can be applied without collecting a behavioral response and across all age groups. Furthermore, repetition suppression paradigms can be employed in various neuroscience techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG). In the present article we review studies using repetition suppression paradigms in developmental cognitive neuroscience covering the age range from infancy to adolescence. Our first goal is to point out characteristics of developmental repetition suppression effects. In doing so, we discuss the relationship of the direction of repetition effects (suppression vs enhancement) with developmental factors, and address the question how the direction of repetition effects might be related to looking-time effects in behavioral infant paradigms, the most prominently used behavioral measure in infant research. To highlight the potential of repetition suppression paradigms, our second goal is to provide an overview on the insights recently obtained by applying repetition paradigms in neurodevelopmental studies, including research on children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We conclude that repetition suppression paradigms are valuable tools for investigating neurodevelopmental processes, while at the same time we highlight the necessity for further studies that disentangle methodological and developmental factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using personality neuroscience to study personality disorder.

PubMed

Abram, Samantha V; DeYoung, Colin G

2017-01-01

Personality neuroscience integrates techniques from personality psychology and neuroscience to elucidate the neural basis of individual differences in cognition, emotion, motivation, and behavior. This endeavor is pertinent not only to our understanding of healthy personality variation, but also to the aberrant trait manifestations present in personality disorders and severe psychopathology. In the current review, we focus on the advances and limitations of neuroimaging methods with respect to personality neuroscience. We discuss the value of personality theory as a means to link specific neural mechanisms with various traits (e.g., the neural basis of the "Big Five"). Given the overlap between dimensional models of normal personality and psychopathology, we also describe how researchers can reconceptualize psychopathological disorders along key dimensions, and, in turn, formulate specific neural hypotheses, extended from personality theory. Examples from the borderline personality disorder literature are used to illustrate this approach. We provide recommendations for utilizing neuroimaging methods to capture the neural mechanisms that underlie continuous traits across the spectrum from healthy to maladaptive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

A Series of Computational Neuroscience Labs Increases Comfort with MATLAB.

PubMed

Nichols, David F

2015-01-01

Computational simulations allow for a low-cost, reliable means to demonstrate complex and often times inaccessible concepts to undergraduates. However, students without prior computer programming training may find working with code-based simulations to be intimidating and distracting. A series of computational neuroscience labs involving the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, an Integrate-and-Fire model, and a Hopfield Memory network were used in an undergraduate neuroscience laboratory component of an introductory level course. Using short focused surveys before and after each lab, student comfort levels were shown to increase drastically from a majority of students being uncomfortable or with neutral feelings about working in the MATLAB environment to a vast majority of students being comfortable working in the environment. Though change was reported within each lab, a series of labs was necessary in order to establish a lasting high level of comfort. Comfort working with code is important as a first step in acquiring computational skills that are required to address many questions within neuroscience.

A Series of Computational Neuroscience Labs Increases Comfort with MATLAB

PubMed Central

Nichols, David F.

2015-01-01

Computational simulations allow for a low-cost, reliable means to demonstrate complex and often times inaccessible concepts to undergraduates. However, students without prior computer programming training may find working with code-based simulations to be intimidating and distracting. A series of computational neuroscience labs involving the Hodgkin-Huxley equations, an Integrate-and-Fire model, and a Hopfield Memory network were used in an undergraduate neuroscience laboratory component of an introductory level course. Using short focused surveys before and after each lab, student comfort levels were shown to increase drastically from a majority of students being uncomfortable or with neutral feelings about working in the MATLAB environment to a vast majority of students being comfortable working in the environment. Though change was reported within each lab, a series of labs was necessary in order to establish a lasting high level of comfort. Comfort working with code is important as a first step in acquiring computational skills that are required to address many questions within neuroscience. PMID:26557798

Metacognition: computation, biology and function

PubMed Central

Fleming, Stephen M.; Dolan, Raymond J.; Frith, Christopher D.

2012-01-01

Many complex systems maintain a self-referential check and balance. In animals, such reflective monitoring and control processes have been grouped under the rubric of metacognition. In this introductory article to a Theme Issue on metacognition, we review recent and rapidly progressing developments from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, computer science and philosophy of mind. While each of these areas is represented in detail by individual contributions to the volume, we take this opportunity to draw links between disciplines, and highlight areas where further integration is needed. Specifically, we cover the definition, measurement, neurobiology and possible functions of metacognition, and assess the relationship between metacognition and consciousness. We propose a framework in which level of representation, order of behaviour and access consciousness are orthogonal dimensions of the conceptual landscape. PMID:22492746

Decomposing dendrophilia. Comment on “Toward a computational framework for cognitive biology: Unifying approaches from cognitive neuroscience and comparative cognition” by W. Tecumseh Fitch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honing, Henkjan; Zuidema, Willem

2014-09-01

The future of cognitive science will be about bridging neuroscience and behavioral studies, with essential roles played by comparative biology, formal modeling, and the theory of computation. Nowhere will this integration be more strongly needed than in understanding the biological basis of language and music. We thus strongly sympathize with the general framework that Fitch [1] proposes, and welcome the remarkably broad and readable review he presents to support it.

Introductory Life Science Mathematics and Quantitative Neuroscience Courses

PubMed Central

Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an upper-division course in computational neuroscience. We provide a description of each course, detailed syllabi, examples of content, and a brief discussion of the main issues encountered in developing and offering the courses. PMID:20810971

Soul, butterfly, mythological nymph: psyche in philosophy and neuroscience.

PubMed

Antonakou, Elena I; Triarhou, Lazaros C

2017-03-01

The term "psyche" and its derivatives - including "Psychology" and "Psychiatry" - are rooted in classical philosophy and in mythology. Over the centuries, psyche has been the subject of discourse and contemplation, and of fable; it has also come to signify, in entomology, the order of Lepidoptera. In the current surge of research on brain and mind, there is a gradual transition from the psyche (or the "soul") to the specified descriptors defined by the fields of Behavioral, Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience.

A historical survey of algorithms and hardware architectures for neural-inspired and neuromorphic computing applications

DOE PAGES

James, Conrad D.; Aimone, James B.; Miner, Nadine E.; ...

2017-01-04

In this study, biological neural networks continue to inspire new developments in algorithms and microelectronic hardware to solve challenging data processing and classification problems. Here in this research, we survey the history of neural-inspired and neuromorphic computing in order to examine the complex and intertwined trajectories of the mathematical theory and hardware developed in this field. Early research focused on adapting existing hardware to emulate the pattern recognition capabilities of living organisms. Contributions from psychologists, mathematicians, engineers, neuroscientists, and other professions were crucial to maturing the field from narrowly-tailored demonstrations to more generalizable systems capable of addressing difficult problem classesmore » such as object detection and speech recognition. Algorithms that leverage fundamental principles found in neuroscience such as hierarchical structure, temporal integration, and robustness to error have been developed, and some of these approaches are achieving world-leading performance on particular data classification tasks. Additionally, novel microelectronic hardware is being developed to perform logic and to serve as memory in neuromorphic computing systems with optimized system integration and improved energy efficiency. Key to such advancements was the incorporation of new discoveries in neuroscience research, the transition away from strict structural replication and towards the functional replication of neural systems, and the use of mathematical theory frameworks to guide algorithm and hardware developments.« less

A historical survey of algorithms and hardware architectures for neural-inspired and neuromorphic computing applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James, Conrad D.; Aimone, James B.; Miner, Nadine E.

In this study, biological neural networks continue to inspire new developments in algorithms and microelectronic hardware to solve challenging data processing and classification problems. Here in this research, we survey the history of neural-inspired and neuromorphic computing in order to examine the complex and intertwined trajectories of the mathematical theory and hardware developed in this field. Early research focused on adapting existing hardware to emulate the pattern recognition capabilities of living organisms. Contributions from psychologists, mathematicians, engineers, neuroscientists, and other professions were crucial to maturing the field from narrowly-tailored demonstrations to more generalizable systems capable of addressing difficult problem classesmore » such as object detection and speech recognition. Algorithms that leverage fundamental principles found in neuroscience such as hierarchical structure, temporal integration, and robustness to error have been developed, and some of these approaches are achieving world-leading performance on particular data classification tasks. Additionally, novel microelectronic hardware is being developed to perform logic and to serve as memory in neuromorphic computing systems with optimized system integration and improved energy efficiency. Key to such advancements was the incorporation of new discoveries in neuroscience research, the transition away from strict structural replication and towards the functional replication of neural systems, and the use of mathematical theory frameworks to guide algorithm and hardware developments.« less

The historical development of neuroscience in physical rehabilitation.

PubMed

Cohen, H; Reed, K L

1996-01-01

Neuroscience and occupational therapy in physical rehabilitation have developed along parallel tracks. As physicians began to study the neural bases of motor control, they also began to reconsider the sequelae of "hopeless" diagnoses as conditions that they could influence. This change in some physicians' understanding of the neural mechanisms of motor control influenced other clinicians' ideas about patient care. Early work on treatment of patients with cerebral palsy and polio led to improvements in treatment approaches used to facilitate motor skill and functional motor ability in patients with upper motor neuron disorders. From the 1950s to the present, therapists have refined their treatment techniques as knowledge from neuroscience has become available. A few therapists, who are gradually increasing in number, have turned to the laboratory to study basic neuroscience problems that affect clinical treatment. This article describes the development of neuroscience research and neurorehabilitation theories and indicates common themes.

The multi-modal Australian ScienceS Imaging and Visualization Environment (MASSIVE) high performance computing infrastructure: applications in neuroscience and neuroinformatics research

PubMed Central

Goscinski, Wojtek J.; McIntosh, Paul; Felzmann, Ulrich; Maksimenko, Anton; Hall, Christopher J.; Gureyev, Timur; Thompson, Darren; Janke, Andrew; Galloway, Graham; Killeen, Neil E. B.; Raniga, Parnesh; Kaluza, Owen; Ng, Amanda; Poudel, Govinda; Barnes, David G.; Nguyen, Toan; Bonnington, Paul; Egan, Gary F.

2014-01-01

The Multi-modal Australian ScienceS Imaging and Visualization Environment (MASSIVE) is a national imaging and visualization facility established by Monash University, the Australian Synchrotron, the Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and the Victorian Partnership for Advanced Computing (VPAC), with funding from the National Computational Infrastructure and the Victorian Government. The MASSIVE facility provides hardware, software, and expertise to drive research in the biomedical sciences, particularly advanced brain imaging research using synchrotron x-ray and infrared imaging, functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray computer tomography (CT), electron microscopy and optical microscopy. The development of MASSIVE has been based on best practice in system integration methodologies, frameworks, and architectures. The facility has: (i) integrated multiple different neuroimaging analysis software components, (ii) enabled cross-platform and cross-modality integration of neuroinformatics tools, and (iii) brought together neuroimaging databases and analysis workflows. MASSIVE is now operational as a nationally distributed and integrated facility for neuroinfomatics and brain imaging research. PMID:24734019

Brain systems for assessing the affective value of faces

PubMed Central

Said, Christopher P.; Haxby, James V.; Todorov, Alexander

2011-01-01

Cognitive neuroscience research on facial expression recognition and face evaluation has proliferated over the past 15 years. Nevertheless, large questions remain unanswered. In this overview, we discuss the current understanding in the field, and describe what is known and what remains unknown. In §2, we describe three types of behavioural evidence that the perception of traits in neutral faces is related to the perception of facial expressions, and may rely on the same mechanisms. In §3, we discuss cortical systems for the perception of facial expressions, and argue for a partial segregation of function in the superior temporal sulcus and the fusiform gyrus. In §4, we describe the current understanding of how the brain responds to emotionally neutral faces. To resolve some of the inconsistencies in the literature, we perform a large group analysis across three different studies, and argue that one parsimonious explanation of prior findings is that faces are coded in terms of their typicality. In §5, we discuss how these two lines of research—perception of emotional expressions and face evaluation—could be integrated into a common, cognitive neuroscience framework. PMID:21536552

Applications of Optical Coherence Tomography in Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Avery, Robert A.; Rajjoub, Raneem D.; Trimboli-Heidler, Carmelina; Waldman, Amy T.

2015-01-01

For nearly two centuries, the ophthalmoscope has permitted examination of the retina and optic nerve—the only axons directly visualized by the physician. The retinal ganglion cells project their axons, which travel along the innermost retina to form the optic nerve, marking the beginning of the anterior visual pathway. Both the structure and function of the visual pathway are essential components of the neurologic examination as it can be involved in numerous acquired, congenital and genetic central nervous system conditions. The development of optical coherence tomography now permits the pediatric neuroscientist to visualize and quantify the optic nerve and retinal layers with unprecedented resolution. As optical coherence tomography becomes more accessible and integrated into research and clinical care, the pediatric neuroscientist may have the opportunity to utilize and/or interpret results from this device. This review describes the basic technical features of optical coherence tomography and highlights its potential clinical and research applications in pediatric clinical neuroscience including optic nerve swelling, optic neuritis, tumors of the visual pathway, vigabatrin toxicity, nystagmus, and neurodegenerative conditions. PMID:25803824

Applications of optical coherence tomography in pediatric clinical neuroscience.

PubMed

Avery, Robert A; Rajjoub, Raneem D; Trimboli-Heidler, Carmelina; Waldman, Amy T

2015-04-01

For nearly two centuries, the ophthalmoscope has permitted examination of the retina and optic nerve-the only axons directly visualized by the physician. The retinal ganglion cells project their axons, which travel along the innermost retina to form the optic nerve, marking the beginning of the anterior visual pathway. Both the structure and function of the visual pathway are essential components of the neurologic examination as it can be involved in numerous acquired, congenital and genetic central nervous system conditions. The development of optical coherence tomography now permits the pediatric neuroscientist to visualize and quantify the optic nerve and retinal layers with unprecedented resolution. As optical coherence tomography becomes more accessible and integrated into research and clinical care, the pediatric neuroscientist may have the opportunity to utilize and/or interpret results from this device. This review describes the basic technical features of optical coherence tomography and highlights its potential clinical and research applications in pediatric clinical neuroscience including optic nerve swelling, optic neuritis, tumors of the visual pathway, vigabatrin toxicity, nystagmus, and neurodegenerative conditions. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

75 FR 56115 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

... Processes Integrated Review Group, Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology Study Section. Date..., Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology. Date: October 8, 2010. Time: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Agenda: To..., Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Biophysics of Neural Systems Study Section...

Sensory Integration and the Perceptual Experience of Persons with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iarocci, Grace; McDonald, John

2006-01-01

Research studies on sensory issues in autism, including those based on questionnaires, autobiographical accounts, retrospective video observations and early experimental approaches are reviewed in terms of their strengths and limitations. We present a cognitive neuroscience theoretical perspective on multisensory integration and propose that this…

High-Performance Computing in Neuroscience for Data-Driven Discovery, Integration, and Dissemination

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bouchard, Kristofer E.; Aimone, James B.; Chun, Miyoung

A lack of coherent plans to analyze, manage, and understand data threatens the various opportunities offered by new neuro-technologies. High-performance computing will allow exploratory analysis of massive datasets stored in standardized formats, hosted in open repositories, and integrated with simulations.

High-Performance Computing in Neuroscience for Data-Driven Discovery, Integration, and Dissemination

DOE PAGES

Bouchard, Kristofer E.; Aimone, James B.; Chun, Miyoung; ...

2016-11-01

A lack of coherent plans to analyze, manage, and understand data threatens the various opportunities offered by new neuro-technologies. High-performance computing will allow exploratory analysis of massive datasets stored in standardized formats, hosted in open repositories, and integrated with simulations.

Neuroscience Perspectives on Disparities in School Readiness and Cognitive Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noble, Kimberly G.; Tottenham, Nim; Casey, B. J.

2005-01-01

This article allows readers to look at racial and ethnic disparities in school readiness from a neuroscience perspective. Although researchers have traditionally measured gaps in school readiness using broad achievement tests, they can now assess readiness in terms of more specific brain-based cognitive functions. Three neurocognitive…

Neuroscience, Education and Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goswami, Usha

2004-01-01

The discipline of neuroscience draws from the fields of neurology, psychology, physiology and biology, but is best understood in the wider world as brain science. Of particular interest for education is the development of techniques for imaging the brain as it performs different cognitive functions. Cognitive neuroimaging has already led to…

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Neuroscience, Medicine, and Students with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zambo, Debby; Zambo, Ron; Sidlik, Lawrence

2013-01-01

Neuroscience is revealing how the brains of individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) function, and advances in medicine are leading to treatments. This study investigated preservice teachers' knowledge and beliefs about students with ADHD. The majority of preservice teachers knew someone with ADHD, which, along with courses…

Theory, Method and Practice of Neuroscientific Findings in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chia-Ju; Chiang, Wen-Wei

2014-01-01

This report provides an overview of neuroscience research that is applicable for science educators. It first offers a brief analysis of empirical studies in educational neuroscience literature, followed by six science concept learning constructs based on the whole brain theory: gaining an understanding of brain function; pattern recognition and…

Impaired Functional Connectivity in the Prefrontal Cortex: A Mechanism for Chronic Stress-Induced Neuropsychiatric Disorders

PubMed Central

Negrón-Oyarzo, Ignacio; Aboitiz, Francisco; Fuentealba, Pablo

2016-01-01

Chronic stress-related psychiatric diseases, such as major depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia, are characterized by a maladaptive organization of behavioral responses that strongly affect the well-being of patients. Current evidence suggests that a functional impairment of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Therefore, chronic stress may impair PFC functions required for the adaptive orchestration of behavioral responses. In the present review, we integrate evidence obtained from cognitive neuroscience with neurophysiological research with animal models, to put forward a hypothesis that addresses stress-induced behavioral dysfunctions observed in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. We propose that chronic stress impairs mechanisms involved in neuronal functional connectivity in the PFC that are required for the formation of adaptive representations for the execution of adaptive behavioral responses. These considerations could be particularly relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of chronic stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. PMID:26904302

"The developmental and functional logic of neuronal circuits": commentary on the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience.

PubMed

Glover, J C

2009-11-10

The first Kavli Prize in Neuroscience recognizes a confluence of career achievements that together provide a fundamental understanding of how brain and spinal cord circuits are assembled during development and function in the adult. The members of the Kavli Neuroscience Prize Committee have decided to reward three scientists (Sten Grillner, Thomas Jessell, and Pasko Rakic) jointly "for discoveries on the developmental and functional logic of neuronal circuits". Pasko Rakic performed groundbreaking studies of the developing cerebral cortex, including the discovery of how radial glia guide the neuronal migration that establishes cortical layers and for the radial unit hypothesis and its implications for cortical connectivity and evolution. Thomas Jessell discovered molecular principles governing the specification and patterning of different neuron types and the development of their synaptic interconnection into sensorimotor circuits. Sten Grillner elucidated principles of network organization in the vertebrate locomotor central pattern generator, along with its command systems and sensory and higher order control. The discoveries of Rakic, Jessell and Grillner provide a framework for how neurons obtain their identities and ultimate locations, establish appropriate connections with each other, and how the resultant neuronal networks operate. Their work has significantly advanced our understanding of brain development and function and created new opportunities for the treatment of neurological disorders. Each has pioneered an important area of neuroscience research and left a legacy of exceptional scientific achievement, insight, communication, mentoring and leadership.

Widespread correlation patterns of fMRI signal across visual cortex reflect eccentricity organization

PubMed Central

Arcaro, Michael J; Honey, Christopher J; Mruczek, Ryan EB; Kastner, Sabine; Hasson, Uri

2015-01-01

The human visual system can be divided into over two-dozen distinct areas, each of which contains a topographic map of the visual field. A fundamental question in vision neuroscience is how the visual system integrates information from the environment across different areas. Using neuroimaging, we investigated the spatial pattern of correlated BOLD signal across eight visual areas on data collected during rest conditions and during naturalistic movie viewing. The correlation pattern between areas reflected the underlying receptive field organization with higher correlations between cortical sites containing overlapping representations of visual space. In addition, the correlation pattern reflected the underlying widespread eccentricity organization of visual cortex, in which the highest correlations were observed for cortical sites with iso-eccentricity representations including regions with non-overlapping representations of visual space. This eccentricity-based correlation pattern appears to be part of an intrinsic functional architecture that supports the integration of information across functionally specialized visual areas. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03952.001 PMID:25695154

Bridging neuroscience and clinical psychology: cognitive behavioral and psychophysiological models in the evaluation and treatment of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome

PubMed Central

Lavoie, Marc E; Leclerc, Julie; O’Connor, Kieron P

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology have long been considered to be separate disciplines. However, the phenomenon of brain plasticity in the context of a psychological intervention highlights the mechanisms of brain compensation and requires linking both clinical cognition and cognitive psychophysiology. A quantifiable normalization of brain activity seems to be correlated with an improvement of the tic symptoms after cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). This article presents broad outlines of the state of the current literature in the field of GTS. We present our clinical research model and methodology for the integration of cognitive neuroscience in the psychological evaluation and treatment of GTS to manage chronic tic symptoms. PMID:24795782

Bridging neuroscience and clinical psychology: cognitive behavioral and psychophysiological models in the evaluation and treatment of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.

PubMed

Lavoie, Marc E; Leclerc, Julie; O'Connor, Kieron P

2013-02-01

Cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology have long been considered to be separate disciplines. However, the phenomenon of brain plasticity in the context of a psychological intervention highlights the mechanisms of brain compensation and requires linking both clinical cognition and cognitive psychophysiology. A quantifiable normalization of brain activity seems to be correlated with an improvement of the tic symptoms after cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). This article presents broad outlines of the state of the current literature in the field of GTS. We present our clinical research model and methodology for the integration of cognitive neuroscience in the psychological evaluation and treatment of GTS to manage chronic tic symptoms.

Three Research Strategies of Neuroscience and the Future of Legal Imaging Evidence.

PubMed

Jun, Jinkwon; Yoo, Soyoung

2018-01-01

Neuroscientific imaging evidence (NIE) has become an integral part of the criminal justice system in the United States. However, in most legal cases, NIE is submitted and used only to mitigate penalties because the court does not recognize it as substantial evidence, considering its lack of reliability. Nevertheless, we here discuss how neuroscience is expected to improve the use of NIE in the legal system. For this purpose, we classified the efforts of neuroscientists into three research strategies: cognitive subtraction, the data-driven approach, and the brain-manipulation approach. Cognitive subtraction is outdated and problematic; consequently, the court deemed it to be an inadequate approach in terms of legal evidence in 2012. In contrast, the data-driven and brain manipulation approaches, which are state-of-the-art approaches, have overcome the limitations of cognitive subtraction. The data-driven approach brings data science into the field and is benefiting immensely from the development of research platforms that allow automatized collection, analysis, and sharing of data. This broadens the scale of imaging evidence. The brain-manipulation approach uses high-functioning tools that facilitate non-invasive and precise human brain manipulation. These two approaches are expected to have synergistic effects. Neuroscience has strived to improve the evidential reliability of NIE, with considerable success. With the support of cutting-edge technologies, and the progress of these approaches, the evidential status of NIE will be improved and NIE will become an increasingly important part of legal practice.

Neurobiology of dynamic psychotherapy: an integration possible?

PubMed

Mundo, Emanuela

2006-01-01

In the last decades, Kandel's innovative experiments have demonstrated that brain structures and synaptic connections are dynamic. Synapses can be modified by a wide variety of environmental factors, including learning and memory processes. The hypothesis that dynamic psychotherapy process involves memory and learning processes has opened the possibility of a dialogue between neuroscience and psychoanalysis and related psychotherapy techniques. The primary aim of the present article is to critically review the more recent data on neurobiological effects of dynamic psychotherapy in psychiatric disorders. Relevant literature has been selected using the databases currently available online (i.e., PubMed). The literature search has been limited to the past 10 years and to genetic, molecular biology, and neuroimaging studies that have addressed the issue of changes induced by psychotherapy. Most of the genetic studies on mental disorders have demonstrated that psychiatric conditions result from a complex interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental effects. For none of the many psychiatric conditions investigated has a purely genetic background been found. Molecular biology studies have indicated that gene expression is influenced by several environmental factors, including early experiences, traumas, learning, and memory processes. Neuroimaging studies (using fMRI and PET) have found that not only cognitive but also dynamic psychotherapy has measurable effects on the brain. In addition, psychotherapy may modify brain function and metabolism in specific brain areas. Most of these studies have considered patients with major depressive disorders and compared the effects of psychotherapy with the effect of standard pharmacotherapy. In conclusion, recent results from neuroscience studies have suggested that dynamic psychotherapy has a significant impact on brain function and metabolism in specific brain areas. The possible applications and developments of this new area of research toward the conceptualization of an integrative approach to treatment of psychiatric disorders are discussed.

SOCIAL: An Integrative Framework for the Development of Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beauchamp, Miriam H.; Anderson, Vicki

2010-01-01

Despite significant advances in the field of social neuroscience, much remains to be understood regarding the development and maintenance of social skills across the life span. Few comprehensive models exist that integrate multidisciplinary perspectives and explain the multitude of factors that influence the emergence and expression of social…

Cognitive neuroscience: integration of sight and sound outside of awareness?

PubMed

Noel, Jean-Paul; Wallace, Mark; Blake, Randolph

2015-02-16

A recent study found that auditory and visual information can be integrated even when you are completely unaware of hearing or seeing the paired stimuli--but only if you have received prior, conscious exposure to the paired stimuli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Playing Mathematical Instruments: Emerging Perceptuomotor Integration with an Interactive Mathematics Exhibit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nemirovsky, Ricardo; Kelton, Molly L.; Rhodehamel, Bohdan

2013-01-01

Research in experimental and developmental psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience suggests that tool fluency depends on the merging of perceptual and motor aspects of its use, an achievement the authors call "perceptuomotor integration." Just as expertise in playing a piano relies on the interanimation of finger movements and…

Neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience: contributions to neurology

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background ‘Neuromarketing’ is a term that has often been used in the media in recent years. These public discussions have generally centered around potential ethical aspects and the public fear of negative consequences for society in general, and consumers in particular. However, positive contributions to the scientific discourse from developing a biological model that tries to explain context-situated human behavior such as consumption have often been neglected. We argue for a differentiated terminology, naming commercial applications of neuroscientific methods ‘neuromarketing’ and scientific ones ‘consumer neuroscience’. While marketing scholars have eagerly integrated neuroscientific evidence into their theoretical framework, neurology has only recently started to draw its attention to the results of consumer neuroscience. Discussion In this paper we address key research topics of consumer neuroscience that we think are of interest for neurologists; namely the reward system, trust and ethical issues. We argue that there are overlapping research topics in neurology and consumer neuroscience where both sides can profit from collaboration. Further, neurologists joining the public discussion of ethical issues surrounding neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience could contribute standards and experience gained in clinical research. Summary We identify the following areas where consumer neuroscience could contribute to the field of neurology: First, studies using game paradigms could help to gain further insights into the underlying pathophysiology of pathological gambling in Parkinson’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, epilepsy, and Huntington’s disease. Second, we identify compulsive buying as a common interest in neurology and consumer neuroscience. Paradigms commonly used in consumer neuroscience could be applied to patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease and frontotemporal dementia to advance knowledge of this important behavioral symptom. Third, trust research in the medical context lacks empirical behavioral and neuroscientific evidence. Neurologists entering this field of research could profit from the extensive knowledge of the biological foundation of trust that scientists in economically-orientated neurosciences have gained. Fourth, neurologists could contribute significantly to the ethical debate about invasive methods in neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience. Further, neurologists should investigate biological and behavioral reactions of neurological patients to marketing and advertising measures, as they could show special consumer vulnerability and be subject to target marketing. PMID:23383650

Monosodium Luminol for Improving Brain Function in Gulf War Illness

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Jain et al., PLoS One, 7: e46340, 2012; McAvoy et al., Front Syst Neurosci , 9:120. eCollection 2015; Oomen et al., Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci...2007; Yassa and Stark, Trends Neurosci , 34: 515-525). In this test, each rat successively explored two different sets of identical objects (object

Applying Cognitive Neuroscience Research to Education: The Case of Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katzir, Tami; Pare-Blagoev, Juliana

2006-01-01

Neuroscience has provided fascinating glimpses into the brain's development and function. Despite remarkable progress, brain research has not yet been successfully brought to bear in many fields of educational psychology. In this article, work on literacy serves as a test case for an examination of potential future bridges linking mind, brain, and…

We Feel, Therefore We Learn: The Relevance of Affective and Social Neuroscience to Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen; Damasio, Antonio

2007-01-01

Recent advances in neuroscience are highlighting connections between emotion, social functioning, and decision making that have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the role of affect in education. In particular, the neurobiological evidence suggests that the aspects of cognition that we recruit most heavily in schools, namely…

Moral Development and Behaviour under the Spotlight of the Neurobiological Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Narvaez, Darcia; Vaydich, Jenny L.

2008-01-01

With the aid of techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, neuroscience is providing a new perspective on human behaviour. Many areas of psychology have recognised and embraced the new technologies, methodologies and relevant findings. But how do the tools of neuroscience affect the fields of moral development and moral education?…

The salience network and human personality: Integrity of white matter tracts within anterior and posterior salience network relates to the self-directedness character trait.

PubMed

Prillwitz, Conrad; Rüber, Theodor; Reuter, Martin; Montag, Christian; Weber, Bernd; Elger, Christian E; Markett, Sebastian

2018-04-28

A prevailing topic in personality neuroscience is the question how personality traits are reflected in the brain. Functional and structural networks have been examined by functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging, however, the structural correlates of functionally defined networks have not been investigated in a personality context. By using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), the present study assesses in a sample of 116 healthy participants how personality traits proposed in the framework of the biopsychosocial theory on personality relate to white matter pathways delineated by functional network imaging. We show that the character trait self-directedness relates to the overall microstructural integrity of white matter tracts constituting the salience network as indicated by DTI-derived measures. Self-directedness has been proposed as the executive control component of personality and describes the tendency to stay focused on the attainment of long-term goals. The present finding corroborates the view of the salience network as an executive control network that serves maintenance of rules and task-sets to guide ongoing behavior. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Experiencing your brain: neurofeedback as a new bridge between neuroscience and phenomenology

PubMed Central

Bagdasaryan, Juliana; Quyen, Michel Le Van

2013-01-01

Neurophenomenology is a scientific research program aimed to combine neuroscience with phenomenology in order to study human experience. Nevertheless, despite several explicit implementations, the integration of first-person data into the experimental protocols of cognitive neuroscience still faces a number of epistemological and methodological challenges. Notably, the difficulties to simultaneously acquire phenomenological and neuroscientific data have limited its implementation into research projects. In our paper, we propose that neurofeedback paradigms, in which subjects learn to self-regulate their own neural activity, may offer a pragmatic way to integrate first-person and third-person descriptions. Here, information from first- and third-person perspectives is braided together in the iterative causal closed loop, creating experimental situations in which they reciprocally constrain each other. In real-time, the subject is not only actively involved in the process of data acquisition, but also assisted to directly influence the neural data through conscious experience. Thus, neurofeedback may help to gain a deeper phenomenological-physiological understanding of downward causations whereby conscious activities have direct causal effects on neuronal patterns. We discuss possible mechanisms that could mediate such effects and indicate a number of directions for future research. PMID:24187537

The case for neuropsychoanalysis: Why a dialogue with neuroscience is necessary but not sufficient for psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Yovell, Yoram; Solms, Mark; Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

2015-12-01

Recent advances in the cognitive, affective and social neurosciences have enabled these fields to study aspects of the mind that are central to psychoanalysis. These developments raise a number of possibilities for psychoanalysis. Can it engage the neurosciences in a productive and mutually enriching dialogue without compromising its own integrity and unique perspective? While many analysts welcome interdisciplinary exchanges with the neurosciences, termed neuropsychoanalysis, some have voiced concerns about their potentially deleterious effects on psychoanalytic theory and practice. In this paper we outline the development and aims of neuropsychoanalysis, and consider its reception in psychoanalysis and in the neurosciences. We then discuss some of the concerns raised within psychoanalysis, with particular emphasis on the epistemological foundations of neuropsychoanalysis. While this paper does not attempt to fully address the clinical applications of neuropsychoanalysis, we offer and discuss a brief case illustration in order to demonstrate that neuroscientific research findings can be used to enrich our models of the mind in ways that, in turn, may influence how analysts work with their patients. We will conclude that neuropsychoanalysis is grounded in the history of psychoanalysis, that it is part of the psychoanalytic worldview, and that it is necessary, albeit not sufficient, for the future viability of psychoanalysis. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Ten years of Nature Reviews Neuroscience: insights from the highly cited

PubMed Central

Luo, Liqun; Rodriguez, Eugenio; Jerbi, Karim; Lachaux, Jean-Philippe; Martinerie, Jacques; Corbetta, Maurizio; Shulman, Gordon L.; Piomelli, Daniele; Turrigiano, Gina G.; Nelson, Sacha B.; Joëls, Marian; de Kloet, E. Ronald; Holsboer, Florian; Amodio, David M.; Frith, Chris D.; Block, Michelle L.; Zecca, Luigi; Hong, Jau-Shyong; Dantzer, Robert; Kelley, Keith W.; Craig, A. D. (Bud)

2012-01-01

To celebrate the first 10 years of Nature Reviews Neuroscience, we invited the authors of the most cited article of each year to look back on the state of their field of research at the time of publication and the impact their article has had, and to discuss the questions that might be answered in the next 10 years. This selection of highly cited articles provides interesting snapshots of the progress that has been made in diverse areas of neuroscience. They show the enormous influence of neuroimaging techniques and highlight concepts that have generated substantial interest in the past decade, such as neuroimmunology, social neuroscience and the `network approach' to brain function. These advancements will pave the way for further exciting discoveries that lie ahead. PMID:20852655

Biological determination of mental disorders: a discussion based on recent hypotheses from neuroscience.

PubMed

Freitas-Silva, Luna Rodrigues; Ortega, Francisco

2016-08-29

Understanding the processes involved in the development of mental disorders has proven challenging ever since psychiatry was founded as a field. Neuroscience has provided new expectations that an explanation will be found for the development of mental disorders based on biological functioning alone. However, such a goal has not been that easy to achieve, and new hypotheses have begun to appear in neuroscience research. In this article we identify epigenetics, neurodevelopment, and plasticity as the principal avenues for a new understanding of the biology of mental phenomena. Genetic complexity, the environment's formative role, and variations in vulnerability involve important changes in the principal hypotheses on biological determination of mental disorders, suggesting a reconfiguration of the limits between the "social" and the "biological" in neuroscience research.

Canis familiaris As a Model for Non-Invasive Comparative Neuroscience.

PubMed

Bunford, Nóra; Andics, Attila; Kis, Anna; Miklósi, Ádám; Gácsi, Márta

2017-07-01

There is an ongoing need to improve animal models for investigating human behavior and its biological underpinnings. The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) is a promising model in cognitive neuroscience. However, before it can contribute to advances in this field in a comparative, reliable, and valid manner, several methodological issues warrant attention. We review recent non-invasive canine neuroscience studies, primarily focusing on (i) variability among dogs and between dogs and humans in cranial characteristics, and (ii) generalizability across dog and dog-human studies. We argue not for methodological uniformity but for functional comparability between methods, experimental designs, and neural responses. We conclude that the dog may become an innovative and unique model in comparative neuroscience, complementing more traditional models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The neuroscience of psychological treatments.

PubMed

Barlow, David H

2014-11-01

The series of articles in this issue of Behavior Research and Therapy presages a new field of translational research that could be called "the neuroscience of psychological treatments". After a brief retrospective on the origins and promise of this focus of study several cautions are adumbrated. As in any new field of scientific endeavor, close collaboration among stakeholders with interest in this field and the integration of a healthy scientific skepticism will best ensure the continued development of ever more powerful psychological treatments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ElectroMagnetoEncephalography Software: Overview and Integration with Other EEG/MEG Toolboxes

PubMed Central

Peyk, Peter; De Cesarei, Andrea; Junghöfer, Markus

2011-01-01

EMEGS (electromagnetic encephalography software) is a MATLAB toolbox designed to provide novice as well as expert users in the field of neuroscience with a variety of functions to perform analysis of EEG and MEG data. The software consists of a set of graphical interfaces devoted to preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of electromagnetic data. Moreover, it can be extended using a plug-in interface. Here, an overview of the capabilities of the toolbox is provided, together with a simple tutorial for both a standard ERP analysis and a time-frequency analysis. Latest features and future directions of the software development are presented in the final section. PMID:21577273

ElectroMagnetoEncephalography software: overview and integration with other EEG/MEG toolboxes.

PubMed

Peyk, Peter; De Cesarei, Andrea; Junghöfer, Markus

2011-01-01

EMEGS (electromagnetic encephalography software) is a MATLAB toolbox designed to provide novice as well as expert users in the field of neuroscience with a variety of functions to perform analysis of EEG and MEG data. The software consists of a set of graphical interfaces devoted to preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of electromagnetic data. Moreover, it can be extended using a plug-in interface. Here, an overview of the capabilities of the toolbox is provided, together with a simple tutorial for both a standard ERP analysis and a time-frequency analysis. Latest features and future directions of the software development are presented in the final section.

Depressive Rumination, the Default-Mode Network, and the Dark Matter of Clinical Neuroscience.

PubMed

Hamilton, J Paul; Farmer, Madison; Fogelman, Phoebe; Gotlib, Ian H

2015-08-15

The intuitive association between self-focused rumination in major depressive disorder (MDD) and the self-referential operations performed by the brain's default-mode network (DMN) has prompted interest in examining the role of the DMN in MDD. In this article, we present meta-analytic findings showing reliably increased functional connectivity between the DMN and subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC)-connectivity that often predicts levels of depressive rumination. We also present meta-analytic findings that, while there is reliably increased regional cerebral blood flow in sgPFC in MDD, no such abnormality has been reliably observed in nodes of the DMN. We then detail a model that integrates the body of research presented. In this model, we propose that increased functional connectivity between sgPFC and the DMN in MDD represents an integration of the self-referential processes supported by the DMN with the affectively laden, behavioral withdrawal processes associated with sgPFC-an integration that produces a functional neural ensemble well suited for depressive rumination and that, in MDD, abnormally taxes only sgPFC and not the DMN. This synthesis explains a broad array of existing data concerning the neural substrates of depressive rumination and provides an explicit account of functional abnormalities in sgPFC in MDD. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interpreting BOLD: towards a dialogue between cognitive and cellular neuroscience.

PubMed

Hall, Catherine N; Howarth, Clare; Kurth-Nelson, Zebulun; Mishra, Anusha

2016-10-05

Cognitive neuroscience depends on the use of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to probe brain function. Although commonly used as a surrogate measure of neuronal activity, BOLD signals actually reflect changes in brain blood oxygenation. Understanding the mechanisms linking neuronal activity to vascular perfusion is, therefore, critical in interpreting BOLD. Advances in cellular neuroscience demonstrating differences in this neurovascular relationship in different brain regions, conditions or pathologies are often not accounted for when interpreting BOLD. Meanwhile, within cognitive neuroscience, the increasing use of high magnetic field strengths and the development of model-based tasks and analyses have broadened the capability of BOLD signals to inform us about the underlying neuronal activity, but these methods are less well understood by cellular neuroscientists. In 2016, a Royal Society Theo Murphy Meeting brought scientists from the two communities together to discuss these issues. Here, we consolidate the main conclusions arising from that meeting. We discuss areas of consensus about what BOLD fMRI can tell us about underlying neuronal activity, and how advanced modelling techniques have improved our ability to use and interpret BOLD. We also highlight areas of controversy in understanding BOLD and suggest research directions required to resolve these issues.This article is part of the themed issue 'Interpreting BOLD: a dialogue between cognitive and cellular neuroscience'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Usefulness of Simultaneous EEG-NIRS Recording in Language Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallois, F.; Mahmoudzadeh, M.; Patil, A.; Grebe, R.

2012-01-01

One of the most challenging tasks in neuroscience in language studies, is investigation of the brain's ability to integrate and process information. This task can only be successfully addressed by applying various assessment techniques integrated into a multimodal approach. Each of these techniques has its advantages and disadvantages, but help to…

Probing the brain with molecular fMRI.

PubMed

Ghosh, Souparno; Harvey, Peter; Simon, Jacob C; Jasanoff, Alan

2018-06-01

One of the greatest challenges of modern neuroscience is to incorporate our growing knowledge of molecular and cellular-scale physiology into integrated, organismic-scale models of brain function in behavior and cognition. Molecular-level functional magnetic resonance imaging (molecular fMRI) is a new technology that can help bridge these scales by mapping defined microscopic phenomena over large, optically inaccessible regions of the living brain. In this review, we explain how MRI-detectable imaging probes can be used to sensitize noninvasive imaging to mechanistically significant components of neural processing. We discuss how a combination of innovative probe design, advanced imaging methods, and strategies for brain delivery can make molecular fMRI an increasingly successful approach for spatiotemporally resolved studies of diverse neural phenomena, perhaps eventually in people. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Neuroscience of Depression: Implications for Assessment and Intervention

PubMed Central

Singh, Manpreet K.; Gotlib, Ian H.

2014-01-01

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is among the most prevalent of all psychiatric disorders and is the single most burdensome disease worldwide. In attempting to understand the profound deficits that characterize MDD across multiple domains of functioning, researchers have identified aberrations in brain structure and function in individuals diagnosed with this disorder. In this review we synthesize recent data from human neuroimaging studies in presenting an integrated neural network framework for understanding the impairments experienced by individuals with MDD. We discuss the implications of these findings for assessment of and intervention for MDD. We conclude by offering directions for future research that we believe will advance our understanding of neural factors that contribute to the etiology and course of depression, and to recovery from this debilitating disorder. PMID:25239242

Commercialisation of CMOS Integrated Circuit Technology in Multi-Electrode Arrays for Neuroscience and Cell-Based Biosensors

PubMed Central

Graham, Anthony H. D.; Robbins, Jon; Bowen, Chris R.; Taylor, John

2011-01-01

The adaptation of standard integrated circuit (IC) technology as a transducer in cell-based biosensors in drug discovery pharmacology, neural interface systems and electrophysiology requires electrodes that are electrochemically stable, biocompatible and affordable. Unfortunately, the ubiquitous Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) IC technology does not meet the first of these requirements. For devices intended only for research, modification of CMOS by post-processing using cleanroom facilities has been achieved. However, to enable adoption of CMOS as a basis for commercial biosensors, the economies of scale of CMOS fabrication must be maintained by using only low-cost post-processing techniques. This review highlights the methodologies employed in cell-based biosensor design where CMOS-based integrated circuits (ICs) form an integral part of the transducer system. Particular emphasis will be placed on the application of multi-electrode arrays for in vitro neuroscience applications. Identifying suitable IC packaging methods presents further significant challenges when considering specific applications. The various challenges and difficulties are reviewed and some potential solutions are presented. PMID:22163884

The embodied brain: towards a radical embodied cognitive neuroscience

PubMed Central

Kiverstein, Julian; Miller, Mark

2015-01-01

In this programmatic paper we explain why a radical embodied cognitive neuroscience is needed. We argue for such a claim based on problems that have arisen in cognitive neuroscience for the project of localizing function to specific brain structures. The problems come from research concerned with functional and structural connectivity that strongly suggests that the function a brain region serves is dynamic, and changes over time. We argue that in order to determine the function of a specific brain area, neuroscientists need to zoom out and look at the larger organism-environment system. We therefore argue that instead of looking to cognitive psychology for an analysis of psychological functions, cognitive neuroscience should look to an ecological dynamical psychology. A second aim of our paper is to develop an account of embodied cognition based on the inseparability of cognitive and emotional processing in the brain. We argue that emotions are best understood in terms of action readiness (Frijda, 1986, 2007) in the context of the organism’s ongoing skillful engagement with the environment (Rietveld, 2008; Bruineberg and Rietveld, 2014; Kiverstein and Rietveld, 2015, forthcoming). States of action readiness involve the whole living body of the organism, and are elicited by possibilities for action in the environment that matter to the organism. Since emotion and cognition are inseparable processes in the brain it follows that what is true of emotion is also true of cognition. Cognitive processes are likewise processes taking place in the whole living body of an organism as it engages with relevant possibilities for action. PMID:25999836

Virtual Reality for Enhanced Ecological Validity and Experimental Control in the Clinical, Affective and Social Neurosciences

PubMed Central

Parsons, Thomas D.

2015-01-01

An essential tension can be found between researchers interested in ecological validity and those concerned with maintaining experimental control. Research in the human neurosciences often involves the use of simple and static stimuli lacking many of the potentially important aspects of real world activities and interactions. While this research is valuable, there is a growing interest in the human neurosciences to use cues about target states in the real world via multimodal scenarios that involve visual, semantic, and prosodic information. These scenarios should include dynamic stimuli presented concurrently or serially in a manner that allows researchers to assess the integrative processes carried out by perceivers over time. Furthermore, there is growing interest in contextually embedded stimuli that can constrain participant interpretations of cues about a target’s internal states. Virtual reality environments proffer assessment paradigms that combine the experimental control of laboratory measures with emotionally engaging background narratives to enhance affective experience and social interactions. The present review highlights the potential of virtual reality environments for enhanced ecological validity in the clinical, affective, and social neurosciences. PMID:26696869

Virtual Reality for Enhanced Ecological Validity and Experimental Control in the Clinical, Affective and Social Neurosciences.

PubMed

Parsons, Thomas D

2015-01-01

An essential tension can be found between researchers interested in ecological validity and those concerned with maintaining experimental control. Research in the human neurosciences often involves the use of simple and static stimuli lacking many of the potentially important aspects of real world activities and interactions. While this research is valuable, there is a growing interest in the human neurosciences to use cues about target states in the real world via multimodal scenarios that involve visual, semantic, and prosodic information. These scenarios should include dynamic stimuli presented concurrently or serially in a manner that allows researchers to assess the integrative processes carried out by perceivers over time. Furthermore, there is growing interest in contextually embedded stimuli that can constrain participant interpretations of cues about a target's internal states. Virtual reality environments proffer assessment paradigms that combine the experimental control of laboratory measures with emotionally engaging background narratives to enhance affective experience and social interactions. The present review highlights the potential of virtual reality environments for enhanced ecological validity in the clinical, affective, and social neurosciences.

A proposed solution to integrating cognitive-affective neuroscience and neuropsychiatry in psychiatry residency training: The time is now.

PubMed

Torous, John; Stern, Adam P; Padmanabhan, Jaya L; Keshavan, Matcheri S; Perez, David L

2015-10-01

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of a strong neuroscience and neuropsychiatry education in the training of psychiatry residents, achieving this competency has proven challenging. In this perspective article, we selectively discuss the current state of these educational efforts and outline how using brain-symptom relationships from a systems-level neural circuit approach in clinical formulations may help residents value, understand, and apply cognitive-affective neuroscience based principles towards the care of psychiatric patients. To demonstrate the utility of this model, we present a case of major depressive disorder and discuss suspected abnormal neural circuits and therapeutic implications. A clinical neural systems-level, symptom-based approach to conceptualize mental illness can complement and expand residents' existing psychiatric knowledge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 55591 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-13

... Group; Neurodifferentiation, Plasticity, and Regeneration Study Section. Date: October 6-7, 2010. Time... Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neurogenesis and Cell Fate Study Section. Date: October 7...

76 FR 54240 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-31

... Review Group, Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology Study Section. Date: October 5, 2011. Time: 8 a.m... Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Neurodifferentiation, Plasticity, Regeneration and Rhythmicity Study...

Application of neuroscience to technology in stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Burns, Martha S

2008-01-01

The past decade has seen remarkable advances in our understanding of mechanisms that drive functional neuroplastic change after brain injury and the mirror neuron system that appears essential for language learning and communicative interaction. This article describes five neuroscience-based interventions available for clinical practice, with a discussion of the potential value of mirror neurons in stroke rehabilitation. Case-study data on three adults with aphasia who received various combinations of neuroscience-derived technological interventions are provided to inform the clinician of the potential advantages of technology as an adjunct to, not a substitution for, conventional therapeutic intervention.

Neuronal Morphology goes Digital: A Research Hub for Cellular and System Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Parekh, Ruchi; Ascoli, Giorgio A.

2013-01-01

Summary The importance of neuronal morphology in brain function has been recognized for over a century. The broad applicability of “digital reconstructions” of neuron morphology across neuroscience sub-disciplines has stimulated the rapid development of numerous synergistic tools for data acquisition, anatomical analysis, three-dimensional rendering, electrophysiological simulation, growth models, and data sharing. Here we discuss the processes of histological labeling, microscopic imaging, and semi-automated tracing. Moreover, we provide an annotated compilation of currently available resources in this rich research “ecosystem” as a central reference for experimental and computational neuroscience. PMID:23522039

Neuroscience and Education: At Best a Civil Partnership: A Response to Schrag

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Andrew

2013-01-01

In this response, I agree with much of what Schrag says about the principled limits of neuroscience to inform educators' decisions about approaches to learning. However, I also raise questions about the extent to which discoveries about "deficits" in brain function could possibly help teachers. I dispute Schrag's view that externalism/internalism…

Knowledge Representation and Data Mining of Neuronal Morphologies Using Neuroinformatics Tools and Formal Ontologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polavaram, Sridevi

2016-01-01

Neuroscience can greatly benefit from using novel methods in computer science and informatics, which enable knowledge discovery in unexpected ways. Currently one of the biggest challenges in Neuroscience is to map the functional circuitry of the brain. The applications of this goal range from understanding structural reorganization of neurons to…

The Legacy of Patient H.M. for Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Squire, Larry R.

2009-01-01

H.M. is probably the best known single patient in the history of neuroscience. His severe memory impairment, which resulted from experimental neurosurgery to control seizures, was the subject of study for five decades until his death in December 2008. Work with H.M. established fundamental principles about how memory functions are organized in the brain. PMID:19146808

Construction of a pulse-coupled dipole network capable of fear-like and relief-like responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lungsi Sharma, B.

2016-07-01

The challenge for neuroscience as an interdisciplinary programme is the integration of ideas among the disciplines to achieve a common goal. This paper deals with the problem of deriving a pulse-coupled neural network that is capable of demonstrating behavioural responses (fear-like and relief-like). Current pulse-coupled neural networks are designed mostly for engineering applications, particularly image processing. The discovered neural network was constructed using the method of minimal anatomies approach. The behavioural response of a level-coded activity-based model was used as a reference. Although the spiking-based model and the activity-based model are of different scales, the use of model-reference principle means that the characteristics that is referenced is its functional properties. It is demonstrated that this strategy of dissection and systematic construction is effective in the functional design of pulse-coupled neural network system with nonlinear signalling. The differential equations for the elastic weights in the reference model are replicated in the pulse-coupled network geometrically. The network reflects a possible solution to the problem of punishment and avoidance. The network developed in this work is a new network topology for pulse-coupled neural networks. Therefore, the model-reference principle is a powerful tool in connecting neuroscience disciplines. The continuity of concepts and phenomena is further maintained by systematic construction using methods like the method of minimal anatomies.

The role of neuroscience within psychology: A call for inclusiveness over exclusiveness.

PubMed

Schwartz, Seth J; Lilienfeld, Scott O; Meca, Alan; Sauvigné, Katheryn C

2016-01-01

In the present article, we appraise the increasingly prominent role of neuroscience within psychology and offer cautions and recommendations regarding the future of psychology as a field. We contend that the conflict between eliminative reductionism (the belief that the neural level of analysis will eventually render the psychological level of analysis superfluous) and emergent properties (the assumption that higher-order mental functions are not directly reducible to neural processes) is critical if we are to identify the optimal role for neuroscience within psychology. We argue for an interdisciplinary future for psychology in which the considerable strengths of neuroscience complement and extend the strengths of other subfields of psychology. For this goal to be achieved, a balance must be struck between an increasing focus on neuroscience and the continued importance of other areas of psychology. We discuss the implications of the growing prominence of neuroscience for the broader profession of psychology, especially with respect to funding agency priorities, hiring practices in psychology departments, methodological rigor, and the training of future generations of students. We conclude with recommendations for advancing psychology as both a social science and a natural science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Extending the mind: a review of ethnographies of neuroscience practice.

PubMed

Mahfoud, Tara

2014-01-01

THIS PAPER REVIEWS ETHNOGRAPHIES OF NEUROSCIENCE LABORATORIES IN THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE, ORGANIZING THEM INTO THREE MAIN SECTIONS: (1) descriptions of the capabilities and limitations of technologies used in neuroimaging laboratories to map "activity" or "function" onto structural models of the brain; (2) discussions of the "distributed" or "extended" mind in neuroscience practice; and (3) the implications of neuroscience research and the power of brain images outside the laboratory. I will try to show the importance of ethnographic work in such settings, and place this body of ethnographic work within its historical framework-such ethnographies largely emerged within the Decade of the Brain, as announced by former President of the United States George H. W. Bush in 1990. The main argument is that neuroscience research and the context within which it is taking place has changed since the 1990's-specifically with the launch of "big science" projects such as the Human Brain Project (HBP) in the European Union and the BRAIN initiative in the United States. There is an opportunity for more research into the institutional and politico-economic context within which neuroscience research is taking place, and for continued engagement between the social and biological sciences.

75 FR 51081 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

...- 0684, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Brain Injury and Neurovascular Pathologies Study Section. Date: September 27-28, 2010. Time...

A cellular perspective on brain energy metabolism and functional imaging.

PubMed

Magistretti, Pierre J; Allaman, Igor

2015-05-20

The energy demands of the brain are high: they account for at least 20% of the body's energy consumption. Evolutionary studies indicate that the emergence of higher cognitive functions in humans is associated with an increased glucose utilization and expression of energy metabolism genes. Functional brain imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET, which are widely used in human neuroscience studies, detect signals that monitor energy delivery and use in register with neuronal activity. Recent technological advances in metabolic studies with cellular resolution have afforded decisive insights into the understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of the coupling between neuronal activity and energy metabolism and point at a key role of neuron-astrocyte metabolic interactions. This article reviews some of the most salient features emerging from recent studies and aims at providing an integration of brain energy metabolism across resolution scales. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrophysiological Source Imaging: A Noninvasive Window to Brain Dynamics.

PubMed

He, Bin; Sohrabpour, Abbas; Brown, Emery; Liu, Zhongming

2018-06-04

Brain activity and connectivity are distributed in the three-dimensional space and evolve in time. It is important to image brain dynamics with high spatial and temporal resolution. Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) are noninvasive measurements associated with complex neural activations and interactions that encode brain functions. Electrophysiological source imaging estimates the underlying brain electrical sources from EEG and MEG measurements. It offers increasingly improved spatial resolution and intrinsically high temporal resolution for imaging large-scale brain activity and connectivity on a wide range of timescales. Integration of electrophysiological source imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging could further enhance spatiotemporal resolution and specificity to an extent that is not attainable with either technique alone. We review methodological developments in electrophysiological source imaging over the past three decades and envision its future advancement into a powerful functional neuroimaging technology for basic and clinical neuroscience applications.

An integrated brain-behavior model for working memory.

PubMed

Moser, D A; Doucet, G E; Ing, A; Dima, D; Schumann, G; Bilder, R M; Frangou, S

2017-12-05

Working memory (WM) is a central construct in cognitive neuroscience because it comprises mechanisms of active information maintenance and cognitive control that underpin most complex cognitive behavior. Individual variation in WM has been associated with multiple behavioral and health features including demographic characteristics, cognitive and physical traits and lifestyle choices. In this context, we used sparse canonical correlation analyses (sCCAs) to determine the covariation between brain imaging metrics of WM-network activation and connectivity and nonimaging measures relating to sensorimotor processing, affective and nonaffective cognition, mental health and personality, physical health and lifestyle choices derived from 823 healthy participants derived from the Human Connectome Project. We conducted sCCAs at two levels: a global level, testing the overall association between the entire imaging and behavioral-health data sets; and a modular level, testing associations between subsets of the two data sets. The behavioral-health and neuroimaging data sets showed significant interdependency. Variables with positive correlation to the neuroimaging variate represented higher physical endurance and fluid intelligence as well as better function in multiple higher-order cognitive domains. Negatively correlated variables represented indicators of suboptimal cardiovascular and metabolic control and lifestyle choices such as alcohol and nicotine use. These results underscore the importance of accounting for behavioral-health factors in neuroimaging studies of WM and provide a neuroscience-informed framework for personalized and public health interventions to promote and maintain the integrity of the WM network.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 5 December 2017; doi:10.1038/mp.2017.247.

Interoceptive inference: From computational neuroscience to clinic.

PubMed

Owens, Andrew P; Allen, Micah; Ondobaka, Sasha; Friston, Karl J

2018-04-22

The central and autonomic nervous systems can be defined by their anatomical, functional and neurochemical characteristics, but neither functions in isolation. For example, fundamental components of autonomically mediated homeostatic processes are afferent interoceptive signals reporting the internal state of the body and efferent signals acting on interoceptive feedback assimilated by the brain. Recent predictive coding (interoceptive inference) models formulate interoception in terms of embodied predictive processes that support emotion and selfhood. We propose interoception may serve as a way to investigate holistic nervous system function and dysfunction in disorders of brain, body and behaviour. We appeal to predictive coding and (active) interoceptive inference, to describe the homeostatic functions of the central and autonomic nervous systems. We do so by (i) reviewing the active inference formulation of interoceptive and autonomic function, (ii) survey clinical applications of this formulation and (iii) describe how it offers an integrative approach to human physiology; particularly, interactions between the central and peripheral nervous systems in health and disease. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactive Methods for Teaching Action Potentials, an Example of Teaching Innovation from Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellows in the Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Program.

PubMed

Keen-Rhinehart, E; Eisen, A; Eaton, D; McCormack, K

2009-01-01

Acquiring a faculty position in academia is extremely competitive and now typically requires more than just solid research skills and knowledge of one's field. Recruiting institutions currently desire new faculty that can teach effectively, but few postdoctoral positions provide any training in teaching methods. Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) is a successful postdoctoral training program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) providing training in both research and teaching methodology. The FIRST program provides fellows with outstanding interdisciplinary biomedical research training in fields such as neuroscience. The postdoctoral research experience is integrated with a teaching program which includes a How to Teach course, instruction in classroom technology and course development and mentored teaching. During their mentored teaching experiences, fellows are encouraged to explore innovative teaching methodologies and to perform science teaching research to improve classroom learning. FIRST fellows teaching neuroscience to undergraduates have observed that many of these students have difficulty with the topic of neuroscience. Therefore, we investigated the effects of interactive teaching methods for this topic. We tested two interactive teaching methodologies to determine if they would improve learning and retention of this information when compared with standard lectures. The interactive methods for teaching action potentials increased understanding and retention. Therefore, FIRST provides excellent teaching training, partly by enhancing the ability of fellows to integrate innovative teaching methods into their instruction. This training in turn provides fellows that matriculate from this program more of the characteristics that hiring institutions desire in their new faculty.

Interactive Methods for Teaching Action Potentials, an Example of Teaching Innovation from Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellows in the Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Program

PubMed Central

Keen-Rhinehart, E.; Eisen, A.; Eaton, D.; McCormack, K.

2009-01-01

Acquiring a faculty position in academia is extremely competitive and now typically requires more than just solid research skills and knowledge of one’s field. Recruiting institutions currently desire new faculty that can teach effectively, but few postdoctoral positions provide any training in teaching methods. Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) is a successful postdoctoral training program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) providing training in both research and teaching methodology. The FIRST program provides fellows with outstanding interdisciplinary biomedical research training in fields such as neuroscience. The postdoctoral research experience is integrated with a teaching program which includes a How to Teach course, instruction in classroom technology and course development and mentored teaching. During their mentored teaching experiences, fellows are encouraged to explore innovative teaching methodologies and to perform science teaching research to improve classroom learning. FIRST fellows teaching neuroscience to undergraduates have observed that many of these students have difficulty with the topic of neuroscience. Therefore, we investigated the effects of interactive teaching methods for this topic. We tested two interactive teaching methodologies to determine if they would improve learning and retention of this information when compared with standard lectures. The interactive methods for teaching action potentials increased understanding and retention. Therefore, FIRST provides excellent teaching training, partly by enhancing the ability of fellows to integrate innovative teaching methods into their instruction. This training in turn provides fellows that matriculate from this program more of the characteristics that hiring institutions desire in their new faculty. PMID:23493377

78 FR 56904 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-16

... Cognitive Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior Study Section. Date... Emphasis Panel; Small Business: Radiation Therapy and Biology. Date: October 15-16, 2013. Time: 9:00 a.m...

The Use of a Small Private Online Course to Allow Educators to Share Teaching Resources Across Diverse Sites: The Future of Psychiatric Case Conferences?

PubMed

Lockhart, Billy J; Capurso, Noah A; Chase, Isaiah; Arbuckle, Melissa R; Travis, Michael J; Eisen, Jane; Ross, David A

2017-02-01

The authors sought to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating small private online course (SPOC) technology with flipped classroom techniques in order to improve neuroscience education across diverse training sites. Post-graduate medical educators used SPOC web conferencing software and video technology to implement an integrated case conference and in-depth neuroscience discussion. Ten psychiatry training programs from across the USA and from two international sites took part in the conference. Feedback from participants was largely positive. This pilot demonstrated the feasibility of such a program and provided a diverse audience with the opportunity to engage in an interactive learning experience with expert faculty discussants. This may be a useful model for programs with limited local expertise to expand their teaching efforts in a wide range of topics.

Integrating Levels of Analysis in Systems and Cognitive Neurosciences: Selective Attention as a Case Study.

PubMed

Itthipuripat, Sirawaj; Serences, John T

2016-06-01

Neuroscience is inherently interdisciplinary, rapidly expanding beyond its roots in biological sciences to many areas of the social and physical sciences. This expansion has led to more sophisticated ways of thinking about the links between brains and behavior and has inspired the development of increasingly advanced tools to characterize the activity of large populations of neurons. However, along with these advances comes a heightened risk of fostering confusion unless efforts are made to better integrate findings across different model systems and to develop a better understanding about how different measurement techniques provide mutually constraining information. Here we use selective visuospatial attention as a case study to highlight the importance of these issues, and we suggest that exploiting multiple measures can better constrain models that relate neural activity to animal behavior. © The Author(s) 2015.

3D Shape Perception in Posterior Cortical Atrophy: A Visual Neuroscience Perspective

PubMed Central

Gillebert, Céline R.; Schaeverbeke, Jolien; Bastin, Christine; Neyens, Veerle; Bruffaerts, Rose; De Weer, An-Sofie; Seghers, Alexandra; Sunaert, Stefan; Van Laere, Koen; Versijpt, Jan; Vandenbulcke, Mathieu; Salmon, Eric; Todd, James T.; Orban, Guy A.

2015-01-01

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare focal neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by progressive visuoperceptual and visuospatial deficits, most often due to atypical Alzheimer's disease (AD). We applied insights from basic visual neuroscience to analyze 3D shape perception in humans affected by PCA. Thirteen PCA patients and 30 matched healthy controls participated, together with two patient control groups with diffuse Lewy body dementia (DLBD) and an amnestic-dominant phenotype of AD, respectively. The hierarchical study design consisted of 3D shape processing for 4 cues (shading, motion, texture, and binocular disparity) with corresponding 2D and elementary feature extraction control conditions. PCA and DLBD exhibited severe 3D shape-processing deficits and AD to a lesser degree. In PCA, deficient 3D shape-from-shading was associated with volume loss in the right posterior inferior temporal cortex. This region coincided with a region of functional activation during 3D shape-from-shading in healthy controls. In PCA patients who performed the same fMRI paradigm, response amplitude during 3D shape-from-shading was reduced in this region. Gray matter volume in this region also correlated with 3D shape-from-shading in AD. 3D shape-from-disparity in PCA was associated with volume loss slightly more anteriorly in posterior inferior temporal cortex as well as in ventral premotor cortex. The findings in right posterior inferior temporal cortex and right premotor cortex are consistent with neurophysiologically based models of the functional anatomy of 3D shape processing. However, in DLBD, 3D shape deficits rely on mechanisms distinct from inferior temporal structural integrity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by progressive visuoperceptual dysfunction and most often an atypical presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) affecting the ventral and dorsal visual streams rather than the medial temporal system. We applied insights from fundamental visual neuroscience to analyze 3D shape perception in PCA. 3D shape-processing deficits were affected beyond what could be accounted for by lower-order processing deficits. For shading and disparity, this was related to volume loss in regions previously implicated in 3D shape processing in the intact human and nonhuman primate brain. Typical amnestic-dominant AD patients also exhibited 3D shape deficits. Advanced visual neuroscience provides insight into the pathogenesis of PCA that also bears relevance for vision in typical AD. PMID:26377458

The future of restorative neurosciences in stroke: driving the translational research pipeline from basic science to rehabilitation of people after stroke.

PubMed

Cheeran, Binith; Cohen, Leonardo; Dobkin, Bruce; Ford, Gary; Greenwood, Richard; Howard, David; Husain, Masud; Macleod, Malcolm; Nudo, Randolph; Rothwell, John; Rudd, Anthony; Teo, James; Ward, Nicholas; Wolf, Steven

2009-02-01

Major advances during the past 50 years highlight the immense potential for restoration of function after neural injury, even in the damaged adult human brain. Yet, the translation of these advances into clinically useful treatments is painstakingly slow. Here, we consider why the traditional model of a "translational research pipeline" that transforms basic science into novel clinical practice has failed to improve rehabilitation practice for people after stroke. We find that (1) most treatments trialed in vitro and in animal models have not yet resulted in obviously useful functional gains in patients; (2) most clinical trials of restorative treatments after stroke have been limited to small-scale studies; (3) patient recruitment for larger clinical trials is difficult; (4) the determinants of patient outcomes and what patients want remain complex and ill-defined, so that basic scientists have no clear view of the clinical importance of the problems that they are addressing; (5) research in academic neuroscience centers is poorly integrated with practice in front-line hospitals and the community, where the majority of patients are treated; and (6) partnership with both industry stakeholders and patient pressure groups is poorly developed, at least in the United Kingdom where research in the translational restorative neurosciences in stroke depends on public sector research funds and private charities. We argue that interaction between patients, front-line clinicians, and clinical and basic scientists is essential so that they can explore their different priorities, skills, and concerns. These interactions can be facilitated by funding research consortia that include basic and clinical scientists, clinicians and patient/carer representatives with funds targeted at those impairments that are major determinants of patient and carer outcomes. Consortia would be instrumental in developing a lexicon of common methods, standardized outcome measures, data sharing and long-term goals. Interactions of this sort would create a research-friendly, rather than only target-led, culture in front-line stroke rehabilitation services.

Concepts for Developing and Utilizing Crowdsourcing for Neurotechnology Advancement

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

understanding of brain function and related neuroimaging tools, which is mostly limited to highly trained neuroscientists and engineers who wish to...Included are some programmatic suggestions, as well as exemplar applications to fit this end goal. 15. SUBJECT TERMS modular, EEG, neuroscience ... neuroscience -related problems among professionals in other fields, such as engineering and computer science, utilizing this approach to inspire true

Optic Glomeruli: Biological Circuits that Compute Target Identity

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

vitripennis. Insect Mol. Biol. Suppl. 1:121-36. Strausfeld NJ. 2012. Arthropod Brains. Evolution , Functional Elegance and Historical Significance. Harvard...Neuroscience and Center for Insect Science University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 Contract No. FA8651-10-1-0001 November 2013 FINAL REPORT...PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER Department of Neuroscience and Center for Insect Science University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721

Adapting Social Neuroscience Measures for Schizophrenia Clinical Trials, Part 1: Ferrying Paradigms Across Perilous Waters

PubMed Central

Green, Michael F.

2013-01-01

Social cognitive impairment is prominent in schizophrenia, and it is closely related to functional outcome. Partly for these reasons, it has rapidly become a target for both training and psychopharmacological interventions. However, there is a paucity of reliable and valid social cognitive endpoints that can be used to evaluate treatment response in clinical trials. Also, clinical studies in schizophrenia have benefited rather little from the surge of activity and knowledge in nonclinical social neuroscience. The National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored study, “Social Cognition and Functioning in Schizophrenia” (SCAF), attempted to address this translational challenge by selecting paradigms from social neuroscience that could be adapted for use in schizophrenia. The project also evaluated the psychometric properties and external validity of the tasks to determine their suitability for multisite clinical trials. This first article in the theme section presents the goals, conceptual background, and rationale for the SCAF project. PMID:24072811

Novel Dissection of the Central Nervous System to Bridge Gross Anatomy and Neuroscience for an Integrated Medical Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hlavac, Rebecca J.; Klaus, Rachel; Betts, Kourtney; Smith, Shilo M.; Stabio, Maureen E.

2018-01-01

Medical schools in the United States continue to undergo curricular change, reorganization, and reformation as more schools transition to an integrated curriculum. Anatomy educators must find novel approaches to teach in a way that will bridge multiple disciplines. The cadaveric extraction of the central nervous system (CNS) provides an…

[Addiction].

PubMed

Besson, J; Grivel, J; Tomei, A; Falcheri, J-P; Waelchli, M; Simon, O; Rossier, V

2012-01-11

The news in addiction medicine for 2011 include new knowledges coming from the neurosciences, but also new clinical concepts, as the role of hospital addiction units in an integrated network of care. The issue of cocaine vaccination is discussed from an ethical point of view. Finally, the integration of mindfulness techniques is introduced as a useful approach in the treatment of the addictions.

Towards a heterarchical approach to biology and cognition.

PubMed

Bruni, Luis Emilio; Giorgi, Franco

2015-12-01

In this article we challenge the pervasive notion of hierarchy in biological and cognitive systems and delineate the basis for a complementary heterarchical approach starting from the seminal ideas of Warren McCullock and Gregory Bateson. We intend these considerations as a contribution to the different scientific disciplines working towards a multilevel integrative perspective of biological and cognitive processes, such as systems and integrative biology and neuroscience, social and cultural neuroscience, social signal transduction and psychoneuroimmunology, for instance. We argue that structures and substrates are by necessity organized hierarchically, while communication processes - and their embeddedness - are rather organized heterarchically. Before getting into the implications of the heterarchical approach and its congeniality with the semiotic perspective to biology and cognition, we introduce a set of notions and concepts in order to advance a framework that considers the heterarchical embeddedness of different layers of physiological, behavioral, affective, cognitive, technological and socio-cultural levels implicit in networks of interacting minds, considering the dynamic complementarity of bottom-up and top-down causal links. This should contribute to account for the integration, interpretation and response to complex aggregates of information at different levels of organization in a developmental context. We illustrate the dialectical nature of embedded heterarchical processes by addressing the simultaneity and circularity of cognition and volition, and how such dialectics can be present in primitive instances of proto-cognition and proto-volition, giving rise to our claim that subjectivity and semiotic freedom are scalar properties. We collate the framework with recent empirical systemic approaches to biology and integrative neuroscience, and conclude with a reflection on its implications to the understanding of the emergence of pathological conditions in multi-level semiotic systems. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Association of increased genotypes risk for bipolar disorder with brain white matter integrity investigated with tract-based spatial statistics: Special Section on "Translational and Neuroscience Studies in Affective Disorders". Section Editor, Maria Nobile MD, PhD. This Section of JAD focuses on the relevance of translational and neuroscience studies in providing a better understanding of the neural basis of affective disorders. The main aim is to briefly summarise relevant research findings in clinical neuroscience with particular regards to specific innovative topics in mood and anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Squarcina, L; Houenou, J; Altamura, A C; Soares, J; Brambilla, P

2017-10-15

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, which allow the in-vivo investigation of brain tissue integrity, have shown that bipolar disorder (BD) patients present signs of white matter dysconnectivity. In parallel, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified several risk genetic variants for BD. In this mini-review, we summarized DTI studies coupling tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), a reliable technique exploring white matter axon bundles, and genetics in BD. We performed a bibliographic search on PUBMED, using the search terms "TBSS", "genetics", "genome", "genes", "polymorphism", "bipolar disorder". Ten studies met these inclusion criteria. ANK3 and ZNF804A polymorphisms have shown the most consistent results, with the risk alleles showing abnormal white matter integrity in patients with BD. Current studies are limited by the investigation of single SNPs in small and chronically treated samples. Most considered TBSS-DTI studies found associations between decreased white matter integrity and genetic risk variants. These results suggest an involvement of dysmyelination in the pathogenesis of BD. The combination of TBSS with genotyping can be powerful to unveil the role of white matter in BD, in conjunction with risk genes. Future DTI studies should combine TBSS and GWAS in large populations of drug-free or minimally treated patients with BD at the onset of the disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technology in the teaching of neuroscience: enhanced student learning.

PubMed

Griffin, John D

2003-12-01

The primary motivation for integrating any form of education technology into a particular course or curriculum should always be to enhance student learning. However, it can be difficult to determine which technologies will be the most appropriate and effective teaching tools. Through the alignment of technology-enhanced learning experiences with a clear set of learning objectives, teaching becomes more efficient and effective and learning is truly enhanced. In this article, I describe how I have made extensive use of technology in two neuroscience courses that differ in structure and content. Course websites function as resource centers and provide a forum for student interaction. PowerPoint presentations enhance formal lectures and provide an organized outline of presented material. Some lectures are also supplemented with interactive CD-ROMs, used in the presentation of difficult physiological concepts. In addition, a computer-based physiological recording system is used in laboratory sessions, improving the hands-on experience of group learning while reinforcing the concepts of the research method. Although technology can provide powerful teaching tools, the enhancement of the learning environment is still dependent on the instructor. It is the skill and enthusiasm of the instructor that determines whether technology will be used effectively.

The neuroscience of musical improvisation.

PubMed

Beaty, Roger E

2015-04-01

Researchers have recently begun to examine the neural basis of musical improvisation, one of the most complex forms of creative behavior. The emerging field of improvisation neuroscience has implications not only for the study of artistic expertise, but also for understanding the neural underpinnings of domain-general processes such as motor control and language production. This review synthesizes functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI) studies of musical improvisation, including vocal and instrumental improvisation, with samples of jazz pianists, classical musicians, freestyle rap artists, and non-musicians. A network of prefrontal brain regions commonly linked to improvisatory behavior is highlighted, including the pre-supplementary motor area, medial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and dorsal premotor cortex. Activation of premotor and lateral prefrontal regions suggests that a seemingly unconstrained behavior may actually benefit from motor planning and cognitive control. Yet activation of cortical midline regions points to a role of spontaneous cognition characteristic of the default network. Together, such results may reflect cooperation between large-scale brain networks associated with cognitive control and spontaneous thought. The improvisation literature is integrated with Pressing's theoretical model, and discussed within the broader context of research on the brain basis of creative cognition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrative neural model of social perception, action observation, and theory of mind.

PubMed

Yang, Daniel Y-J; Rosenblau, Gabriela; Keifer, Cara; Pelphrey, Kevin A

2015-04-01

In the field of social neuroscience, major branches of research have been instrumental in describing independent components of typical and aberrant social information processing, but the field as a whole lacks a comprehensive model that integrates different branches. We review existing research related to the neural basis of three key neural systems underlying social information processing: social perception, action observation, and theory of mind. We propose an integrative model that unites these three processes and highlights the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), which plays a central role in all three systems. Furthermore, we integrate these neural systems with the dual system account of implicit and explicit social information processing. Large-scale meta-analyses based on Neurosynth confirmed that the pSTS is at the intersection of the three neural systems. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis with 1000 subjects confirmed that the pSTS is connected to all other regions in these systems. The findings presented in this review are specifically relevant for psychiatric research especially disorders characterized by social deficits such as autism spectrum disorder. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrative neural model of social perception, action observation, and theory of mind

PubMed Central

Yang, Daniel Y.-J.; Rosenblau, Gabriela; Keifer, Cara; Pelphrey, Kevin A.

2016-01-01

In the field of social neuroscience, major branches of research have been instrumental in describing independent components of typical and aberrant social information processing, but the field as a whole lacks a comprehensive model that integrates different branches. We review existing research related to the neural basis of three key neural systems underlying social information processing: social perception, action observation, and theory of mind. We propose an integrative model that unites these three processes and highlights the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), which plays a central role in all three systems. Furthermore, we integrate these neural systems with the dual system account of implicit and explicit social information processing. Large-scale meta-analyses based on Neurosynth confirmed that the pSTS is at the intersection of the three neural systems. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis with 1000 subjects confirmed that the pSTS is connected to all other regions in these systems. The findings presented in this review are specifically relevant for psychiatric research especially disorders characterized by social deficits such as autism spectrum disorder. PMID:25660957

Online Teaching Tool Simplifies Faculty Use of Multimedia and Improves Student Interest and Knowledge in Science

PubMed Central

Walsh, John P.; Chih-Yuan Sun, Jerry; Riconscente, Michelle

2011-01-01

Digital technologies can improve student interest and knowledge in science. However, researching the vast number of websites devoted to science education and integrating them into undergraduate curricula is time-consuming. We developed an Adobe ColdFusion– and Adobe Flash–based system for simplifying the construction, use, and delivery of electronic educational materials in science. The Online Multimedia Teaching Tool (OMTT) in Neuroscience was constructed from a ColdFusion-based online interface, which reduced the need for programming skills and the time for curriculum development. The OMTT in Neuroscience was used by faculty to enhance their lectures in existing curricula. Students had unlimited online access to encourage user-centered exploration. We found the OMTT was rapidly adapted by multiple professors, and its use by undergraduate students was consistent with the interpretation that the OMTT improved performance on exams and increased interest in the field of neuroscience. PMID:21885826

Online teaching tool simplifies faculty use of multimedia and improves student interest and knowledge in science.

PubMed

Walsh, John P; Chih-Yuan Sun, Jerry; Riconscente, Michelle

2011-01-01

Digital technologies can improve student interest and knowledge in science. However, researching the vast number of websites devoted to science education and integrating them into undergraduate curricula is time-consuming. We developed an Adobe ColdFusion- and Adobe Flash-based system for simplifying the construction, use, and delivery of electronic educational materials in science. The Online Multimedia Teaching Tool (OMTT) in Neuroscience was constructed from a ColdFusion-based online interface, which reduced the need for programming skills and the time for curriculum development. The OMTT in Neuroscience was used by faculty to enhance their lectures in existing curricula. Students had unlimited online access to encourage user-centered exploration. We found the OMTT was rapidly adapted by multiple professors, and its use by undergraduate students was consistent with the interpretation that the OMTT improved performance on exams and increased interest in the field of neuroscience.

Neuroart: picturing the neuroscience of intentional actions in art and science.

PubMed

Siler, Todd

2015-01-01

Intentional actions cover a broad spectrum of human behaviors involving consciousness, creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving, critical thinking, and other related cognitive processes self-evident in the arts and sciences. The author discusses the brain activity associated with action intentions, connecting this activity with the creative process. Focusing on one seminal artwork created and exhibited over a period of three decades, Thought Assemblies (1979-82, 2014), he describes how this symbolic art interprets the neuropsychological processes of intuition and analytical reasoning. It explores numerous basic questions concerning observed interactions between artistic and scientific inquiries, conceptions, perceptions, and representations connecting mind and nature. Pointing to some key neural mechanisms responsible for forming and implementing intentions, he considers why and how we create, discover, invent, and innovate. He suggests ways of metaphorical thinking and symbolic modeling that can help integrate the neuroscience of intentional actions with the neuroscience of creativity, art and neuroaesthetics.

Neuroart: picturing the neuroscience of intentional actions in art and science

PubMed Central

Siler, Todd

2015-01-01

Intentional actions cover a broad spectrum of human behaviors involving consciousness, creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving, critical thinking, and other related cognitive processes self-evident in the arts and sciences. The author discusses the brain activity associated with action intentions, connecting this activity with the creative process. Focusing on one seminal artwork created and exhibited over a period of three decades, Thought Assemblies (1979–82, 2014), he describes how this symbolic art interprets the neuropsychological processes of intuition and analytical reasoning. It explores numerous basic questions concerning observed interactions between artistic and scientific inquiries, conceptions, perceptions, and representations connecting mind and nature. Pointing to some key neural mechanisms responsible for forming and implementing intentions, he considers why and how we create, discover, invent, and innovate. He suggests ways of metaphorical thinking and symbolic modeling that can help integrate the neuroscience of intentional actions with the neuroscience of creativity, art and neuroaesthetics. PMID:26257629

Global mental health and neuroscience: potential synergies.

PubMed

Stein, Dan J; He, Yanling; Phillips, Anthony; Sahakian, Barbara J; Williams, John; Patel, Vikram

2015-02-01

Global mental health has emerged as an important specialty. It has drawn attention to the burden of mental illness and to the relative gap in mental health research and services around the world. Global mental health has raised the question of whether this gap is a developmental issue, a health issue, a human rights issue, or a combination of these issues-and it has raised awareness of the need to develop new approaches for building capacity, mobilising resources, and closing the research and treatment gap. Translational neuroscience has also advanced. It comprises an important conceptual approach to understanding the neurocircuitry and molecular basis of mental disorders, to rethinking how best to undertake research on the aetiology, assessment, and treatment of these disorders, with the ultimate aim to develop entirely new approaches to prevention and intervention. Some apparent contrasts exist between these fields; global mental health emphasises knowledge translation, moving away from the bedside to a focus on health systems, whereas translational neuroscience emphasises molecular neuroscience, focusing on transitions between the bench and bedside. Meanwhile, important opportunities exist for synergy between the two paradigms, to ensure that present opportunities in mental health research and services are maximised. Here, we review the approaches of global mental health and clinical neuroscience to diagnosis, pathogenesis, and intervention, and make recommendations for facilitating an integration of these two perspectives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terminology for Neuroscience Data Discovery: Multi-tree Syntax and Investigator-Derived Semantics

PubMed Central

Goldberg, David H.; Grafstein, Bernice; Robert, Adrian; Gardner, Esther P.

2009-01-01

The Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), developed for the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research and available at http://nif.nih.gov and http://neurogateway.org, is built upon a set of coordinated terminology components enabling data and web-resource description and selection. Core NIF terminologies use a straightforward syntax designed for ease of use and for navigation by familiar web interfaces, and readily exportable to aid development of relational-model databases for neuroscience data sharing. Datasets, data analysis tools, web resources, and other entities are characterized by multiple descriptors, each addressing core concepts, including data type, acquisition technique, neuroanatomy, and cell class. Terms for each concept are organized in a tree structure, providing is-a and has-a relations. Broad general terms near each root span the category or concept and spawn more detailed entries for specificity. Related but distinct concepts (e.g., brain area and depth) are specified by separate trees, for easier navigation than would be required by graph representation. Semantics enabling NIF data discovery were selected at one or more workshops by investigators expert in particular systems (vision, olfaction, behavioral neuroscience, neurodevelopment), brain areas (cerebellum, thalamus, hippocampus), preparations (molluscs, fly), diseases (neurodegenerative disease), or techniques (microscopy, computation and modeling, neurogenetics). Workshop-derived integrated term lists are available Open Source at http://brainml.org; a complete list of participants is at http://brainml.org/workshops. PMID:18958630

Attacking Heterogeneity in Schizophrenia by Deriving Clinical Subgroups From Widely Available Symptom Data.

PubMed

Dickinson, Dwight; Pratt, Danielle N; Giangrande, Evan J; Grunnagle, MeiLin; Orel, Jennifer; Weinberger, Daniel R; Callicott, Joseph H; Berman, Karen F

2018-01-13

Previous research has identified (1) a "deficit" subtype of schizophrenia characterized by enduring negative symptoms and diminished emotionality and (2) a "distress" subtype associated with high emotionality-including anxiety, depression, and stress sensitivity. Individuals in deficit and distress categories differ sharply in development, clinical course and behavior, and show distinct biological markers, perhaps signaling different etiologies. We tested whether deficit and distress subtypes would emerge from a simple but novel data-driven subgrouping analysis, based on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative and distress symptom dimensions, and whether subgrouping was informative regarding other facets of behavior and brain function. PANSS data, and other assessments, were available for 549 people with schizophrenia diagnoses. Negative and distress symptom composite scores were used as indicators in 2-step cluster analyses, which divided the sample into low symptom (n = 301), distress (n = 121), and deficit (n = 127) subgroups. Relative to the low-symptom group, the deficit and distress subgroups had comparably higher total PANSS symptoms (Ps < .001) and were similarly functionally impaired (eg, global functioning [GAF] Ps < .001), but showed markedly different patterns on symptom, cognitive and personality variables, among others. Initial analyses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from a 182-participant subset of the full sample also suggested distinct patterns of neural recruitment during working memory. The field seeks more neuroscience-based systems for classifying psychiatric conditions, but these are inescapably behavioral disorders. More effective parsing of clinical and behavioral traits could identify homogeneous target groups for further neural system and molecular studies, helping to integrate clinical and neuroscience approaches. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center 2017.

Cognitive neuroscience: the troubled marriage of cognitive science and neuroscience.

PubMed

Cooper, Richard P; Shallice, Tim

2010-07-01

We discuss the development of cognitive neuroscience in terms of the tension between the greater sophistication in cognitive concepts and methods of the cognitive sciences and the increasing power of more standard biological approaches to understanding brain structure and function. There have been major technological developments in brain imaging and advances in simulation, but there have also been shifts in emphasis, with topics such as thinking, consciousness, and social cognition becoming fashionable within the brain sciences. The discipline has great promise in terms of applications to mental health and education, provided it does not abandon the cognitive perspective and succumb to reductionism. Copyright © 2010 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

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... Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Integrative Neuroscience. Date: March 28, 2012. Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m... Emphasis Panel; Member Conflict: Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology. Date: April 4, 2012. Time...

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Soft materials in neuroengineering for hard problems in neuroscience.

PubMed

Jeong, Jae-Woong; Shin, Gunchul; Park, Sung Il; Yu, Ki Jun; Xu, Lizhi; Rogers, John A

2015-04-08

We describe recent advances in soft electronic interface technologies for neuroscience research. Here, low modulus materials and/or compliant mechanical structures enable modes of soft, conformal integration and minimally invasive operation that would be difficult or impossible to achieve using conventional approaches. We begin by summarizing progress in electrodes and associated electronics for signal amplification and multiplexed readout. Examples in large-area, surface conformal electrode arrays and flexible, multifunctional depth-penetrating probes illustrate the power of these concepts. A concluding section highlights areas of opportunity in the further development and application of these technologies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computational neuropharmacology: dynamical approaches in drug discovery.

PubMed

Aradi, Ildiko; Erdi, Péter

2006-05-01

Computational approaches that adopt dynamical models are widely accepted in basic and clinical neuroscience research as indispensable tools with which to understand normal and pathological neuronal mechanisms. Although computer-aided techniques have been used in pharmaceutical research (e.g. in structure- and ligand-based drug design), the power of dynamical models has not yet been exploited in drug discovery. We suggest that dynamical system theory and computational neuroscience--integrated with well-established, conventional molecular and electrophysiological methods--offer a broad perspective in drug discovery and in the search for novel targets and strategies for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Professor Eric Can't See: A Project-Based Learning Case for Neurobiology Students.

PubMed

Ogilvie, Judith Mosinger; Ribbens, Eric

2016-01-01

"Professor Eric Can't See" is a semi-biographical case study written for an upper level undergraduate Neurobiology of Disease course. The case is integrated into a unit using a project-based learning approach to investigate the retinal degenerative disorder Retinitis pigmentosa and the visual system. Some case study scenes provide specific questions for student discussion and problem-based learning, while others provide background for student inquiry and related active learning exercises. The case was adapted from "'Chemical Eric' Can't See," and could be adapted for courses in general neuroscience or sensory neuroscience.

"Scientific roots" of dualism in neuroscience.

PubMed

Arshavsky, Yuri I

2006-07-01

Although the dualistic concept is unpopular among neuroscientists involved in experimental studies of the brain, neurophysiological literature is full of covert dualistic statements on the possibility of understanding neural mechanisms of human consciousness. Particularly, the covert dualistic attitude is exhibited in the unwillingness to discuss neural mechanisms of consciousness, leaving the problem of consciousness to psychologists and philosophers. This covert dualism seems to be rooted in the main paradigm of neuroscience that suggests that cognitive functions, such as language production and comprehension, face recognition, declarative memory, emotions, etc., are performed by neural networks consisting of simple elements. I argue that neural networks of any complexity consisting of neurons whose function is limited to the generation of electrical potentials and the transmission of signals to other neurons are hardly capable of producing human mental activity, including consciousness. Based on results obtained in physiological, morphological, clinical, and genetic studies of cognitive functions (mainly linguistic ones), I advocate the hypothesis that the performance of cognitive functions is based on complex cooperative activity of "complex" neurons that are carriers of "elementary cognition." The uniqueness of human cognitive functions, which has a genetic basis, is determined by the specificity of genes expressed by these "complex" neurons. The main goal of the review is to show that the identification of the genes implicated in cognitive functions and the understanding of a functional role of their products is a possible way to overcome covert dualism in neuroscience.

Characterizing neurocognitive late effects in childhood leukemia survivors using a combination of neuropsychological and cognitive neuroscience measures.

PubMed

Van Der Plas, Ellen; Erdman, Lauren; Nieman, Brian J; Weksberg, Rosanna; Butcher, Darci T; O'connor, Deborah L; Aufreiter, Susanne; Hitzler, Johann; Guger, Sharon L; Schachar, Russell J; Ito, Shinya; Spiegler, Brenda J

2017-10-10

Knowledge about cognitive late effects in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is largely based on standardized neuropsychological measures and parent reports. To examine whether cognitive neuroscience paradigms provided additional insights into neurocognitive and behavioral late effects in ALL survivors, we assessed cognition and behavior using a selection of cognitive neuroscience tasks and standardized measures probing domains previously demonstrated to be affected by chemotherapy. 130 ALL survivors and 158 control subjects, between 8 and 18 years old at time of testing, completed the n-back (working memory) and stop-signal (response inhibition) tasks. ALL survivors also completed standardized measures of intelligence (Wechsler Intelligence Scales [WISC-IV]), motor skills (Grooved Pegboard), math abilities (WIAT-III), and executive functions (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System). Parents completed behavioral measures of executive functions (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function [BRIEF]) and attention (Conners-3). ALL survivors exhibited deficiencies in working memory and response inhibition compared with controls. ALL survivors also exhibited deficits on WISC-IV working memory and processing speed, Grooved Pegboard, WIAT-III addition and subtraction fluency, and numerical operations, as well as DKEFS number-letter switching. Parent reports suggested more attention deficits (Conners-3) and behavioral difficulties (BRIEF) in ALL survivors compared with referenced norms. Low correspondence between standardized and experimental measures of working memory and response inhibition was noted. The use of cognitive neuroscience paradigms complements our understanding of the cognitive deficits evident after treatment of ALL. These measures could further delineate cognitive processes involved in neurocognitive late effects, providing opportunities to explore their underlying mechanisms.

History and neuroscience: an integrative legacy.

PubMed

Casper, Stephen T

2014-03-01

The attitudes that characterize the contemporary "neuro-turn" were strikingly commonplace as part of the self-fashioning of social identity in the biographies and personal papers of past neurologists and neuroscientists. Indeed, one fundamental connection between nineteenth- and twentieth-century neurology and contemporary neuroscience appears to be the value that workers in both domains attach to the idea of integration, a vision of neural science and medicine that connected reductionist science to broader inquiries about the mind, brain, and human nature and in so doing supposedly resolved once and for all questions germane to the human sciences, humanities, and arts. How those attitudes were produced and reproduced first in neurology and then in neuroscience; in what way they were constructed and disciplined, thereby eventuating in the contested sciences and medicines of the mind, brain, and nervous system; and even how they garnered ever-wider contemporary purchase in cultures and societies are thus fascinating problems for historians of science and medicine. Such problems shed light on ethics, practices, controversies, and the uneasy social relations within those scientific and medical domains. But more to the point of this essay: they also account for the apparent epistemological weight now accorded "the neuro" in our contemporary moment. They thus illuminate in a rather different way why historians have suddenly discovered the value of "the neuro".

Cognitive Style as Environmentally Sensitive Individual Differences in Cognition: A Modern Synthesis and Applications in Education, Business, and Management.

PubMed

Kozhevnikov, Maria; Evans, Carol; Kosslyn, Stephen M

2014-05-01

The key aims of this article are to relate the construct of cognitive style to current theories in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and to outline a framework that integrates the findings on individual differences in cognition across different disciplines. First, we characterize cognitive style as patterns of adaptation to the external world that develop on the basis of innate predispositions, the interactions among which are shaped by changing environmental demands. Second, we show that research on cognitive style in psychology and cross-cultural neuroscience, on learning styles in education, and on decision-making styles in business and management all address the same phenomena. Third, we review cognitive-psychology and neuroscience research that supports the validity of the concept of cognitive style. Fourth, we show that various styles from disparate disciplines can be organized into a single taxonomy. This taxonomy allows us to integrate all the well-documented cognitive, learning, and decision-making styles; all of these style types correspond to adaptive systems that draw on different levels of information processing. Finally, we discuss how the proposed approach might promote greater coherence in research and application in education, in business and management, and in other disciplines. © The Author(s) 2014.

To label or not to label: applications of quantitative proteomics in neuroscience research.

PubMed

Filiou, Michaela D; Martins-de-Souza, Daniel; Guest, Paul C; Bahn, Sabine; Turck, Christoph W

2012-02-01

Proteomics has provided researchers with a sophisticated toolbox of labeling-based and label-free quantitative methods. These are now being applied in neuroscience research where they have already contributed to the elucidation of fundamental mechanisms and the discovery of candidate biomarkers. In this review, we evaluate and compare labeling-based and label-free quantitative proteomic techniques for applications in neuroscience research. We discuss the considerations required for the analysis of brain and central nervous system specimens, the experimental design of quantitative proteomic workflows as well as the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of the available techniques for neuroscience-oriented questions. Furthermore, we assess the use of labeled standards as internal controls for comparative studies in humans and review applications of labeling-based and label-free mass spectrometry approaches in relevant model organisms and human subjects. Providing a comprehensive guide of feasible and meaningful quantitative proteomic methodologies for neuroscience research is crucial not only for overcoming current limitations but also for gaining useful insights into brain function and translating proteomics from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Categorization = Decision Making + Generalization

PubMed Central

Seger, Carol A; Peterson, Erik J.

2013-01-01

We rarely, if ever, repeatedly encounter exactly the same situation. This makes generalization crucial for real world decision making. We argue that categorization, the study of generalizable representations, is a type of decision making, and that categorization learning research would benefit from approaches developed to study the neuroscience of decision making. Similarly, methods developed to examine generalization and learning within the field of categorization may enhance decision making research. We first discuss perceptual information processing and integration, with an emphasis on accumulator models. We then examine learning the value of different decision making choices via experience, emphasizing reinforcement learning modeling approaches. Next we discuss how value is combined with other factors in decision making, emphasizing the effects of uncertainty. Finally, we describe how a final decision is selected via thresholding processes implemented by the basal ganglia and related regions. We also consider how memory related functions in the hippocampus may be integrated with decision making mechanisms and contribute to categorization. PMID:23548891

Clinical management departments for the neurosciences.

PubMed

Matías-Guiu, J; García-Ramos, R; Ramos, M; Soto, J

2016-01-01

Neuroscience-related clinical management departments (UGC in Spanish) represent a means of organising hospitals to deliver patient-centred care as well as specific clinical and administrative management models. The authors review the different UGC models in Spain and their implementation processes as well as any functional problems. We pay special attention to departments treating neurological patients. Neuroscience-related specialties may offer a good framework for the units that they contain. This may be due to the inherent variability and costs associated with neurological patients, the vital level of coordination that must be present between units providing care, and probably to the dynamic nature of the neurosciences as well. Difficulties associated with implementing and gaining acceptance for the new model have limited such UGCs until now. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

How should neuroscience study emotions? by distinguishing emotion states, concepts, and experiences.

PubMed

Adolphs, Ralph

2017-01-01

In this debate with Lisa Feldman Barrett, I defend a view of emotions as biological functional states. Affective neuroscience studies emotions in this sense, but it also studies the conscious experience of emotion ('feelings'), our ability to attribute emotions to others and to animals ('attribution', 'anthropomorphizing'), our ability to think and talk about emotion ('concepts of emotion', 'semantic knowledge of emotion') and the behaviors caused by an emotion ('expression of emotions', 'emotional reactions'). I think that the most pressing challenge facing affective neuroscience is the need to carefully distinguish between these distinct aspects of 'emotion'. I view emotion states as evolved functional states that regulate complex behavior, in both people and animals, in response to challenges that instantiate recurrent environmental themes. These functional states, in turn, can also cause conscious experiences (feelings), and their effects and our memories for those effects also contribute to our semantic knowledge of emotions (concepts). Cross-species studies, dissociations in neurological and psychiatric patients, and more ecologically valid neuroimaging designs should be used to partly separate these different phenomena. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press.

How should neuroscience study emotions? by distinguishing emotion states, concepts, and experiences

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract In this debate with Lisa Feldman Barrett, I defend a view of emotions as biological functional states. Affective neuroscience studies emotions in this sense, but it also studies the conscious experience of emotion (‘feelings’), our ability to attribute emotions to others and to animals (‘attribution’, ‘anthropomorphizing’), our ability to think and talk about emotion (‘concepts of emotion’, ‘semantic knowledge of emotion’) and the behaviors caused by an emotion (‘expression of emotions’, ‘emotional reactions’). I think that the most pressing challenge facing affective neuroscience is the need to carefully distinguish between these distinct aspects of ‘emotion’. I view emotion states as evolved functional states that regulate complex behavior, in both people and animals, in response to challenges that instantiate recurrent environmental themes. These functional states, in turn, can also cause conscious experiences (feelings), and their effects and our memories for those effects also contribute to our semantic knowledge of emotions (concepts). Cross-species studies, dissociations in neurological and psychiatric patients, and more ecologically valid neuroimaging designs should be used to partly separate these different phenomena. PMID:27798256

Data mining through simulation.

PubMed

Lytton, William W; Stewart, Mark

2007-01-01

Data integration is particularly difficult in neuroscience; we must organize vast amounts of data around only a few fragmentary functional hypotheses. It has often been noted that computer simulation, by providing explicit hypotheses for a particular system and bridging across different levels of organization, can provide an organizational focus, which can be leveraged to form substantive hypotheses. Simulations lend meaning to data and can be updated and adapted as further data come in. The use of simulation in this context suggests the need for simulator adjuncts to manage and evaluate data. We have developed a neural query system (NQS) within the NEURON simulator, providing a relational database system, a query function, and basic data-mining tools. NQS is used within the simulation context to manage, verify, and evaluate model parameterizations. More importantly, it is used for data mining of simulation data and comparison with neurophysiology.

Interaction between Neurogenesis and Hippocampal Memory System: New Vistas

PubMed Central

Abrous, Djoher Nora; Wojtowicz, Jan Martin

2015-01-01

During the last decade, the questions on the functionality of adult neurogenesis have changed their emphasis from if to how the adult-born neurons participate in a variety of memory processes. The emerging answers are complex because we are overwhelmed by a variety of behavioral tasks that apparently require new neurons to be performed optimally. With few exceptions, the hippocampal memory system seems to use the newly generated neurons for multiple roles. Adult neurogenesis has given the dentate gyrus new capabilities not previously thought possible within the scope of traditional synaptic plasticity. Looking at these new developments from the perspective of past discoveries, the science of adult neurogenesis has emerged from its initial phase of being, first, a surprising oddity and, later, exciting possibility, to the present state of being an integral part of mainstream neuroscience. The answers to many remaining questions regarding adult neurogenesis will come along only with our growing understanding of the functionality of the brain as a whole. This, in turn, will require integration of multiple levels of organization from molecules and cells to circuits and systems, ultimately resulting in comprehension of behavioral outcomes. PMID:26032718

A regenerative microchannel device for recording multiple single-unit action potentials in awake, ambulatory animals.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Akhil; Tipton, John; Tahilramani, Mayank; Kharbouch, Adel; Gaupp, Eric; Song, Chao; Venkataraman, Poornima; Falcone, Jessica; Lacour, Stéphanie P; Stanley, Garrett B; English, Arthur W; Bellamkonda, Ravi V

2016-02-01

Despite significant advances in robotics, commercially advanced prosthetics provide only a small fraction of the functionality of the amputated limb that they are meant to replace. Peripheral nerve interfacing could provide a rich controlling link between the body and these advanced prosthetics in order to increase their overall utility. Here, we report on the development of a fully integrated regenerative microchannel interface with 30 microelectrodes and signal extraction capabilities enabling evaluation in an awake and ambulatory rat animal model. In vitro functional testing validated the capability of the microelectrodes to record neural signals similar in size and nature to those that occur in vivo. In vitro dorsal root ganglia cultures revealed striking cytocompatibility of the microchannel interface. Finally, in vivo, the microchannel interface was successfully used to record a multitude of single-unit action potentials through 63% of the integrated microelectrodes at the early time point of 3 weeks. This marks a significant advance in microchannel interfacing, demonstrating the capability of microchannels to be used for peripheral nerve interfacing. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

From Whole-Brain Data to Functional Circuit Models: The Zebrafish Optomotor Response.

PubMed

Naumann, Eva A; Fitzgerald, James E; Dunn, Timothy W; Rihel, Jason; Sompolinsky, Haim; Engert, Florian

2016-11-03

Detailed descriptions of brain-scale sensorimotor circuits underlying vertebrate behavior remain elusive. Recent advances in zebrafish neuroscience offer new opportunities to dissect such circuits via whole-brain imaging, behavioral analysis, functional perturbations, and network modeling. Here, we harness these tools to generate a brain-scale circuit model of the optomotor response, an orienting behavior evoked by visual motion. We show that such motion is processed by diverse neural response types distributed across multiple brain regions. To transform sensory input into action, these regions sequentially integrate eye- and direction-specific sensory streams, refine representations via interhemispheric inhibition, and demix locomotor instructions to independently drive turning and forward swimming. While experiments revealed many neural response types throughout the brain, modeling identified the dimensions of functional connectivity most critical for the behavior. We thus reveal how distributed neurons collaborate to generate behavior and illustrate a paradigm for distilling functional circuit models from whole-brain data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The NIF LinkOut broker: a web resource to facilitate federated data integration using NCBI identifiers.

PubMed

Marenco, Luis; Ascoli, Giorgio A; Martone, Maryann E; Shepherd, Gordon M; Miller, Perry L

2008-09-01

This paper describes the NIF LinkOut Broker (NLB) that has been built as part of the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) project. The NLB is designed to coordinate the assembly of links to neuroscience information items (e.g., experimental data, knowledge bases, and software tools) that are (1) accessible via the Web, and (2) related to entries in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI's) Entrez system. The NLB collects these links from each resource and passes them to the NCBI which incorporates them into its Entrez LinkOut service. In this way, an Entrez user looking at a specific Entrez entry can LinkOut directly to related neuroscience information. The information stored in the NLB can also be utilized in other ways. A second approach, which is operational on a pilot basis, is for the NLB Web server to create dynamically its own Web page of LinkOut links for each NCBI identifier in the NLB database. This approach can allow other resources (in addition to the NCBI Entrez) to LinkOut to related neuroscience information. The paper describes the current NLB system and discusses certain design issues that arose during its implementation.

The NIF LinkOut Broker: A Web Resource to Facilitate Federated Data Integration using NCBI Identifiers

PubMed Central

Ascoli, Giorgio A.; Martone, Maryann E.; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Miller, Perry L.

2009-01-01

This paper describes the NIF LinkOut Broker (NLB) that has been built as part of the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF) project. The NLB is designed to coordinate the assembly of links to neuroscience information items (e.g., experimental data, knowledge bases, and software tools) that are (1) accessible via the Web, and (2) related to entries in the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI’s) Entrez system. The NLB collects these links from each resource and passes them to the NCBI which incorporates them into its Entrez LinkOut service. In this way, an Entrez user looking at a specific Entrez entry can LinkOut directly to related neuroscience information. The information stored in the NLB can also be utilized in other ways. A second approach, which is operational on a pilot basis, is for the NLB Web server to create dynamically its own Web page of LinkOut links for each NCBI identifier in the NLB database. This approach can allow other resources (in addition to the NCBI Entrez) to LinkOut to related neuroscience information. The paper describes the current NLB system and discusses certain design issues that arose during its implementation. PMID:18975149

Addiction Studies with Positron Emission Tomography

ScienceCinema

Joanna Fowler

2017-12-09

Brookhaven scientist Joanna Fowler describes Positron Emission Technology (PET) research at BNL which for the past 30 years has focused in the integration of basic research in radiotracer chemistry with the tools of neuroscience to develop new scientific

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2013-01-29

[email protected] . Name of Committee: Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience Integrated Review Group... Special Emphasis Panel; Small Business: Informatics. Date: February 25, 2013. Time: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m...

Addiction Studies with Positron Emission Tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joanna Fowler

Brookhaven scientist Joanna Fowler describes Positron Emission Technology (PET) research at BNL which for the past 30 years has focused in the integration of basic research in radiotracer chemistry with the tools of neuroscience to develop new scientific

Dissociative Experience and Cultural Neuroscience: Narrative, Metaphor and Mechanism

PubMed Central

Kirmayer, Laurence J.

2016-01-01

Approaches to trance and possession in anthropology have tended to use outmoded models drawn from psychodynamic theory or treated such dissociative phenomena as purely discursive processes of attributing action and experience to agencies other than the self. Within psychology and psychiatry, understanding of dissociative disorders has been hindered by polemical “either/or” arguments: either dissociative disorders are real, spontaneous alterations in brain states that reflect basic neurobiological phenomena, or they are imaginary, socially constructed role performances dictated by interpersonal expectations, power dynamics and cultural scripts. In this paper, we outline an approach to dissociative phenomena, including trance, possession and spiritual and healing practices, that integrates the neuropsychological notions of underlying mechanism with sociocultural processes of the narrative construction and social presentation of the self. This integrative model, grounded in a cultural neuroscience, can advance ethnographic studies of dissociation and inform clinical approaches to dissociation through careful consideration of the impact of social context. PMID:18213511

Dissociative experience and cultural neuroscience: narrative, metaphor and mechanism.

PubMed

Seligman, Rebecca; Kirmayer, Laurence J

2008-03-01

Approaches to trance and possession in anthropology have tended to use outmoded models drawn from psychodynamic theory or treated such dissociative phenomena as purely discursive processes of attributing action and experience to agencies other than the self. Within psychology and psychiatry, understanding of dissociative disorders has been hindered by polemical "either/or" arguments: either dissociative disorders are real, spontaneous alterations in brain states that reflect basic neurobiological phenomena, or they are imaginary, socially constructed role performances dictated by interpersonal expectations, power dynamics and cultural scripts. In this paper, we outline an approach to dissociative phenomena, including trance, possession and spiritual and healing practices, that integrates the neuropsychological notions of underlying mechanism with sociocultural processes of the narrative construction and social presentation of the self. This integrative model, grounded in a cultural neuroscience, can advance ethnographic studies of dissociation and inform clinical approaches to dissociation through careful consideration of the impact of social context.

The Use of a Small Private Online Course to Allow Educators to Share Teaching Resources Across Diverse Sites: The Future of Psychiatric Case Conferences?

PubMed Central

Lockhart, Billy J.; Capurso, Noah A.; Chase, Isaiah; Arbuckle, Melissa R.; Travis, Michael J.; Eisen, Jane

2017-01-01

Objective The authors sought to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating small private online course (SPOC) technology with flipped classroom techniques in order to improve neuroscience education across diverse training sites. Methods Post-graduate medical educators used SPOC web conferencing software and video technology to implement an integrated case conference and in-depth neuroscience discussion. Results Ten psychiatry training programs from across the USA and from two international sites took part in the conference. Feedback from participants was largely positive. Conclusion This pilot demonstrated the feasibility of such a program and provided a diverse audience with the opportunity to engage in an interactive learning experience with expert faculty discussants. This may be a useful model for programs with limited local expertise to expand their teaching efforts in a wide range of topics. PMID:26620806

Computational psychiatry

PubMed Central

Montague, P. Read; Dolan, Raymond J.; Friston, Karl J.; Dayan, Peter

2013-01-01

Computational ideas pervade many areas of science and have an integrative explanatory role in neuroscience and cognitive science. However, computational depictions of cognitive function have had surprisingly little impact on the way we assess mental illness because diseases of the mind have not been systematically conceptualized in computational terms. Here, we outline goals and nascent efforts in the new field of computational psychiatry, which seeks to characterize mental dysfunction in terms of aberrant computations over multiple scales. We highlight early efforts in this area that employ reinforcement learning and game theoretic frameworks to elucidate decision-making in health and disease. Looking forwards, we emphasize a need for theory development and large-scale computational phenotyping in human subjects. PMID:22177032

Leaky Integrate-and-Fire Neuron Circuit Based on Floating-Gate Integrator

PubMed Central

Kornijcuk, Vladimir; Lim, Hyungkwang; Seok, Jun Yeong; Kim, Guhyun; Kim, Seong Keun; Kim, Inho; Choi, Byung Joon; Jeong, Doo Seok

2016-01-01

The artificial spiking neural network (SNN) is promising and has been brought to the notice of the theoretical neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering research communities. In this light, we propose a new type of artificial spiking neuron based on leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) behavior. A distinctive feature of the proposed FG-LIF neuron is the use of a floating-gate (FG) integrator rather than a capacitor-based one. The relaxation time of the charge on the FG relies mainly on the tunnel barrier profile, e.g., barrier height and thickness (rather than the area). This opens up the possibility of large-scale integration of neurons. The circuit simulation results offered biologically plausible spiking activity (<100 Hz) with a capacitor of merely 6 fF, which is hosted in an FG metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. The FG-LIF neuron also has the advantage of low operation power (<30 pW/spike). Finally, the proposed circuit was subject to possible types of noise, e.g., thermal noise and burst noise. The simulation results indicated remarkable distributional features of interspike intervals that are fitted to Gamma distribution functions, similar to biological neurons in the neocortex. PMID:27242416

Integrating Case Topics in Medical School Curriculum to Enhance Multiple Skill Learning: Using Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders as an Exemplary Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paley, Blair; O'Connor, Mary J.; Baillie, Susan J.; Guiton, Gretchen; Stuber, Margaret L.

2009-01-01

Objectives: This article describes the use of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) as a theme to connect the learning of basic neurosciences with clinical applications across the age span within a systems-based, integrated curricular structure that emphasizes problem-based learning. Methods: In collaboration with the Centers for Disease…

Neural network integration during the perception of in-group and out-group members.

PubMed

Greven, Inez M; Ramsey, Richard

2017-11-01

Group biases guide social interactions by promoting in-group favouritism, but the neural mechanisms underpinning group biases remain unclear. While neuroscience research has shown that distributed brain circuits are associated with seeing in-group and out-group members as "us" and "them", it is less clear how these networks exchange signals. This fMRI study uses functional connectivity analyses to investigate the contribution of functional integration to group bias modulation of person perception. Participants were assigned to an arbitrary group and during scanning they observed bodies of in-group or out-group members that cued the recall of positive or negative social knowledge. The results showed that functional coupling between perceptual and cognitive neural networks is tuned to particular combinations of group membership and social knowledge valence. Specifically, coupling between body perception and theory-of-mind networks is biased towards seeing a person that had previously been paired with information consistent with group bias (positive for in-group and negative for out-group). This demonstrates how brain regions associated with visual analysis of others and belief reasoning exchange and integrate signals when evaluating in-group and out-group members. The results update models of person perception by showing how and when interplay occurs between perceptual and extended systems when developing a representation of another person. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Clinical Neuroscience Course: Viewing Mental Health from Neurobiological Perspectives

PubMed Central

Lambert, Kelly G.

2005-01-01

Although the field of neuroscience is booming, a challenge for researchers in mental health disciplines is the integration of basic research findings into applied clinical approaches leading to effective therapies. Recently the National Institute of Mental Health called for translational research grants to encourage collaboration between neuroscientists and mental health professionals. In order for this “clinical neuroscience” to emerge and thrive, an important first step is the provision of appropriate course offerings so that future neuroscience researchers and mental health practitioners will have a common neurobiological base from which to make informed decisions about the most efficacious treatments for mental illnesses. Accordingly, an integrative course, Clinical Neuroscience, was developed to address these issues. After reviewing the historical origins of this emerging discipline, students are exposed to fundamental overviews of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neural development before approaching the neurobiological components of several disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, depression, Tourette’s syndrome, drug abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder). Finally, the maintenance of mental health is emphasized as topics such as psychoneuroimmunology, coping with stress, and eating regulation are discussed. Important themes emphasized in this course include (1) the consideration of only empirically based evidence, (2) the view that mental illness represents a disruption of neurobiological homeostasis, (3) the acknowledgement that, because the brain is a plastic organ, the clinical relevance of environmental and behavioral influences is difficult to overestimate, and (4) the recognition of the value of ecologically relevant animal models in the investigation of various aspects of mental illness. Because of the importance of stress maintenance in mental health, exercises have been developed to increase students’ awareness of their own coping strategies. Finally, several books and movies are incorporated to provide additional points of view of the topics discussed in the course. PMID:23494100

Neuroscience and approach/avoidance personality traits: a two stage (valuation-motivation) approach.

PubMed

Corr, Philip J; McNaughton, Neil

2012-11-01

Many personality theories link specific traits to the sensitivities of the neural systems that control approach and avoidance. But there is no consensus on the nature of these systems. Here we combine recent advances in economics and neuroscience to provide a more solid foundation for a neuroscience of approach/avoidance personality. We propose a two-stage integration of valuation (loss/gain) sensitivities with motivational (approach/avoidance/conflict) sensitivities. Our key conclusions are: (1) that valuation of appetitive and aversive events (e.g. gain and loss as studied by behavioural economists) is an independent perceptual input stage--with the economic phenomenon of loss aversion resulting from greater negative valuation sensitivity compared to positive valuation sensitivity; (2) that valuation of an appetitive stimulus then interacts with a contingency of presentation or omission to generate a motivational 'attractor' or 'repulsor', respectively (vice versa for an aversive stimulus); (3) the resultant behavioural tendencies to approach or avoid have distinct sensitivities to those of the valuation systems; (4) while attractors and repulsors can reinforce new responses they also, more usually, elicit innate or previously conditioned responses and so the perception/valuation-motivation/action complex is best characterised as acting as a 'reinforcer' not a 'reinforcement'; and (5) approach-avoidance conflict must be viewed as activating a third motivation system that is distinct from the basic approach and avoidance systems. We provide examples of methods of assessing each of the constructs within approach-avoidance theories and of linking these constructs to personality measures. We sketch a preliminary five-element reinforcer sensitivity theory (RST-5) as a first step in the integration of existing specific approach-avoidance theories into a coherent neuroscience of personality. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facial affect processing and depression susceptibility: cognitive biases and cognitive neuroscience.

PubMed

Bistricky, Steven L; Ingram, Rick E; Atchley, Ruth Ann

2011-11-01

Facial affect processing is essential to social development and functioning and is particularly relevant to models of depression. Although cognitive and interpersonal theories have long described different pathways to depression, cognitive-interpersonal and evolutionary social risk models of depression focus on the interrelation of interpersonal experience, cognition, and social behavior. We therefore review the burgeoning depressive facial affect processing literature and examine its potential for integrating disciplines, theories, and research. In particular, we evaluate studies in which information processing or cognitive neuroscience paradigms were used to assess facial affect processing in depressed and depression-susceptible populations. Most studies have assessed and supported cognitive models. This research suggests that depressed and depression-vulnerable groups show abnormal facial affect interpretation, attention, and memory, although findings vary based on depression severity, comorbid anxiety, or length of time faces are viewed. Facial affect processing biases appear to correspond with distinct neural activity patterns and increased depressive emotion and thought. Biases typically emerge in depressed moods but are occasionally found in the absence of such moods. Indirect evidence suggests that childhood neglect might cultivate abnormal facial affect processing, which can impede social functioning in ways consistent with cognitive-interpersonal and interpersonal models. However, reviewed studies provide mixed support for the social risk model prediction that depressive states prompt cognitive hypervigilance to social threat information. We recommend prospective interdisciplinary research examining whether facial affect processing abnormalities promote-or are promoted by-depressogenic attachment experiences, negative thinking, and social dysfunction.

Integrating the Allen Brain Institute Cell Types Database into Automated Neuroscience Workflow.

PubMed

Stockton, David B; Santamaria, Fidel

2017-10-01

We developed software tools to download, extract features, and organize the Cell Types Database from the Allen Brain Institute (ABI) in order to integrate its whole cell patch clamp characterization data into the automated modeling/data analysis cycle. To expand the potential user base we employed both Python and MATLAB. The basic set of tools downloads selected raw data and extracts cell, sweep, and spike features, using ABI's feature extraction code. To facilitate data manipulation we added a tool to build a local specialized database of raw data plus extracted features. Finally, to maximize automation, we extended our NeuroManager workflow automation suite to include these tools plus a separate investigation database. The extended suite allows the user to integrate ABI experimental and modeling data into an automated workflow deployed on heterogeneous computer infrastructures, from local servers, to high performance computing environments, to the cloud. Since our approach is focused on workflow procedures our tools can be modified to interact with the increasing number of neuroscience databases being developed to cover all scales and properties of the nervous system.

Optogenetics and the future of neuroscience.

PubMed

Boyden, Edward S

2015-09-01

Over the last 10 years, optogenetics has become widespread in neuroscience for the study of how specific cell types contribute to brain functions and brain disorder states. The full impact of optogenetics will emerge only when other toolsets mature, including neural connectivity and cell phenotyping tools and neural recording and imaging tools. The latter tools are rapidly improving, in part because optogenetics has helped galvanize broad interest in neurotechnology development.

Neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience in the fMRI era: A recapitulation of localizationist and connectionist views.

PubMed

Sutterer, Matthew J; Tranel, Daniel

2017-11-01

We highlight the past 25 years of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, focusing on the impact to the field of the introduction in 1992 of functional MRI (fMRI). We reviewed the past 25 years of literature in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, focusing on the relation and interplay of fMRI studies and studies utilizing the "lesion method" in human participants with focal brain damage. Our review highlights the state of localist/connectionist research debates in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology circa 1992, and details how the introduction of fMRI into the field at that time catalyzed a new wave of efforts to map complex human behavior to specific brain regions. This, in turn, eventually evolved into many studies that focused on networks and connections between brain areas, culminating in recent years with large-scale investigations such as the Human Connectome Project. We argue that throughout the past 25 years, neuropsychology-and more precisely, the "lesion method" in humans-has continued to play a critical role in arbitrating conclusions and theories derived from inferred patterns of local brain activity or wide-spread connectivity from functional imaging approaches. We conclude by highlighting the future for neuropsychology in the context of an increasingly complex methodological armamentarium. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

76 FR 57064 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

...: Drug Discovery for the Nervous System. Date: October 17-18, 2011. Time: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Agenda: To... Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Biophysics of Neural Systems Study Section. Date: October 13, 2011. Time...

77 FR 5030 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Biophysics of Neural Systems Study Section. Date: February 23, 2012. Time... Services Organization and Delivery Study Section. Date: February 29-March 1, 2012. Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m...

Three requirements for justifying an educational neuroscience.

PubMed

Hruby, George G

2012-03-01

Over the past quarter century, efforts to bridge between research in the neurosciences and research, theory, and practice in education have grown from a mere hope to noteworthy scholarly sophistication. Many dedicated educational researchers have developed the secondary expertise in the necessary neurosciences and related fields to generate both empirical research and theoretical syntheses of noteworthy promise. Nonetheless, thoughtful and critical scholars in education have expressed concern about both the intellectual coherence and ethical dangers of this new area. It is still an open question whether educational neuroscience is for some time yet to remain only a formative study area for adventurous scholars or is already a fully fledged field of educational scholarship. In this paper, I suggest that to be a worthy field of educational research, educational neuroscience will need to address three issues: intellectual coherence, mutually informing and respected scholarly expertise, and an ethical commitment to the moral implications and obligations shared within educational research generally. I shall set forth some examples of lapses in this regard, focusing primarily on work on reading development, as that is my area of expertise, and make recommendations for due diligence. Arguments. First, intellectual coherence requires both precision in definition of technical terms (so that diverse scholars and professionals may communicate findings and insights consistently across fields), and precision in the logical warrants by which educational implications are drawn from empirical data from the neurosciences. Both needs are facilitated by careful attention to categorical boundary and avoidance of category error. Second, educational neuroscientists require focused and broad expertise in both the neurosciences and educational scholarship on teaching and learning in classrooms (and/or ancillary fields). If history is our guide, neuroscience implications for practice will prove unlikely in practice without expertise on practice. Additionally, respect for the expertise of others in this hybrid and necessarily collaborative enterprise is required. Third, educational neuroscience must take seriously the heightened moral and ethical concerns and commitments of educational professionals generally and educational researchers particularly. This means keeping a vigilant eye towards preserving the integrity of empirical and theoretical findings against rhetorical misuse by educational marketers, policy makers, and polemicists targeting the general public. I conclude that educational neuroscience is more than a hybrid patchwork of individual interests constituting a study area, and is perhaps ready to stand as a legitimate field of educational inquiry. It will not be accepted as such, however, nor should it be, unless the need to demonstrate a capacity for consistent intellectual coherence, scholarly expertise, and ethical commitment is met. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

A scalable neuroinformatics data flow for electrophysiological signals using MapReduce.

PubMed

Jayapandian, Catherine; Wei, Annan; Ramesh, Priya; Zonjy, Bilal; Lhatoo, Samden D; Loparo, Kenneth; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Sahoo, Satya S

2015-01-01

Data-driven neuroscience research is providing new insights in progression of neurological disorders and supporting the development of improved treatment approaches. However, the volume, velocity, and variety of neuroscience data generated from sophisticated recording instruments and acquisition methods have exacerbated the limited scalability of existing neuroinformatics tools. This makes it difficult for neuroscience researchers to effectively leverage the growing multi-modal neuroscience data to advance research in serious neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. We describe the development of the Cloudwave data flow that uses new data partitioning techniques to store and analyze electrophysiological signal in distributed computing infrastructure. The Cloudwave data flow uses MapReduce parallel programming algorithm to implement an integrated signal data processing pipeline that scales with large volume of data generated at high velocity. Using an epilepsy domain ontology together with an epilepsy focused extensible data representation format called Cloudwave Signal Format (CSF), the data flow addresses the challenge of data heterogeneity and is interoperable with existing neuroinformatics data representation formats, such as HDF5. The scalability of the Cloudwave data flow is evaluated using a 30-node cluster installed with the open source Hadoop software stack. The results demonstrate that the Cloudwave data flow can process increasing volume of signal data by leveraging Hadoop Data Nodes to reduce the total data processing time. The Cloudwave data flow is a template for developing highly scalable neuroscience data processing pipelines using MapReduce algorithms to support a variety of user applications.

A scalable neuroinformatics data flow for electrophysiological signals using MapReduce

PubMed Central

Jayapandian, Catherine; Wei, Annan; Ramesh, Priya; Zonjy, Bilal; Lhatoo, Samden D.; Loparo, Kenneth; Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Sahoo, Satya S.

2015-01-01

Data-driven neuroscience research is providing new insights in progression of neurological disorders and supporting the development of improved treatment approaches. However, the volume, velocity, and variety of neuroscience data generated from sophisticated recording instruments and acquisition methods have exacerbated the limited scalability of existing neuroinformatics tools. This makes it difficult for neuroscience researchers to effectively leverage the growing multi-modal neuroscience data to advance research in serious neurological disorders, such as epilepsy. We describe the development of the Cloudwave data flow that uses new data partitioning techniques to store and analyze electrophysiological signal in distributed computing infrastructure. The Cloudwave data flow uses MapReduce parallel programming algorithm to implement an integrated signal data processing pipeline that scales with large volume of data generated at high velocity. Using an epilepsy domain ontology together with an epilepsy focused extensible data representation format called Cloudwave Signal Format (CSF), the data flow addresses the challenge of data heterogeneity and is interoperable with existing neuroinformatics data representation formats, such as HDF5. The scalability of the Cloudwave data flow is evaluated using a 30-node cluster installed with the open source Hadoop software stack. The results demonstrate that the Cloudwave data flow can process increasing volume of signal data by leveraging Hadoop Data Nodes to reduce the total data processing time. The Cloudwave data flow is a template for developing highly scalable neuroscience data processing pipelines using MapReduce algorithms to support a variety of user applications. PMID:25852536

Emerging and continuing trends in psychotherapy: views from an editor's eye.

PubMed

Gelso, Charles J

2011-06-01

It is proposed that six major trends in psychotherapy have continued or emerged over the course of the author's editorship of Psychotherapy, the past seven years. These trends are (a) the increasing integration of techniques and the therapeutic relationship; (b) increasing focus on theoretical integration; (c) increasing efforts at research-practice integration; (d) increases in more specific, integrative reviews; (e) integration of biological, neuroscience understandings; and (f) integration of diversity and cultural considerations into psychotherapy. Each trend is described and its impact on the field is discussed. Cautions about each trend are also noted. The six trends are discussed in the context of integration.

What is a representative brain? Neuroscience meets population science.

PubMed

Falk, Emily B; Hyde, Luke W; Mitchell, Colter; Faul, Jessica; Gonzalez, Richard; Heitzeg, Mary M; Keating, Daniel P; Langa, Kenneth M; Martz, Meghan E; Maslowsky, Julie; Morrison, Frederick J; Noll, Douglas C; Patrick, Megan E; Pfeffer, Fabian T; Reuter-Lorenz, Patricia A; Thomason, Moriah E; Davis-Kean, Pamela; Monk, Christopher S; Schulenberg, John

2013-10-29

The last decades of neuroscience research have produced immense progress in the methods available to understand brain structure and function. Social, cognitive, clinical, affective, economic, communication, and developmental neurosciences have begun to map the relationships between neuro-psychological processes and behavioral outcomes, yielding a new understanding of human behavior and promising interventions. However, a limitation of this fast moving research is that most findings are based on small samples of convenience. Furthermore, our understanding of individual differences may be distorted by unrepresentative samples, undermining findings regarding brain-behavior mechanisms. These limitations are issues that social demographers, epidemiologists, and other population scientists have tackled, with solutions that can be applied to neuroscience. By contrast, nearly all social science disciplines, including social demography, sociology, political science, economics, communication science, and psychology, make assumptions about processes that involve the brain, but have incorporated neural measures to differing, and often limited, degrees; many still treat the brain as a black box. In this article, we describe and promote a perspective--population neuroscience--that leverages interdisciplinary expertise to (i) emphasize the importance of sampling to more clearly define the relevant populations and sampling strategies needed when using neuroscience methods to address such questions; and (ii) deepen understanding of mechanisms within population science by providing insight regarding underlying neural mechanisms. Doing so will increase our confidence in the generalizability of the findings. We provide examples to illustrate the population neuroscience approach for specific types of research questions and discuss the potential for theoretical and applied advances from this approach across areas.

Fractals in the neurosciences, Part II: clinical applications and future perspectives.

PubMed

Di Ieva, Antonio; Esteban, Francisco J; Grizzi, Fabio; Klonowski, Wlodzimierz; Martín-Landrove, Miguel

2015-02-01

It has been ascertained that the human brain is a complex system studied at multiple scales, from neurons and microcircuits to macronetworks. The brain is characterized by a hierarchical organization that gives rise to its highly topological and functional complexity. Over the last decades, fractal geometry has been shown as a universal tool for the analysis and quantification of the geometric complexity of natural objects, including the brain. The fractal dimension has been identified as a quantitative parameter for the evaluation of the roughness of neural structures, the estimation of time series, and the description of patterns, thus able to discriminate different states of the brain in its entire physiopathological spectrum. Fractal-based computational analyses have been applied to the neurosciences, particularly in the field of clinical neurosciences including neuroimaging and neuroradiology, neurology and neurosurgery, psychiatry and psychology, and neuro-oncology and neuropathology. After a review of the basic concepts of fractal analysis and its main applications to the basic neurosciences in part I of this series, here, we review the main applications of fractals to the clinical neurosciences for a holistic approach towards a fractal geometry model of the brain. © The Author(s) 2013.

PRN: a preprint service for catalyzing R-fMRI and neuroscience related studies

PubMed Central

Yan, Chao-gan; Li, Qingyang; Gao, Lei

2015-01-01

Sharing drafts of scientific manuscripts on preprint hosting services for early exposure and pre-publication feedback is a well-accepted practice in fields such as physics, astronomy, or mathematics. The field of neuroscience, however, has yet to adopt the preprint model. A reason for this reluctance might partly be the lack of central preprint services for the field of neuroscience. To address this issue, we announce the launch of Preprints of the R-fMRI Network (PRN), a community funded preprint hosting service. PRN provides free-submission and free hosting of manuscripts for resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) and neuroscience related studies. Submitted articles are openly discussed and receive feedback from readers and a panel of invited consultants from the R-fMRI Network. All manuscripts and feedback are freely accessible online with citable permanent URL for open-access. The goal of PRN is to supplement the peer reviewed journal publication system – by more rapidly communicating the latest research achievements throughout the world. We hope PRN would help the field to embrace the preprint model and thus further accelerate R-fMRI and neuroscience related studies, eventually enhancing human mental health. PMID:25844159

Optogenetic Approaches to Drug Discovery in Neuroscience and Beyond.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongkang; Cohen, Adam E

2017-07-01

Recent advances in optogenetics have opened new routes to drug discovery, particularly in neuroscience. Physiological cellular assays probe functional phenotypes that connect genomic data to patient health. Optogenetic tools, in particular tools for all-optical electrophysiology, now provide a means to probe cellular disease models with unprecedented throughput and information content. These techniques promise to identify functional phenotypes associated with disease states and to identify compounds that improve cellular function regardless of whether the compound acts directly on a target or through a bypass mechanism. This review discusses opportunities and unresolved challenges in applying optogenetic techniques throughout the discovery pipeline - from target identification and validation, to target-based and phenotypic screens, to clinical trials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanotools for Neuroscience and Brain Activity Mapping

PubMed Central

Alivisatos, A. Paul; Andrews, Anne M.; Boyden, Edward S.; Chun, Miyoung; Church, George M.; Deisseroth, Karl; Donoghue, John P.; Fraser, Scott E.; Lippincott-Schwartz, Jennifer; Looger, Loren L.; Masmanidis, Sotiris; McEuen, Paul L.; Nurmikko, Arto V.; Park, Hongkun; Peterka, Darcy S.; Reid, Clay; Roukes, Michael L.; Scherer, Axel; Schnitzer, Mark; Sejnowski, Terrence J.; Shepard, Kenneth L.; Tsao, Doris; Turrigiano, Gina; Weiss, Paul S.; Xu, Chris; Yuste, Rafael; Zhuang, Xiaowei

2013-01-01

Neuroscience is at a crossroads. Great effort is being invested into deciphering specific neural interactions and circuits. At the same time, there exist few general theories or principles that explain brain function. We attribute this disparity, in part, to limitations in current methodologies. Traditional neurophysiological approaches record the activities of one neuron or a few neurons at a time. Neurochemical approaches focus on single neurotransmitters. Yet, there is an increasing realization that neural circuits operate at emergent levels, where the interactions between hundreds or thousands of neurons, utilizing multiple chemical transmitters, generate functional states. Brains function at the nanoscale, so tools to study brains must ultimately operate at this scale, as well. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are poised to provide a rich toolkit of novel methods to explore brain function by enabling simultaneous measurement and manipulation of activity of thousands or even millions of neurons. We and others refer to this goal as the Brain Activity Mapping Project. In this Nano Focus, we discuss how recent developments in nanoscale analysis tools and in the design and synthesis of nanomaterials have generated optical, electrical, and chemical methods that can readily be adapted for use in neuroscience. These approaches represent exciting areas of technical development and research. Moreover, unique opportunities exist for nanoscientists, nanotechnologists, and other physical scientists and engineers to contribute to tackling the challenging problems involved in understanding the fundamentals of brain function. PMID:23514423

Emotion and the prefrontal cortex: An integrative review.

PubMed

Dixon, Matthew L; Thiruchselvam, Ravi; Todd, Rebecca; Christoff, Kalina

2017-10-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a critical role in the generation and regulation of emotion. However, we lack an integrative framework for understanding how different emotion-related functions are organized across the entire expanse of the PFC, as prior reviews have generally focused on specific emotional processes (e.g., decision making) or specific anatomical regions (e.g., orbitofrontal cortex). Additionally, psychological theories and neuroscientific investigations have proceeded largely independently because of the lack of a common framework. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of functional neuroimaging, electrophysiological, lesion, and structural connectivity studies on the emotion-related functions of 8 subregions spanning the entire PFC. We introduce the appraisal-by-content model, which provides a new framework for integrating the diverse range of empirical findings. Within this framework, appraisal serves as a unifying principle for understanding the PFC's role in emotion, while relative content-specialization serves as a differentiating principle for understanding the role of each subregion. A synthesis of data from affective, social, and cognitive neuroscience studies suggests that different PFC subregions are preferentially involved in assigning value to specific types of inputs: exteroceptive sensations, episodic memories and imagined future events, viscero-sensory signals, viscero-motor signals, actions, others' mental states (e.g., intentions), self-related information, and ongoing emotions. We discuss the implications of this integrative framework for understanding emotion regulation, value-based decision making, emotional salience, and refining theoretical models of emotion. This framework provides a unified understanding of how emotional processes are organized across PFC subregions and generates new hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying adaptive and maladaptive emotional functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Neuroscience of drug craving for addiction medicine: From circuits to therapies.

PubMed

Ekhtiari, Hamed; Nasseri, Padideh; Yavari, Fatemeh; Mokri, Azarkhsh; Monterosso, John

2016-01-01

Drug craving is a dynamic neurocognitive emotional-motivational response to a wide range of cues, from internal to external environments and from drug-related to stressful or affective events. The subjective feeling of craving, as an appetitive or compulsive state, could be considered a part of this multidimensional process, with modules in different levels of consciousness and embodiment. The neural correspondence of this dynamic and complex phenomenon may be productively investigated in relation to regional, small-scale networks, large-scale networks, and brain states. Within cognitive neuroscience, this approach has provided a long list of neural and cognitive targets for craving modulations with different cognitive, electrical, or pharmacological interventions. There are new opportunities to integrate different approaches for carving management from environmental, behavioral, psychosocial, cognitive, and neural perspectives. By using cognitive neuroscience models that treat drug craving as a dynamic and multidimensional process, these approaches may yield more effective interventions for addiction medicine. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The teen brain: insights from neuroimaging.

PubMed

Giedd, Jay N

2008-04-01

Few parents of a teenager are surprised to hear that the brain of a 16-year-old is different from the brain of an 8-year-old. Yet to pin down these differences in a rigorous scientific way has been elusive. Magnetic resonance imaging, with the capacity to provide exquisitely accurate quantifications of brain anatomy and physiology without the use of ionizing radiation, has launched a new era of adolescent neuroscience. Longitudinal studies of subjects from ages 3-30 years demonstrate a general pattern of childhood peaks of gray matter followed by adolescent declines, functional and structural increases in connectivity and integrative processing, and a changing balance between limbic/subcortical and frontal lobe functions, extending well into young adulthood. Although overinterpretation and premature application of neuroimaging findings for diagnostic purposes remains a risk, converging data from multiple imaging modalities is beginning to elucidate the implications of these brain changes on cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Pericyte function in the physiological central nervous system.

PubMed

Muramatsu, Rieko; Yamashita, Toshihide

2014-01-01

Damage to the central nervous system (CNS) leads to disruption of the vascular network, causing vascular dysfunction. Vascular dysfunction is the major event in the pathogenesis of CNS diseases and is closely associated with the severity of neuronal dysfunction. The suppression of vascular dysfunction has been considered a promising avenue to limit damage to the CNS, leading to efforts to clarify the cellular and molecular basis of vascular homeostasis maintenance. A reduction of trophic support and oxygen delivery due to circulatory insufficiency has long been regarded as a major cause of vascular damage. Moreover, recent studies provide a new perspective on the importance of the structural stability of blood vessels in CNS diseases. This updated article discusses emerging information on the key role of vascular integrity in CNS diseases, specially focusing on pericyte function. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

Neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric diabetes: a developmental perspective.

PubMed

Schwartz, David D; Wasserman, Rachel; Powell, Priscilla W; Axelrad, Marni E

2014-10-01

The impact of diabetes on the developing brain is well-accepted. Effects on neurocognitive functioning are moderate but have larger functional implications, especially when considered through a developmental lens. Pathophysiological factors such as severe hypoglycemia and chronic hyperglycemia can alter developmental trajectories in early childhood and perhaps at later periods. In this paper, we selectively review neurocognitive outcomes in pediatric diabetes (largely type 1), integrating recent research from developmental neuroscience and neuroimaging. We examine the effects of diabetes at different stages and place findings within a neurodevelopmental diathesis/stress framework. Early-onset diabetes is associated with specific effects on memory and more global cognitive late-effects, but less is known about cognitive outcomes of diabetes in later childhood and in adolescence, a time of increased neurobehavioral vulnerability that has received relatively limited empirical attention. Studies are also needed to better elucidate risk and protective factors that may moderate neurodevelopmental outcomes in youth with diabetes.

Propofol disrupts functional interactions between sensory and high-order processing of auditory verbal memory.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaolin; Lauer, Kathryn K; Ward, Barney D; Rao, Stephen M; Li, Shi-Jiang; Hudetz, Anthony G

2012-10-01

Current theories suggest that disrupting cortical information integration may account for the mechanism of general anesthesia in suppressing consciousness. Human cognitive operations take place in hierarchically structured neural organizations in the brain. The process of low-order neural representation of sensory stimuli becoming integrated in high-order cortices is also known as cognitive binding. Combining neuroimaging, cognitive neuroscience, and anesthetic manipulation, we examined how cognitive networks involved in auditory verbal memory are maintained in wakefulness, disrupted in propofol-induced deep sedation, and re-established in recovery. Inspired by the notion of cognitive binding, an functional magnetic resonance imaging-guided connectivity analysis was utilized to assess the integrity of functional interactions within and between different levels of the task-defined brain regions. Task-related responses persisted in the primary auditory cortex (PAC), but vanished in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and premotor areas in deep sedation. For connectivity analysis, seed regions representing sensory and high-order processing of the memory task were identified in the PAC and IFG. Propofol disrupted connections from the PAC seed to the frontal regions and thalamus, but not the connections from the IFG seed to a set of widely distributed brain regions in the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes (with exception of the PAC). These later regions have been implicated in mediating verbal comprehension and memory. These results suggest that propofol disrupts cognition by blocking the projection of sensory information to high-order processing networks and thus preventing information integration. Such findings contribute to our understanding of anesthetic mechanisms as related to information and integration in the brain. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neuroaesthetics: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Aesthetic Experience.

PubMed

Pearce, Marcus T; Zaidel, Dahlia W; Vartanian, Oshin; Skov, Martin; Leder, Helmut; Chatterjee, Anjan; Nadal, Marcos

2016-03-01

The field of neuroaesthetics has gained in popularity in recent years but also attracted criticism from the perspectives both of the humanities and the sciences. In an effort to consolidate research in the field, we characterize neuroaesthetics as the cognitive neuroscience of aesthetic experience, drawing on long traditions of research in empirical aesthetics on the one hand and cognitive neuroscience on the other. We clarify the aims and scope of the field, identifying relations among neuroscientific investigations of aesthetics, beauty, and art. The approach we advocate takes as its object of study a wide spectrum of aesthetic experiences, resulting from interactions of individuals, sensory stimuli, and context. Drawing on its parent fields, a cognitive neuroscience of aesthetics would investigate the complex cognitive processes and functional networks of brain regions involved in those experiences without placing a value on them. Thus, the cognitive neuroscientific approach may develop in a way that is mutually complementary to approaches in the humanities. © The Author(s) 2016.

Critical Essay: Building new management theories on sound data? The case of neuroscience

PubMed Central

Lindebaum, Dirk

2015-01-01

In this critical essay, I contend that accelerating demands for novel theories in management studies imply that new methodologies and data are sometimes accepted prematurely as supply of these novel theories. This point is illustrated with reference to how neuroscience can inform management research. I propose two demand forces that foster the increased focus on neuroscience in management studies, these being (i) the direction of public research funding, and (ii) publication bias as a boost for journal impact factor. Looking at the supply side, I note that (i) the statistical power of studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI, the ‘gold’ standard) is unacceptably low, (ii) the use of imprecise ‘motherhood’ statements, and (iii) the dismissal of ethical concerns in the formulation of management theories and practice informed by neuroscience. I then briefly outline the bad consequences of this for management theory and practice, emphasize why it is important to prevent these consequences, and offer some methodological suggestions for future research. PMID:27041766

Minimal Information for Neural Electromagnetic Ontologies (MINEMO): A standards-compliant method for analysis and integration of event-related potentials (ERP) data

PubMed Central

Frishkoff, Gwen; Sydes, Jason; Mueller, Kurt; Frank, Robert; Curran, Tim; Connolly, John; Kilborn, Kerry; Molfese, Dennis; Perfetti, Charles; Malony, Allen

2011-01-01

We present MINEMO (Minimal Information for Neural ElectroMagnetic Ontologies), a checklist for the description of event-related potentials (ERP) studies. MINEMO extends MINI (Minimal Information for Neuroscience Investigations)to the ERP domain. Checklist terms are explicated in NEMO, a formal ontology that is designed to support ERP data sharing and integration. MINEMO is also linked to an ERP database and web application (the NEMO portal). Users upload their data and enter MINEMO information through the portal. The database then stores these entries in RDF (Resource Description Framework), along with summary metrics, i.e., spatial and temporal metadata. Together these spatial, temporal, and functional metadata provide a complete description of ERP data and the context in which these data were acquired. The RDF files then serve as inputs to ontology-based labeling and meta-analysis. Our ultimate goal is to represent ERPs using a rich semantic structure, so results can be queried at multiple levels, to stimulate novel hypotheses and to promote a high-level, integrative account of ERP results across diverse study methods and paradigms. PMID:22180824

Social re-orientation and brain development: An expanded and updated view.

PubMed

Nelson, Eric E; Jarcho, Johanna M; Guyer, Amanda E

2016-02-01

Social development has been the focus of a great deal of neuroscience based research over the past decade. In this review, we focus on providing a framework for understanding how changes in facets of social development may correspond with changes in brain function. We argue that (1) distinct phases of social behavior emerge based on whether the organizing social force is the mother, peer play, peer integration, or romantic intimacy; (2) each phase is marked by a high degree of affect-driven motivation that elicits a distinct response in subcortical structures; (3) activity generated by these structures interacts with circuits in prefrontal cortex that guide executive functions, and occipital and temporal lobe circuits, which generate specific sensory and perceptual social representations. We propose that the direction, magnitude and duration of interaction among these affective, executive, and perceptual systems may relate to distinct sensitive periods across development that contribute to establishing long-term patterns of brain function and behavior. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The interface of self psychology, infant research, and neuroscience in clinical practice.

PubMed

Rustin, Judith

2009-04-01

This article focuses on the integration of self psychology with findings from infant research and neuroscience. While Kohut's psychology of the self provides a useful theoretical model for psychoanalytic practice, aspects of infant research and neuroscience offer specificity and nuance to basic self-psychological concepts. Kohut proposed that self-psychological psychoanalysis ameliorates derailed development through patient-analyst interaction, while a listening stance of empathic immersion begins the curative process of derailed development and sets the stage for reparative psychoanalytic work. Findings from infant research delineate much more specifically the nature of attunement both in early mother-infant and analyst-patient interactions. Findings from neuroscientific research delineate how early mother-infant experiences are encoded in implicit memory and explicates the emotional substrate of affects and feelings. This emotional substrate exists at birth and provides a means of communication both in infancy and adulthood. Additionally, infant research delineates the mutuality of the interactive process. Thus, both infant research and neuroscience add subtlety and nuance to basic self-psychological concepts. This subtlety opens up new ways of understanding patients and expands the clinical repertoire. Three clinical vignettes demonstrate how this nuance and expansion of self-psychological concepts are applied in the context of an ongoing psychoanalytic treatment.

How Social Status Shapes Person Perception and Evaluation: A Social Neuroscience Perspective.

PubMed

Mattan, Bradley D; Kubota, Jennifer T; Cloutier, Jasmin

2017-05-01

Inferring the relative rank (i.e., status) of others is essential to navigating social hierarchies. A survey of the expanding social psychological and neuroscience literatures on status reveals a diversity of focuses (e.g., perceiver vs. agent), operationalizations (e.g., status as dominance vs. wealth), and methodologies (e.g., behavioral, neuroscientific). Accommodating this burgeoning literature on status in person perception, the present review offers a novel social neuroscientific framework that integrates existing work with theoretical clarity. This framework distinguishes between five key concepts: (1) strategic pathways to status acquisition for agents, (2) status antecedents (i.e., perceptual and knowledge-based cues that confer status rank), (3) status dimensions (i.e., domains in which an individual may be ranked, such as wealth), (4) status level (i.e., one's rank along a given dimension), and (5) the relative importance of a given status dimension, dependent on perceiver and context characteristics. Against the backdrop of this framework, we review multiple dimensions of status in the nonhuman and human primate literatures. We then review the behavioral and neuroscientific literatures on the consequences of perceived status for attention and evaluation. Finally, after proposing a social neuroscience framework, we highlight innovative directions for future social status research in social psychology and neuroscience.

Using Literature and Innovative Assessments to Ignite Interest and Cultivate Critical Thinking Skills in an Undergraduate Neuroscience Course

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

Science education reform initiatives emphasize 1) the value of concepts over facts; 2) the benefits of open-ended, inquiry-based problem-solving rather than protocols leading to a single correct answer; and 3) the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to teaching that is not confined by departmental boundaries. Neuroscientists should be at the forefront of this movement by the very nature of the discipline we study. Neuroscience is a relatively new field that integrates diverse subjects (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology, computer science, and psychology) and experimental advances are constantly changing and expanding our understanding of brain function. How can we convey this excitement in the classroom? The project described in this article uses nonscientific literature to introduce a scientific topic of study. In addition, the multitask assignment requires the acquisition of content knowledge and the development of critical thinking skills. As students explore the topic from multiple perspectives, they recognize the interconnectedness of science and society and confront ethical and moral issues related to science. A comparison of exam scores, essay responses, engagement level, as well as students' own reflections, demonstrates that inclusion of the project does not sacrifice content knowledge, rather it enhances the overall learning process. PMID:17012207

3D Shape Perception in Posterior Cortical Atrophy: A Visual Neuroscience Perspective.

PubMed

Gillebert, Céline R; Schaeverbeke, Jolien; Bastin, Christine; Neyens, Veerle; Bruffaerts, Rose; De Weer, An-Sofie; Seghers, Alexandra; Sunaert, Stefan; Van Laere, Koen; Versijpt, Jan; Vandenbulcke, Mathieu; Salmon, Eric; Todd, James T; Orban, Guy A; Vandenberghe, Rik

2015-09-16

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare focal neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by progressive visuoperceptual and visuospatial deficits, most often due to atypical Alzheimer's disease (AD). We applied insights from basic visual neuroscience to analyze 3D shape perception in humans affected by PCA. Thirteen PCA patients and 30 matched healthy controls participated, together with two patient control groups with diffuse Lewy body dementia (DLBD) and an amnestic-dominant phenotype of AD, respectively. The hierarchical study design consisted of 3D shape processing for 4 cues (shading, motion, texture, and binocular disparity) with corresponding 2D and elementary feature extraction control conditions. PCA and DLBD exhibited severe 3D shape-processing deficits and AD to a lesser degree. In PCA, deficient 3D shape-from-shading was associated with volume loss in the right posterior inferior temporal cortex. This region coincided with a region of functional activation during 3D shape-from-shading in healthy controls. In PCA patients who performed the same fMRI paradigm, response amplitude during 3D shape-from-shading was reduced in this region. Gray matter volume in this region also correlated with 3D shape-from-shading in AD. 3D shape-from-disparity in PCA was associated with volume loss slightly more anteriorly in posterior inferior temporal cortex as well as in ventral premotor cortex. The findings in right posterior inferior temporal cortex and right premotor cortex are consistent with neurophysiologically based models of the functional anatomy of 3D shape processing. However, in DLBD, 3D shape deficits rely on mechanisms distinct from inferior temporal structural integrity. Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by progressive visuoperceptual dysfunction and most often an atypical presentation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) affecting the ventral and dorsal visual streams rather than the medial temporal system. We applied insights from fundamental visual neuroscience to analyze 3D shape perception in PCA. 3D shape-processing deficits were affected beyond what could be accounted for by lower-order processing deficits. For shading and disparity, this was related to volume loss in regions previously implicated in 3D shape processing in the intact human and nonhuman primate brain. Typical amnestic-dominant AD patients also exhibited 3D shape deficits. Advanced visual neuroscience provides insight into the pathogenesis of PCA that also bears relevance for vision in typical AD. Copyright © 2015 Gillebert, Schaeverbeke et al.

Crystal structure of channelrhodopsin, a light-gated cation channel – all cations lead through the monomer –

PubMed Central

Kato, Hideaki E.; Nureki, Osamu

2013-01-01

Channelrhodopsin (ChR) is a light-gated cation channel derived from green algae. Since the inward flow of cations triggers the neuron firing, neurons expressing ChRs can be optically controlled even within freely moving mammals. Although ChR has been broadly applied to neuro-science research, little is known about its molecular mechanisms. We determined the crystal structure of chimeric ChR at 2.3 Å resolution and revealed its molecular architecture. The integration of structural, electrophysio-logical, and computational analyses provided insight into the molecular basis for the channel function of ChR, and paved the way for the principled design of ChR variants with novel properties. PMID:27493541

Spikes alone do not behavior make: Why neuroscience needs biomechanics

PubMed Central

Tytell, E.D.; Holmes, P.; Cohen, A.H.

2011-01-01

Neural circuits do not function in isolation; they interact with the physical world, accepting sensory inputs and producing outputs via muscles. Since both these pathways are constrained by physics, the activity of neural circuits can only be understood by considering biomechanics of muscles, bodies, and the exterior world. We discuss how animal bodies have natural stable motions that require relatively little activation or control from the nervous system. The nervous system can substantially alter these motions, by subtly changing mechanical properties such as leg sti ness. Mechanics can also provide robustness to perturbations without sensory reflexes. By considering a complete neuromechanical system, neuroscientists and biomechanicians together can provide a more integrated view of neural circuitry and behavior. PMID:21683575

Converging levels of analysis in the cognitive neuroscience of visual attention.

PubMed Central

Duncan, J

1998-01-01

Experiments using behavioural, lesion, functional imaging and single neuron methods are considered in the context of a neuropsychological model of visual attention. According to this model, inputs compete for representation in multiple visually responsive brain systems, sensory and motor, cortical and subcortical. Competition is biased by advance priming of neurons responsive to current behavioural targets. Across systems competition is integrated such that the same, selected object tends to become dominant throughout. The behavioural studies reviewed concern divided attention within and between modalities. They implicate within-modality competition as one main restriction on concurrent stimulus identification. In contrast to the conventional association of lateral attentional focus with parietal lobe function, the lesion studies show attentional bias to be a widespread consequence of unilateral cortical damage. Although the clinical syndrome of unilateral neglect may indeed be associated with parietal lesions, this probably reflects an assortment of further deficits accompanying a simple attentional imbalance. The functional imaging studies show joint involvement of lateral prefrontal and occipital cortex in lateral attentional focus and competition. The single unit studies suggest how competition in several regions of extrastriate cortex is biased by advance priming of neurons responsive to current behavioural targets. Together, the concepts of competition, priming and integration allow a unified theoretical approach to findings from behavioural to single neuron levels. PMID:9770224

Neuroscience Investigations: An Overview of Studies Conducted

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, Millard F.

1999-01-01

The neural processes that mediate human spatial orientation and adaptive changes occurring in response to the sensory rearrangement encountered during orbital flight are primarily studied through second and third order responses. In the Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project (EDOMP) neuroscience investigations, the following were measured: (1) eye movements during acquisition of either static or moving visual targets, (2) postural and locomotor responses provoked by unexpected movement of the support surface, changes in the interaction of visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular information, changes in the major postural muscles via descending pathways, or changes in locomotor pathways, and (3) verbal reports of perceived self-orientation and self-motion which enhance and complement conclusions drawn from the analysis of oculomotor, postural, and locomotor responses. In spaceflight operations, spatial orientation can be defined as situational awareness, where crew member perception of attitude, position, or motion of the spacecraft or other objects in three-dimensional space, including orientation of one's own body, is congruent with actual physical events. Perception of spatial orientation is determined by integrating information from several sensory modalities. This involves higher levels of processing within the central nervous system that control eye movements, locomotion, and stable posture. Spaceflight operational problems occur when responses to the incorrectly perceived spatial orientation are compensatory in nature. Neuroscience investigations were conducted in conjunction with U. S. Space Shuttle flights to evaluate possible changes in the ability of an astronaut to land the Shuttle or effectively perform an emergency post-landing egress following microgravity adaptation during space flights of variable length. While the results of various sensory motor and spatial orientation tests could have an impact on future space flights, our knowledge of sensorimotor adaptation to spaceflight is limited, and the future application of effective countermeasures depends, in large part, on the results from appropriate neuroscience investigations. Therefore, the objective of the neuroscience investigations could have a negative effect on mission success. The Neuroscience Laboratory, Johnson Space Center (JSC), implemented three integrated Detailed Supplementary Objectives (DSO) designed to investigate spatial orientation and the associated compensatory responses as a part of the EDOMP. The four primary goals were (1) to establish a normative database of vestibular and associated sensory changes in response to spaceflight, (2) to determine the underlying etiology of neurovestibular and sensory motor changes associated with exposure to microgravity and the subsequent return to Earth, (3) to provide immediate feedback to spaceflight crews regarding potential countermeasures that could improve performance and safety during and after flight, and (4) to take under consideration appropriate designs for preflight, in-flight, and postflight countermeasures that could be implemented for future flights.

Efficacy of a modern neuroscience approach versus usual care evidence-based physiotherapy on pain, disability and brain characteristics in chronic spinal pain patients: protocol of a randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Among the multiple conservative modalities, physiotherapy is a commonly utilized treatment modality in managing chronic non-specific spinal pain. Despite the scientific progresses with regard to pain and motor control neuroscience, treatment of chronic spinal pain (CSP) often tends to stick to a peripheral biomechanical model, without targeting brain mechanisms. With a view to enhance clinical efficacy of existing physiotherapeutic treatments for CSP, the development of clinical strategies targeted at ‘training the brain’ is to be pursued. Promising proof-of-principle results have been reported for the effectiveness of a modern neuroscience approach to CSP when compared to usual care, but confirmation is required in a larger, multi-center trial with appropriate evidence-based control intervention and long-term follow-up. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a modern neuroscience approach, compared to usual care evidence-based physiotherapy, for reducing pain and improving functioning in patients with CSP. A secondary objective entails examining the effectiveness of the modern neuroscience approach versus usual care physiotherapy for normalizing brain gray matter in patients with CSP. Methods/Design The study is a multi-center, triple-blind, two-arm (1:1) randomized clinical trial with 1-year follow-up. 120 CSP patients will be randomly allocated to either the experimental (receiving pain neuroscience education followed by cognition-targeted motor control training) or the control group (receiving usual care physiotherapy), each comprising of 3 months treatment. The main outcome measures are pain (including symptoms and indices of central sensitization) and self-reported disability. Secondary outcome measures include brain gray matter structure, motor control, muscle properties, and psychosocial correlates. Clinical assessment and brain imaging will be performed at baseline, post-treatment and at 1-year follow-up. Web-based questionnaires will be completed at baseline, after the first 3 treatment sessions, post-treatment, and at 6 and 12-months follow-up. Discussion Findings may provide empirical evidence on: (1) the effectiveness of a modern neuroscience approach to CSP for reducing pain and improving functioning, (2) the effectiveness of a modern neuroscience approach for normalizing brain gray matter in CSP patients, and (3) factors associated with therapy success. Hence, this trial might contribute towards refining guidelines for good clinical practice and might be used as a basis for health authorities’ recommendations. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02098005. PMID:24885889

Institutional profile: integrated center for research and treatment of vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders.

PubMed

Brandt, Thomas; Zwergal, Andreas; Jahn, Klaus; Strupp, Michael

2010-01-01

In 2009 the German BMBF (German Ministry of Education and Research) established an Integrated Center for Research and Treatment (IFB(LMU)) of Vertigo, Balance and Ocular Motor Disorders in Munich. After the 10-year period of funding by the BMBF, it is envisioned that the (IFB(LMU)) will continue over the long term with the joint support of the University Hospital, the Medical Faculty, and the Bavarian State. Vertigo is one of the most common complaints in medicine. Despite its high prevalence, patients with vertigo generally receive either inappropriate or inadequate treatment. This deplorable situation is internationally well known and its causes are multiple: insufficient interdisciplinary cooperation, no standardized diagnostics and therapy, the failure to translate findings of basic science into clinical applications, and the scarcity of clinical multicenter studies. The (IFB(LMU)) will constitute a suitable tool with which these structural, clinical, and scientific deficits can be overcome. It will also make possible the establishment of an international interdisciplinary referral center. Munich has become the site of a unique concentration of leading experts on vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders, both in the clinical and basic sciences. Academic structures have paved the way for the creation of an interdisciplinary horizontal network that also allows structured, vertical academic career paths via the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Neuroscience, a Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, and the Munich Center for Neurosciences - Brain and Mind. The (IFB(LMU)) has the following objectives as regards structure and content: to create an independent patient-oriented clinical research center under the auspices of the Medical Faculty but with autonomous administration and budget; to overcome existing clinical and academic barriers separating the traditional specializations; to establish a standardized interdisciplinary longitudinal and transversal network at one site for the management of patients. This should professionalize both the management and the international recruitment of patients (integrated care, telemedicine); to organize the study infrastructure for prospective multicenter clinical studies as well as to free clinical scientists from administrative tasks; to promote translational research with a focus on the innovative topics of molecular, functional and structural imaging, experimental and clinical pharmacotherapy, clinical research of vertigo and balance disorders, mathematical modelling, interaction between biological and technical systems (robotics), and research on functionality and the quality of life; to offer new attractive educational paths and career images for medical doctors, students of the natural sciences, and engineers in clinical research in order to overcome traditional hierarchical structures. This should promote the principles of efficiency and self-reliance; to supplement the existing excellence with up to eight groups of young scientists and up to eight professorships (tenure track). This should also be seen as an incentive that will attract the best young scientists; to incorporate (IFB(LMU)) competence into the existing medical and biological graduate schools. The (IFB(LMU)) is a unique center - worldwide.

How to achieve synergy between medical education and cognitive neuroscience? An exercise on prior knowledge in understanding.

PubMed

Ruiter, Dirk J; van Kesteren, Marlieke T R; Fernandez, Guillen

2012-05-01

A major challenge in contemporary research is how to connect medical education and cognitive neuroscience and achieve synergy between these domains. Based on this starting point we discuss how this may result in a common language about learning, more educationally focused scientific inquiry, and multidisciplinary research projects. As the topic of prior knowledge in understanding plays a strategic role in both medical education and cognitive neuroscience it is used as a central element in our discussion. A critical condition for the acquisition of new knowledge is the existence of prior knowledge, which can be built in a mental model or schema. Formation of schemas is a central event in student-centered active learning, by which mental models are constructed and reconstructed. These theoretical considerations from cognitive psychology foster scientific discussions that may lead to salient issues and questions for research with cognitive neuroscience. Cognitive neuroscience attempts to understand how knowledge, insight and experience are established in the brain and to clarify their neural correlates. Recently, evidence has been obtained that new information processed by the hippocampus can be consolidated into a stable, neocortical network more rapidly if this new information fits readily into a schema. Opportunities for medical education and medical education research can be created in a fruitful dialogue within an educational multidisciplinary platform. In this synergetic setting many questions can be raised by educational scholars interested in evidence-based education that may be highly relevant for integrative research and the further development of medical education.

Real-Time fMRI Pattern Decoding and Neurofeedback Using FRIEND: An FSL-Integrated BCI Toolbox

PubMed Central

Sato, João R.; Basilio, Rodrigo; Paiva, Fernando F.; Garrido, Griselda J.; Bramati, Ivanei E.; Bado, Patricia; Tovar-Moll, Fernanda; Zahn, Roland; Moll, Jorge

2013-01-01

The demonstration that humans can learn to modulate their own brain activity based on feedback of neurophysiological signals opened up exciting opportunities for fundamental and applied neuroscience. Although EEG-based neurofeedback has been long employed both in experimental and clinical investigation, functional MRI (fMRI)-based neurofeedback emerged as a promising method, given its superior spatial resolution and ability to gauge deep cortical and subcortical brain regions. In combination with improved computational approaches, such as pattern recognition analysis (e.g., Support Vector Machines, SVM), fMRI neurofeedback and brain decoding represent key innovations in the field of neuromodulation and functional plasticity. Expansion in this field and its applications critically depend on the existence of freely available, integrated and user-friendly tools for the neuroimaging research community. Here, we introduce FRIEND, a graphic-oriented user-friendly interface package for fMRI neurofeedback and real-time multivoxel pattern decoding. The package integrates routines for image preprocessing in real-time, ROI-based feedback (single-ROI BOLD level and functional connectivity) and brain decoding-based feedback using SVM. FRIEND delivers an intuitive graphic interface with flexible processing pipelines involving optimized procedures embedding widely validated packages, such as FSL and libSVM. In addition, a user-defined visual neurofeedback module allows users to easily design and run fMRI neurofeedback experiments using ROI-based or multivariate classification approaches. FRIEND is open-source and free for non-commercial use. Processing tutorials and extensive documentation are available. PMID:24312569

Carving the World for Language: How Neuroscientific Research Can Enrich the Study of First and Second Language Learning

PubMed Central

George, Nathan R.; Göksun, Tilbe; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick

2014-01-01

Linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience all have rich histories in language research. Crosstalk among these disciplines, as realized in studies of phonology, is pivotal for understanding a fundamental challenge for first and second language learners (SLLs): learning verbs. Linguistic and behavioral research with monolinguals suggests that infants attend to foundational event components (e.g., path, manner). Language then heightens or dampens attention to these components as children map word to world in language-specific ways. Cross-linguistic differences in semantic organization also reveal sources of struggles for SLLs. We discuss how better integrating neuroscience into this literature can unlock additional mysteries of verb learning. PMID:24854772

Carving the world for language: how neuroscientific research can enrich the study of first and second language learning.

PubMed

George, Nathan R; Göksun, Tilbe; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick

2014-01-01

Linguistics, psychology, and neuroscience all have rich histories in language research. Crosstalk among these disciplines, as realized in studies of phonology, is pivotal for understanding a fundamental challenge for first and second language learners (SLLs): learning verbs. Linguistic and behavioral research with monolinguals suggests that infants attend to foundational event components (e.g., path, manner). Language then heightens or dampens attention to these components as children map word to world in language-specific ways. Cross-linguistic differences in semantic organization also reveal sources of struggles for SLLs. We discuss how better integrating neuroscience into this literature can unlock additional mysteries of verb learning.

75 FR 57475 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-21

... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Cellular and Molecular Biology of Neurodegeneration Study Section. Date: October 14-15, 2010...; Collaborative: Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology Linked Applications. Date: October 20-21, 2010. Time: 8:30 a...

Functional importance of blood flow dynamics and partial oxygen pressure in the anterior pituitary.

PubMed

Schaeffer, Marie; Hodson, David J; Lafont, Chrystel; Mollard, Patrice

2010-12-01

The pulsatile release of hormone is obligatory for the control of a range of important body homeostatic functions. To generate these pulses, endocrine organs have developed finely regulated mechanisms to modulate blood flow both to meet the metabolic demand associated with intense endocrine cell activity and to ensure the temporally precise uptake of secreted hormone into the bloodstream. With a particular focus on the pituitary gland as a model system, we review here the importance of the interplay between blood flow regulation and oxygen tensions in the functioning of endocrine systems, and the known regulatory signals involved in the modification of flow patterns under both normal physiological and pathological conditions. © 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2010 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Psychology and neuroscience: How close are we to an integrative perspective? Reply to Staats (2016) and Tryon (2016).

PubMed

Schwartz, Seth J; Lilienfeld, Scott O; Meca, Alan; Sauvigné, Katheryn C

2016-12-01

This article responds to commentaries written by Warren Tryon (2016) and Arthur Staats (2016) concerning Schwartz, Lilienfeld, Meca, and Sauvigné (2016). In this reply, we reiterate our key thesis-that psychology, and the problems it addresses, are likely best approached from multiple levels of analysis. Unlike Tryon, we are not convinced that neural networks and computational neuroscience provide a single template through which all of psychology can be integrated. We are in agreement with Staats that attempts to reduce psychological phenomena to neural events alone are likely to be misleading and unproductive. One important example where such reductionism has been alive and well is addiction, where prominent biomedical models have defined addiction as a "brain disease." Our reply article concludes by arguing that a multilevel approach to psychology is essential in guiding hiring practices, funding agency priorities, and training students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

[Forensic assessments from the Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology in retrospect; applications of genetics and neuroscience, in 2000 and 2009].

PubMed

Ter Harmsel, J F; Molendijk, T; van El, C G; M'charek, A; Kempes, M; Rinne, T; Pieters, T

2016-01-01

Developments in neurosciences and genetics are relevant for forensic psychiatry. To find out whether and how genetic and neuroscientific applications are being used in forensic psychiatric assessments, and, if they are, to estimate to what extent new applications will fit in with these uses. We analysed 60 forensic psychiatric assessments from the Netherlands Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology, Pieter Baan Center, and 30 non-clinical assessments from 2000 and 2009. We found that (behavioral) genetic, neurological and neuropsychological applications played only a modest role in forensic psychiatric assessment and they represent different phases of the implementation process. Neuropsychological assessment already occupied a position of some importance, but needed to be better integrated. Applications from neurology were still being developed. Clinical genetic assessment was being used occasionally in order to diagnose a genetic syndrome with behavioral consequences. If further validated information becomes available in the future, it should be possible to integrate new research methods more fully into current clinical practice.

Advances in understanding the anxiety disorders: the cognitive-affective neuroscience of 'false alarms'.

PubMed

Stein, Dan J

2006-01-01

There have been significant advances in our understanding of the anxiety disorders; a range of data is now available on their epidemiology, nosology, psychobiology, and management. An integrative framework is required in order to conceptualize this data and to apply it in the clinic. This is a nonsystematic review of literature on the psychobiology of some the major anxiety disorders, focused on the idea that each of these conditions can be conceptualized in terms of a different "false alarm," mediated by specific neurocircuitry and with a particular evolutionary origin. The "false alarm" concept is able to integrate a range of data on the proximal mechanisms of anxiety disorders (including their mediating neurochemistry and neurogenetics), as well as hypotheses about the distal or evolutionary underpinnings of these conditions. Fortunately, serotonergic antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy appear to be able to normalize the putative "false alarms" in anxiety disorders. A better understanding of the cognitive-affective neuroscience of anxiety disorders will hopefully lead to improved treatments.

The Future of Restorative Neurosciences in Stroke: Driving the Translational Research Pipeline From Basic Science to Rehabilitation of People After Stroke

PubMed Central

Cheeran, Binith; Cohen, Leonardo; Dobkin, Bruce; Ford, Gary; Greenwood, Richard; Howard, David; Husain, Masud; Macleod, Malcolm; Nudo, Randolph; Rothwell, John; Rudd, Anthony; Teo, James; Ward, Nicholas; Wolf, Steven

2011-01-01

Background Major advances during the past 50 years highlight the immense potential for restoration of function after neural injury, even in the damaged adult human brain. Yet, the translation of these advances into clinically useful treatments is painstakingly slow. Objective Here, we consider why the traditional model of a “translational research pipeline” that transforms basic science into novel clinical practice has failed to improve rehabilitation practice for people after stroke. Results We find that (1) most treatments trialed in vitro and in animal models have not yet resulted in obviously useful functional gains in patients; (2) most clinical trials of restorative treatments after stroke have been limited to small-scale studies; (3) patient recruitment for larger clinical trials is difficult; (4) the determinants of patient outcomes and what patients want remain complex and ill-defined, so that basic scientists have no clear view of the clinical importance of the problems that they are addressing; (5) research in academic neuroscience centers is poorly integrated with practice in front-line hospitals and the community, where the majority of patients are treated; and (6) partnership with both industry stakeholders and patient pressure groups is poorly developed, at least in the United Kingdom where research in the translational restorative neurosciences in stroke depends on public sector research funds and private charities. Conclusions We argue that interaction between patients, front-line clinicians, and clinical and basic scientists is essential so that they can explore their different priorities, skills, and concerns. These interactions can be facilitated by funding research consortia that include basic and clinical scientists, clinicians and patient/carer representatives with funds targeted at those impairments that are major determinants of patient and carer outcomes. Consortia would be instrumental in developing a lexicon of common methods, standardized outcome measures, data sharing and long-term goals. Interactions of this sort would create a research-friendly, rather than only target-led, culture in front-line stroke rehabilitation services. PMID:19189939

Increasing Our Insular World View: Interoception and Psychopathology for Psychotherapists.

PubMed

Duquette, Patrice

2017-01-01

Interoception has been determined to be an elemental aspect of the neural foundations of physiological homeostasis, subjective experience, and motivated behavior. This paper reviews current neuroscience research regarding interoception and forms of interoceptive dysfunction that may result in psychopathology, focusing on depression, and anxiety, in a manner conducive to psychotherapists engaging with it to consider clinical applications. Pertinent aspects of interoceptive system processes in relation to psychopathology are addressed: Functional interoceptive ability and the forms of its expression, the difficulty of accurate measurement of such within an individual or group, interoceptive inference processes and perturbations. Predictive coding, considered in this context as interoceptive inference, a process that integrates bottom-up and top down lines of neural information emerging from the multitude of bidirectional, anatomically hierarchical connections the insular cortex makes with other cortical, and subcortical structures, will be addressed regarding its place in psychopathological formulations. Clinical vignettes will elucidate how interoceptive disturbances might present in the therapeutic relationship, supporting the evaluation and application of scientific theory, and research findings by psychotherapists. The clinical implications of this neuroscientific research have received little attention in the psychotherapeutic setting. Increasing the knowledge base of psychotherapists and furthering awareness of the functional interactions of body and brain toward the creation of healthy and psychopathological experience benefits the patient. There is immediate need for the translational expression of scientific findings into the psychological evaluation of patients, therapeutic process, and treatment. While it may seem distant and unrelated to the affective processes that occur within the psychotherapeutic exchange, neuroscience adds a unique perspective from which to observe and live such experience for the therapist and patient. With the therapeutic relationship as the backdrop, a scientific perspective will support psychotherapists' comprehension of their patients' experience and the process of change, either through direct information, or the development of different perspectives from which to observe and interact with their patients. This paper will serve not only as a guide for psychotherapists concerning this expanding knowledge base, but also a source for neuroscience researchers intent on formulating research protocols that could produce clinical benefit.

Increasing Our Insular World View: Interoception and Psychopathology for Psychotherapists

PubMed Central

Duquette, Patrice

2017-01-01

Interoception has been determined to be an elemental aspect of the neural foundations of physiological homeostasis, subjective experience, and motivated behavior. This paper reviews current neuroscience research regarding interoception and forms of interoceptive dysfunction that may result in psychopathology, focusing on depression, and anxiety, in a manner conducive to psychotherapists engaging with it to consider clinical applications. Pertinent aspects of interoceptive system processes in relation to psychopathology are addressed: Functional interoceptive ability and the forms of its expression, the difficulty of accurate measurement of such within an individual or group, interoceptive inference processes and perturbations. Predictive coding, considered in this context as interoceptive inference, a process that integrates bottom-up and top down lines of neural information emerging from the multitude of bidirectional, anatomically hierarchical connections the insular cortex makes with other cortical, and subcortical structures, will be addressed regarding its place in psychopathological formulations. Clinical vignettes will elucidate how interoceptive disturbances might present in the therapeutic relationship, supporting the evaluation and application of scientific theory, and research findings by psychotherapists. The clinical implications of this neuroscientific research have received little attention in the psychotherapeutic setting. Increasing the knowledge base of psychotherapists and furthering awareness of the functional interactions of body and brain toward the creation of healthy and psychopathological experience benefits the patient. There is immediate need for the translational expression of scientific findings into the psychological evaluation of patients, therapeutic process, and treatment. While it may seem distant and unrelated to the affective processes that occur within the psychotherapeutic exchange, neuroscience adds a unique perspective from which to observe and live such experience for the therapist and patient. With the therapeutic relationship as the backdrop, a scientific perspective will support psychotherapists' comprehension of their patients' experience and the process of change, either through direct information, or the development of different perspectives from which to observe and interact with their patients. This paper will serve not only as a guide for psychotherapists concerning this expanding knowledge base, but also a source for neuroscience researchers intent on formulating research protocols that could produce clinical benefit. PMID:28377690

Toward an Integrative Understanding of Social Behavior: New Models and New Opportunities

PubMed Central

Blumstein, Daniel T.; Ebensperger, Luis A.; Hayes, Loren D.; Vásquez, Rodrigo A.; Ahern, Todd H.; Burger, Joseph Robert; Dolezal, Adam G.; Dosmann, Andy; González-Mariscal, Gabriela; Harris, Breanna N.; Herrera, Emilio A.; Lacey, Eileen A.; Mateo, Jill; McGraw, Lisa A.; Olazábal, Daniel; Ramenofsky, Marilyn; Rubenstein, Dustin R.; Sakhai, Samuel A.; Saltzman, Wendy; Sainz-Borgo, Cristina; Soto-Gamboa, Mauricio; Stewart, Monica L.; Wey, Tina W.; Wingfield, John C.; Young, Larry J.

2010-01-01

Social interactions among conspecifics are a fundamental and adaptively significant component of the biology of numerous species. Such interactions give rise to group living as well as many of the complex forms of cooperation and conflict that occur within animal groups. Although previous conceptual models have focused on the ecological causes and fitness consequences of variation in social interactions, recent developments in endocrinology, neuroscience, and molecular genetics offer exciting opportunities to develop more integrated research programs that will facilitate new insights into the physiological causes and consequences of social variation. Here, we propose an integrative framework of social behavior that emphasizes relationships between ultimate-level function and proximate-level mechanism, thereby providing a foundation for exploring the full diversity of factors that underlie variation in social interactions, and ultimately sociality. In addition to identifying new model systems for the study of human psychopathologies, this framework provides a mechanistic basis for predicting how social behavior will change in response to environmental variation. We argue that the study of non-model organisms is essential for implementing this integrative model of social behavior because such species can be studied simultaneously in the lab and field, thereby allowing integration of rigorously controlled experimental manipulations with detailed observations of the ecological contexts in which interactions among conspecifics occur. PMID:20661457

Time to get rid of the 'Modular' in neuropsychology: a unified theory of anosognosia as aberrant predictive coding.

PubMed

Fotopoulou, Aikaterini

2014-03-01

Cognitive neuroscience, being more inclusive and ambitious in scope than cognitive neuropsychology, seems to have taken the place of the latter within the modern neurosciences. Nevertheless, recent advances in the neurosciences afford neuropsychology with epistemic possibilities that simply did not exist even 15 years ago. Human lesion studies still have an important role to play in shaping such possibilities, particularly when combined with other methods of enquiry. I first outline theoretical and methodological advances within the neurosciences that can inform and shape the rebirth of a dynamic, non-modular neuropsychology. I then use an influential computational theory of brain function, the free energy principle, to suggest an unified account of anosognosia for hemiplegia as a research example of the potential for transition from a modular, cognitive neuropsychology to a dynamic, computational and even restorative neuropsychology. These and many other adjectives that can flexibly, take the place of 'cognitive' next to 'neuropsychology' will hopefully designate the much needed rebirth and demarcation of a field, neuropsychology itself, that has somehow lost its place within the modern neurosciences and yet seems to have a unique and important role to play in the future understanding of the brain. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Functional brain imaging across development.

PubMed

Rubia, Katya

2013-12-01

The developmental cognitive neuroscience literature has grown exponentially over the last decade. This paper reviews the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) literature on brain function development of typically late developing functions of cognitive and motivation control, timing and attention as well as of resting state neural networks. Evidence shows that between childhood and adulthood, concomitant with cognitive maturation, there is progressively increased functional activation in task-relevant lateral and medial frontal, striatal and parieto-temporal brain regions that mediate these higher level control functions. This is accompanied by progressively stronger functional inter-regional connectivity within task-relevant fronto-striatal and fronto-parieto-temporal networks. Negative age associations are observed in earlier developing posterior and limbic regions, suggesting a shift with age from the recruitment of "bottom-up" processing regions towards "top-down" fronto-cortical and fronto-subcortical connections, leading to a more mature, supervised cognition. The resting state fMRI literature further complements this evidence by showing progressively stronger deactivation with age in anti-correlated task-negative resting state networks, which is associated with better task performance. Furthermore, connectivity analyses during the resting state show that with development increasingly stronger long-range connections are being formed, for example, between fronto-parietal and fronto-cerebellar connections, in both task-positive networks and in task-negative default mode networks, together with progressively lesser short-range connections, suggesting progressive functional integration and segregation with age. Overall, evidence suggests that throughout development between childhood and adulthood, there is progressive refinement and integration of both task-positive fronto-cortical and fronto-subcortical activation and task-negative deactivation, leading to a more mature and controlled cognition.

An integrative neuroscience model of "significance" processing.

PubMed

Williams, Leanne M

2006-03-01

The Gordon [37-40] framework of Integrative Neuroscience is used to develop a continuum model for understanding the central role of motivationally-determined "significance" in organizing human information processing. Significance is defined as the property which gives a stimulus relevance to our core motivation to minimize danger and maximize pleasure. Within this framework, the areas of cognition and emotion, theories of motivational arousal and orienting, and the current understanding of neural systems are brought together. The basis of integration is a temporal continuum in which significance processing extends from the most rapid millisecond time scale of automatic, nonconscious mechanisms to the time scale of seconds, in which memory is shaped, to the controlled and conscious mechanisms unfolding over minutes. Over this continuum, significant stimuli are associated with a spectrum of defensive (or consumptive) behaviors through to volitional regulatory behaviors for danger (versus pleasure) and associated brainstem, limbic, medial forebrain bundle and prefrontal circuits, all of which reflect a balance of excitatory (predominant at rapid time scales) to inhibitory mechanisms. Across the lifespan, the negative and positive outcomes of significance processing, coupled with constitutional and genetic factors, will contribute to plasticity, shaping individual adaptations and maladaptions in the balance of excitatory-inhibitory mechanisms.

Fusing DTI and FMRI Data: A Survey of Methods and Applications

PubMed Central

Zhu, Dajiang; Zhang, Tuo; Jiang, Xi; Hu, Xintao; Chen, Hanbo; Yang, Ning; Lv, Jinglei; Han, Junwei; Guo, Lei; Liu, Tianming

2014-01-01

The relationship between brain structure and function has been one of the centers of research in neuroimaging for decades. In recent years, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques have been widely available and popular in cognitive and clinical neurosciences for examining the brain’s white matter (WM) micro-structures and gray matter (GM) functions, respectively. Given the intrinsic integration of WM/GM and the complementary information embedded in DTI/fMRI data, it is natural and well-justified to combine these two neuroimaging modalities together to investigate brain structure and function and their relationships simultaneously. In the past decade, there have been remarkable achievements of DTI/fMRI fusion methods and applications in neuroimaging and human brain mapping community. This survey paper aims to review recent advancements on methodologies and applications in incorporating multimodal DTI and fMRI data, and offer our perspectives on future research directions. We envision that effective fusion of DTI/fMRI techniques will play increasingly important roles in neuroimaging and brain sciences in the years to come. PMID:24103849

Neurolinguistics: Structure, Function, and Connectivity in the Bilingual Brain

PubMed Central

Wong, Becky; Yin, Bin; O'Brien, Beth

2016-01-01

Advances in neuroimaging techniques and analytic methods have led to a proliferation of studies investigating the impact of bilingualism on the cognitive and brain systems in humans. Lately, these findings have attracted much interest and debate in the field, leading to a number of recent commentaries and reviews. Here, we contribute to the ongoing discussion by compiling and interpreting the plethora of findings that relate to the structural, functional, and connective changes in the brain that ensue from bilingualism. In doing so, we integrate theoretical models and empirical findings from linguistics, cognitive/developmental psychology, and neuroscience to examine the following issues: (1) whether the language neural network is different for first (dominant) versus second (nondominant) language processing; (2) the effects of bilinguals' executive functioning on the structure and function of the “universal” language neural network; (3) the differential effects of bilingualism on phonological, lexical-semantic, and syntactic aspects of language processing on the brain; and (4) the effects of age of acquisition and proficiency of the user's second language in the bilingual brain, and how these have implications for future research in neurolinguistics. PMID:26881224

Functional auditory disorders.

PubMed

Baguley, D M; Cope, T E; McFerran, D J

2016-01-01

There are a number of auditory symptom syndromes that can develop without an organic basis. Some of these, such as nonorganic hearing loss, affect populations similar to those presenting with functional somatosensory and motor symptoms, while others, such as musical hallucination, affect populations with a significantly different demographic and require different treatment strategies. Many of these conditions owe their origin to measurably abnormal peripheral sensory pathology or brain network activity, but their pathological impact is often due, at least in part, to overamplification of the salience of these phenomena. For each syndrome, this chapter briefly outlines a definition, demographics, investigations, putative mechanisms, and treatment strategies. Consideration is given to what extent they can be considered to have a functional basis. Treatments are in many cases pragmatic and rudimentary, needing more work to be done in integrating insights from behavioral and cognitive psychology to auditory neuroscience. The audiology literature has historically equated the term functional with malingering, although this perception is, thankfully, slowly changing. These disorders transcend the disciplines of audiology, otorhinolaryngology, neurology and psychiatry, and a multidisciplinary approach is often rewarding. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial factors, psychiatric illness and functional gastrointestinal disorders: a historical perspective.

PubMed

Van Oudenhove, Lukas; Vandenberghe, Joris; Demyttenaere, Koen; Tack, Jan

2010-01-01

A new classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) became available recently, based on consensus in expert committees ('Rome III process'). It is widely accepted that these frequent disorders, although their pathophysiology remains incompletely understood, result from a complex reciprocal interaction between biological, psychological and social factors that can be predisposing, precipitating and/or perpetuating. Comorbidity with psychiatric disorders, especially mood and anxiety disorders, is high. Modern epidemiologic, psychophysiological and functional neuroimaging studies have partially elucidated the mechanisms underlying the relation between cognitive-affective processes on the one hand and GI function and symptom reporting on the other. The aim of this article is to provide a noncomprehensive historical review of the literature on FGID up to the mid-20th century, with special emphasis on the role of psychosocial factors and psychiatric comorbidity. We can conclude from this review that a lot of the knowledge that became available recently through modern research methodology can also be found in the historical psychosomatic and neuroscience literature, though obviously less empirically grounded. This provides further support for an integrative, multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach to FGID.

Adaptive Capacity: An Evolutionary Neuroscience Model Linking Exercise, Cognition, and Brain Health.

PubMed

Raichlen, David A; Alexander, Gene E

2017-07-01

The field of cognitive neuroscience was transformed by the discovery that exercise induces neurogenesis in the adult brain, with the potential to improve brain health and stave off the effects of neurodegenerative disease. However, the basic mechanisms underlying exercise-brain connections are not well understood. We use an evolutionary neuroscience approach to develop the adaptive capacity model (ACM), detailing how and why physical activity improves brain function based on an energy-minimizing strategy. Building on studies showing a combined benefit of exercise and cognitive challenge to enhance neuroplasticity, our ACM addresses two fundamental questions: (i) what are the proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying age-related brain atrophy, and (ii) how do lifestyle changes influence the trajectory of healthy and pathological aging? Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Upper Extremity Proprioception After Stroke: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Findlater, Sonja E; Dukelow, Sean P

2017-01-01

Proprioception is an important aspect of function that is often impaired in the upper extremity following stroke. Unfortunately, neurorehabilitation has few evidence based treatment options for those with proprioceptive deficits. The authors consider potential reasons for this disparity. In doing so, typical assessments and proprioceptive intervention studies are discussed. Relevant evidence from the field of neuroscience is examined. Such evidence may be used to guide the development of targeted interventions for upper extremity proprioceptive deficits after stroke. As researchers become more aware of the impact of proprioceptive deficits on upper extremity motor performance after stroke, it is imperative to find successful rehabilitation interventions to target these deficits and ultimately improve daily function.

Neural correlates of visuospatial consciousness in 3D default space: insights from contralateral neglect syndrome.

PubMed

Jerath, Ravinder; Crawford, Molly W

2014-08-01

One of the most compelling questions still unanswered in neuroscience is how consciousness arises. In this article, we examine visual processing, the parietal lobe, and contralateral neglect syndrome as a window into consciousness and how the brain functions as the mind and we introduce a mechanism for the processing of visual information and its role in consciousness. We propose that consciousness arises from integration of information from throughout the body and brain by the thalamus and that the thalamus reimages visual and other sensory information from throughout the cortex in a default three-dimensional space in the mind. We further suggest that the thalamus generates a dynamic default three-dimensional space by integrating processed information from corticothalamic feedback loops, creating an infrastructure that may form the basis of our consciousness. Further experimental evidence is needed to examine and support this hypothesis, the role of the thalamus, and to further elucidate the mechanism of consciousness. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Memory Allocation: Mechanisms and Function.

PubMed

Josselyn, Sheena A; Frankland, Paul W

2018-04-25

Memories for events are thought to be represented in sparse, distributed neuronal ensembles (or engrams). In this article, we review how neurons are chosen to become part of a particular engram, via a process of neuronal allocation. Experiments in rodents indicate that eligible neurons compete for allocation to a given engram, with more excitable neurons winning this competition. Moreover, fluctuations in neuronal excitability determine how engrams interact, promoting either memory integration (via coallocation to overlapping engrams) or separation (via disallocation to nonoverlapping engrams). In parallel with rodent studies, recent findings in humans verify the importance of this memory integration process for linking memories that occur close in time or share related content. A deeper understanding of allocation promises to provide insights into the logic underlying how knowledge is normally organized in the brain and the disorders in which this process has gone awry. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Neuroscience Volume 41 is July 8, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Friends with social benefits: host-microbe interactions as a driver of brain evolution and development?

PubMed Central

Stilling, Roman M.; Bordenstein, Seth R.; Dinan, Timothy G.; Cryan, John F.

2014-01-01

The tight association of the human body with trillions of colonizing microbes that we observe today is the result of a long evolutionary history. Only very recently have we started to understand how this symbiosis also affects brain function and behavior. In this hypothesis and theory article, we propose how host-microbe associations potentially influenced mammalian brain evolution and development. In particular, we explore the integration of human brain development with evolution, symbiosis, and RNA biology, which together represent a “social triangle” that drives human social behavior and cognition. We argue that, in order to understand how inter-kingdom communication can affect brain adaptation and plasticity, it is inevitable to consider epigenetic mechanisms as important mediators of genome-microbiome interactions on an individual as well as a transgenerational time scale. Finally, we unite these interpretations with the hologenome theory of evolution. Taken together, we propose a tighter integration of neuroscience fields with host-associated microbiology by taking an evolutionary perspective. PMID:25401092

Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP): The development and application of an integrative, wrap-around service and treatment programme for maltreated children placed in adoptive and foster care placements.

PubMed

Vaughan, Jay; McCullough, Elaine; Burnell, Alan

2016-10-01

This article describes the development and application of a wrap-around, multidisciplinary, brain-based, developmental and attachment-focussed intervention for children who have experienced significant trauma in the context of their early life. It outlines the presentation of the children and families who are referred to the service and the model of treatment that they receive. In doing so, it identifies the core components underpinning Neuro-Physiological Psychotherapy (NPP) and links the application of the integrative model to research and practice in the field of neuroscience and attachment and to the use of therapeutic approaches that are beneficial to maltreated children and their adoptive parents. It highlights the need for a neuro-sequential approach that impacts all aspects of the child's life in the effort to redress the impact of developmental trauma with the aim of improving their overall functioning and their ability to develop healthy relationships into the future. © The Author(s) 2016.

Fear and decision-making in narcissistic personality disorder-a link between psychoanalysis and neuroscience.

PubMed

Ronningstam, Elsa; Baskin-Sommers, Arielle R

2013-06-01

Linking psychoanalytic studies with neuroscience has proven increasingly productive for identifying and understanding personality functioning. This article focuses on pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), with the aim of exploring two clinically relevant aspects of narcissistic functioning also recognized in psychoanalysis: fear and decision-making. Evidence from neuroscientific studies of related conditions, such as psychopathy, suggests links between affective and cognitive functioning that can influence the sense of self-agency and narcissistic self-regulation. Attention can play a crucial role in moderating fear and self-regulatory deficits, and the interaction between experience and emotion can be central for decision-making. In this review we will explore fear as a motivating factor in narcissistic personality functioning, and the impact fear may have on decision-making in people with pathological narcissism and NPD. Understanding the processes and neurological underpinnings of fear and decision-making can potentially influence both the diagnosis and treatment of NPD.

Functional connectivity in the resting brain as biological correlate of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales.

PubMed

Deris, Nadja; Montag, Christian; Reuter, Martin; Weber, Bernd; Markett, Sebastian

2017-02-15

According to Jaak Panksepp's Affective Neuroscience Theory and the derived self-report measure, the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS), differences in the responsiveness of primary emotional systems form the basis of human personality. In order to investigate neuronal correlates of personality, the underlying neuronal circuits of the primary emotional systems were analyzed in the present fMRI-study by associating the ANPS to functional connectivity in the resting brain. N=120 healthy participants were invited for the present study. The results were reinvestigated in an independent, smaller sample of N=52 participants. A seed-based whole brain approach was conducted with seed-regions bilaterally in the basolateral and superficial amygdalae. The selection of seed-regions was based on meta-analytic data on affective processing and the Juelich histological atlas. Multiple regression analyses on the functional connectivity maps revealed associations with the SADNESS-scale in both samples. Functional resting-state connectivity between the left basolateral amygdala and a cluster in the postcentral gyrus, and between the right basolateral amygdala and clusters in the superior parietal lobe and subgyral in the parietal lobe was associated with SADNESS. No other ANPS-scale revealed replicable results. The present findings give first insights into the neuronal basis of the SADNESS-scale of the ANPS and support the idea of underlying neuronal circuits. In combination with previous research on genetic associations of the ANPS functional resting-state connectivity is discussed as a possible endophenotype of personality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The selectivity of responses to red-green colour and achromatic contrast in the human visual cortex: an fMRI adaptation study.

PubMed

Mullen, Kathy T; Chang, Dorita H F; Hess, Robert F

2015-12-01

There is controversy as to how responses to colour in the human brain are organized within the visual pathways. A key issue is whether there are modular pathways that respond selectively to colour or whether there are common neural substrates for both colour and achromatic (Ach) contrast. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) adaptation to investigate the responses of early and extrastriate visual areas to colour and Ach contrast. High-contrast red-green (RG) and Ach sinewave rings (0.5 cycles/degree, 2 Hz) were used as both adapting stimuli and test stimuli in a block design. We found robust adaptation to RG or Ach contrast in all visual areas. Cross-adaptation between RG and Ach contrast occurred in all areas indicating the presence of integrated, colour and Ach responses. Notably, we revealed contrasting trends for the two test stimuli. For the RG test, unselective processing (robust adaptation to both RG and Ach contrast) was most evident in the early visual areas (V1 and V2), but selective responses, revealed as greater adaptation between the same stimuli than cross-adaptation between different stimuli, emerged in the ventral cortex, in V4 and VO in particular. For the Ach test, unselective responses were again most evident in early visual areas but Ach selectivity emerged in the dorsal cortex (V3a and hMT+). Our findings support a strong presence of integrated mechanisms for colour and Ach contrast across the visual hierarchy, with a progression towards selective processing in extrastriate visual areas. © 2015 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

75 FR 26261 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-11

... Committee: Emerging Technologies and Training Neurosciences Integrated Review Group; Molecular Neurogenetics...; Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology. Date: June 4, 2010. Time: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Agenda: To review... Panel; ARRA: Biobehavioral Regulation, Learning and Ethology Competitive Revisions. Date: June 4, 2010...

75 FR 54641 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-08

...-435-2309, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group; Cellular and Molecular Biology of Glia Study Section. Date: October 4-5, 2010. Time... 20892, (301) 435- 4433, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental...

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2012-08-30

... personal privacy. Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience Integrated Review Group, Molecular Neuropharmacology and Signaling Study Section. Date: September 24-25, 2012. Time: 8 a.m... 7770, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435- 0684, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular...

Introductory Life Science Mathematics and Quantitative Neuroscience Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffus, Dwight; Olifer, Andrei

2010-01-01

We describe two sets of courses designed to enhance the mathematical, statistical, and computational training of life science undergraduates at Emory College. The first course is an introductory sequence in differential and integral calculus, modeling with differential equations, probability, and inferential statistics. The second is an…

75 FR 2877 - Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-19

... Group; Molecular Neurogenetics Study Section. Date: February 11, 2010. Time: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Agenda: To...- 0902, [email protected] . Name of Committee: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience..., Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group; Genetic Variation and Evolution Study Section. Date...