Discovering the brain / Sandra Ackerman for the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ackerman, Sandra.

Contributor:

Institute of Medicine (U.S.)

National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Joint Resolution to Designate the Decade Beginning January 1, 1990, as the "Decade of the Brain"--Congresses.

United States.

Brain.

Neurology.

Neurobiology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (194 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1992.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain , science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research . Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brain--an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attention--and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniques--what various technologies can and cannot tell us--and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakers--and many scientists as well--with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

Contents:

Discovering the Brain

Copyright

Foreword

Contents

1 The Promise of Neuroscience

APPROACHING THE BRAIN FROM ALL ANGLES

WHAT MAKES THIS SCIENCE NEW?

THE DEDICATION OF A DECADE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

2 Major Structures and Functions of the Brain

VENTRICLES

BRAINSTEM

THALAMUS AND HYPOTHALAMUS

PITUITARY AND PINEAL GLANDS

THE "LITTLE BRAIN" AT THE BACK OF THE HEAD

RETICULAR NETWORK

THE "EMOTIONAL BRAIN

HIPPOCAMPUS

CEREBRAL CORTEX

BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE BRAIN

CHEMICAL AND ELECTRICAL SIGNALS

3 Glimpses of the Living Brain

THE BRIGHT IMAGES OF PET

MEDICAL IMAGES OF EMOTION

THE X-RAY TODAY

CREATING PICTURES FROM MAGNETIC WAVES AND SOUND WAVES

REWARDING COMBINATIONS

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

4 The Role of the Brain in Mental Illness

MANIC-DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

PANIC DISORDER

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

AIDS-RELATED DEMENTIA

DISORDERS OF MOOD AND MIND

SCHIZOPHRENIA

5 From Chemistry to Circuitry

CHEMICALS AS SIGNALS

RECEPTORS PLAY AN ACTIVE PART

THE BRAIN'S OWN PAINKILLERS

FOCUSING IN ON RECEPTOR SITES

THE INTRIGUING ROLE OF THE ION CHANNELS

THE CASE OF THE 5-SECOND MESSENGER MOLECULE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

6 The Development and Shaping of the Brain

STUDYING THE BRAIN IN DEVELOPMENT

MASS PRODUCTION OF BRAIN CELLS

MIGRATION TO THE CEREBRAL CORTEX

THE FORMATION OF SYNAPSES AND REGIONS

CELLULAR COMPETITION

EXPLORING NEW AREAS

7 From Perception to Attention

PATHWAYS OF INFORMATION IN THE VISUAL SYSTEM

SEEING THE PATTERNS IN VISUAL SIGNALS

THE BRAIN'S SYSTEM FOR SPATIAL PERCEPTION

MAKING SENSE OF MOVEMENT

ATTENTION: A SUBJECT WORTH LOOKING AT

THE ANATOMY OF ATTENTION

NEURAL CIRCUITRY OF AN ATTENTION SYSTEM

DEVELOPING PATHWAYS IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

PATHOLOGY IN THE ATTENTION SYSTEM AND BEYOND

8 Learning, Recalling, and Thinking

A MOLECULAR ACCOUNT OF LONG-TERM MEMORY

THE WORLD IN THE FRONT OF THE BRAIN

NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND THE INFORMATION SYSTEM

WHAT KIND OF COMPUTER IS THIS?

ASSEMBLING A BRAIN IN THE LABORATORY

THE BENEFITS OF AN ARTIFICIAL BRAIN

9 Sizing Up the Promise

DEFINING THE FIELD OF INQUIRY

SCIENCE EDUCATION AND SCIENCE ADVOCACY

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS SPONSOR OF RESEARCH

PRIVATE INDUSTRY AND PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS

A FUTURE RICH WITH CHALLENGES

Suggested Readings

Acknowledgments

Proclamation

Index.

Notes:

"Based on presentations at a July 1990 symposium organized by the Institute of Medicine and held in Washington, D.C."--T.p. verso.

"This project was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health under contract number 278-90-0006 (OD)"--T.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-160) and index.

ISBN:

9786610203598

9781280203596

1280203595

9780309572309

0309572304

9780585020044

0585020043

OCLC:

559274427