Brain and Behavior

Description

Brain and Behavior: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective addresses the central aims of cognitive neuroscience, seeking to examine the brain not only by its components but also by their functions. It highlights the principles, discoveries, and remaining mysteries of modern cognitive neuroscience.

• A principles-based approach relying on overarching principles-rather than lists or facts-to help students see the big picture
• A progressive structure that begins with the basics of the nervous system before moving on to the brain's interaction with the world and then on to more complex interactions
• An emphasis on case studies, surprising examples from everyday life, and examples in which advances in neuroscience can benefit society
• A clear, modern art program that provides attractive biological drawings to help convey important concepts and information
• Learning objectives in each chapter, based on Bloom's taxonomy, provide a guide to what students will read and learn, helping to focus on the most important points
• 'Starting Out' scenarios begin each chapter with a gripping real-world example of chapter concepts
• Three special features appear throughout each chapter to highlight key themes and concepts:
• "Neuroscience of Everyday Life" explains how neuroscience directly relates to our daily lives, like why people have difficulty multitasking
• "The Bigger Picture" connects neuroscience to larger concepts and questions- social, legal, historical, and ethical
• "Research Methods" shows how we know what we know about the brain, presenting important research techniques and indicating the types of research questions that these techniques have been used to investigate
• Both authors are active researchers who are using what we know about neuroscience to help people in their everyday lives

About the Author(s)

David Eagleman and Jonathan Downar

David Eagleman is a neuroscientist, New York Times best-selling author, and Guggenheim Fellow who holds joint appointments in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Eagleman's areas of research include time perception, vision, synesthesia, and the intersection of neuroscience with the legal system. Jonathan Downar is the director of the MRI-Guided rTMS Clinic at the University Health Network Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and a scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute. He currently holds appointments with the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Basics
1:Introduction
2:The Brain and Nervous System
3:Neurons and Synapses
4:Neuroplasticity
Part II: How the Brain Interacts with the World
5:Vision
6:Other Senses
7:The Motor System
Part III: Higher Levels of Interaction
8:Attention and Consciousness
9:Memory
10:Sleep
11:Language and Lateralization
Part IV: Motivated Behaviors
12:Decision Making
13:Emotions
14:Motivation and Reward
15:Social Cognition
Part V: Disorders of Brain and Behavior
16:Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders

Reviews

"The Neuroplasticity chapter contains all of the information that is contained in the Cognitive Neuroscience book I currently use, and goes well beyond that book. I love the seamless integration of human, animal, and cellular levels of analysis. The case studies are gripping. The writing is excellent and engaging and the figures are beautiful." - Scott Slotnick, Boston College

"This is a very well-written, up-to-date, and well-thought-out book on cognitive neuroscience. Particularly impressive is the inclusion of chapters not included in most cognitive neuroscience textbooks. These include psychiatric disorders and addiction." - Arne Ekstrom, University of California, Davis

"I'm impressed by how well the book is tailored to an undergraduate course, both in its scope and in its content. The writing is more clear and digestible for an undergraduate audience than most neuroscience books." - Vonetta Dotson, University of Florida

"I like the authors' approach. They ask intriguing, meaningful questions and write clearly. They express wonder at new methods in neuroscience that are answering question of how mind can emerge from the action of interconnected neurons. Their use of case studies and features keep the text moving." - Lewis Barker, Auburn University

Additional Resources

Brain and Behavior is supported by a wide range of online resources, including: chapter quizzes, flashcards, animations and videos, downloadable PowerPoint presentations and images from the book, and a test bank.