Language In Our Brain

Download Language In Our Brain full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online Language In Our Brain ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

Language in Our Brain

Author : Angela D. Friederici
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262036924
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Language in Our Brain by : Angela D. Friederici

Download or read book Language in Our Brain written by Angela D. Friederici and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2017-11-16 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of the neurobiological basis of language, arguing that species-specific brain differences may be at the root of the human capacity for language. Language makes us human. It is an intrinsic part of us, although we seldom think about it. Language is also an extremely complex entity with subcomponents responsible for its phonological, syntactic, and semantic aspects. In this landmark work, Angela Friederici offers a comprehensive account of these subcomponents and how they are integrated. Tracing the neurobiological basis of language across brain regions in humans and other primate species, she argues that species-specific brain differences may be at the root of the human capacity for language. Friederici shows which brain regions support the different language processes and, more important, how these brain regions are connected structurally and functionally to make language processes that take place in milliseconds possible. She finds that one particular brain structure (a white matter dorsal tract), connecting syntax-relevant brain regions, is present only in the mature human brain and only weakly present in other primate brains. Is this the “missing link” that explains humans' capacity for language? Friederici describes the basic language functions and their brain basis; the language networks connecting different language-related brain regions; the brain basis of language acquisition during early childhood and when learning a second language, proposing a neurocognitive model of the ontogeny of language; and the evolution of language and underlying neural constraints. She finds that it is the information exchange between the relevant brain regions, supported by the white matter tract, that is the crucial factor in both language development and evolution.

How the Brain Evolved Language

Author : Donald Loritz
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190287985
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis How the Brain Evolved Language by : Donald Loritz

Download or read book How the Brain Evolved Language written by Donald Loritz and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-02-28 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can an infinite number of sentences be generated from one human mind? How did language evolve in apes? In this book Donald Loritz addresses these and other fundamental and vexing questions about language, cognition, and the human brain. He starts by tracing how evolution and natural adaptation selected certain features of the brain to perform communication functions, then shows how those features developed into designs for human language. The result -- what Loritz calls an adaptive grammar -- gives a unified explanation of language in the brain and contradicts directly (and controversially) the theory of innateness proposed by, among others, Chomsky and Pinker.

Language and the Brain

Author : Loraine K. Obler
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521466417
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (664 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Language and the Brain by : Loraine K. Obler

Download or read book Language and the Brain written by Loraine K. Obler and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to neurolinguistics showing how language is organized in the brain.

The Languages of the Brain

Author : Albert M. Galaburda
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674007727
Total Pages : 444 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (77 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Languages of the Brain by : Albert M. Galaburda

Download or read book The Languages of the Brain written by Albert M. Galaburda and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2002-12-15 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only way we can convey our thoughts to another person is through verbal language. Does this imply that our thoughts ultimately rely on words? This text takes the contrary position, arguing that many possible 'languages of thought' play different roles in the life of the mind.

Image, Language, Brain

Author : Alec Marantz
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 9780262133715
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (337 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Image, Language, Brain by : Alec Marantz

Download or read book Image, Language, Brain written by Alec Marantz and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers in this volume discuss the current status of the cognitive/neuroscience synthesis in research on vision, whether and how linguistics and neuroscience can be integrated, and how integrative brain mechanisms can be studied through the use of noninvasive brain-imaging techniques. Recent attempts to unify linguistic theory and brain science have grown out of recognition that a proper understanding of language in the brain must reflect the steady advances in linguistic theory of the last forty years. The first Mind Articulation Project Symposium addressed two main questions: How can the understanding of language from linguistic research be transformed through the study of the biological basis of language? And how can our understanding of the brain be transformed through this same research? The best model so far of such mutual constraint is research on vision. Indeed, the two long-term goals of the Project are to make linguistics and brain science mutually constraining in the way that has been attempted in the study of the visual system and to formulate a cognitive theory that more strongly constrains visual neuroscience. The papers in this volume discuss the current status of the cognitive/neuroscience synthesis in research on vision, whether and how linguistics and neuroscience can be integrated, and how integrative brain mechanisms can be studied through the use of noninvasive brain-imaging techniques. Contributors Noam Chomsky, Ann Christophe, Robert Desimone, Richard Frackowiak, Angela Friederici, Edward Gibson, Peter Indefrey, Masao Ito, Willem Levelt, Alec Marantz, Jacques Mehler, Yasushi Miyashita, David Poeppel, Franck Ramus, John Reynolds, Kensuke Sekihara, Hiroshi Shibasaki

The Bilingual Brain

Author : Albert Costa
Publisher : Penguin UK
ISBN 13 : 0241391520
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (413 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Bilingual Brain by : Albert Costa

Download or read book The Bilingual Brain written by Albert Costa and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2020-01-30 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Fascinating. . . This engaging book explores just how multiple languages are acquired and sorted out by the brain. . . Costa's work derives from a great fund of knowledge, considerable curiosity and solidly scientific spirit' Philip Hensher Spectator The definitive study of bilingualism and the human brain from a leading neuropsychologist Over half of the world's population is bilingual and yet few of us understand how this extraordinary, complex ability really works. How do two languages co-exist in the same brain? What are the advantages and challenges of being bilingual? How do we learn - and forget - a language? In the first study of its kind, leading expert Albert Costa shares twenty years of experience to explore the science of language. Looking at studies and examples from Canada to France to South Korea, The Bilingual Brain investigates the significant impact of bilingualism on daily life from infancy to old age. It reveals, among other things, how babies differentiate between two languages just hours after birth, how accent affects the way in which we perceive others and even why bilinguals are better at conflict resolution. Drawing on cutting-edge neuro-linguistic research from his own laboratory in Barcelona as well from centres across the world, and his own bilingual family, Costa offers an absorbing examination of the intricacies and impact of an extraordinary skill. Highly engaging and hugely informative,The Bilingual Brain leaves us all with a sense of wonder at how language works. Translated by John W. Schwieter

Music, Language, and the Brain

Author : Aniruddh D. Patel
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 019989017X
Total Pages : 526 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (998 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Music, Language, and the Brain by : Aniruddh D. Patel

Download or read book Music, Language, and the Brain written by Aniruddh D. Patel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 526 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first comprehensive study of the relationship between music and language from the standpoint of cognitive neuroscience, Aniruddh D. Patel challenges the widespread belief that music and language are processed independently. Since Plato's time, the relationship between music and language has attracted interest and debate from a wide range of thinkers. Recently, scientific research on this topic has been growing rapidly, as scholars from diverse disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive science, music cognition, and neuroscience are drawn to the music-language interface as one way to explore the extent to which different mental abilities are processed by separate brain mechanisms. Accordingly, the relevant data and theories have been spread across a range of disciplines. This volume provides the first synthesis, arguing that music and language share deep and critical connections, and that comparative research provides a powerful way to study the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying these uniquely human abilities. Winner of the 2008 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award.

How the Brain Got Language – Towards a New Road Map

Author : Michael A. Arbib
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing Company
ISBN 13 : 9027260672
Total Pages : 403 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (272 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis How the Brain Got Language – Towards a New Road Map by : Michael A. Arbib

Download or read book How the Brain Got Language – Towards a New Road Map written by Michael A. Arbib and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2020-08-15 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did humans evolve biologically so that our brains and social interactions could support language processes, and how did cultural evolution lead to the invention of languages (signed as well as spoken)? This book addresses these questions through comparative (neuro)primatology – comparative study of brain, behavior and communication in monkeys, apes and humans – and an EvoDevoSocio framework for approaching biological and cultural evolution within a shared perspective. Each chapter provides an authoritative yet accessible review from a different discipline: linguistics (evolutionary, computational and neuro), archeology and neuroarcheology, macaque neurophysiology, comparative neuroanatomy, primate behavior, and developmental studies. These diverse perspectives are unified by having each chapter close with a section on its implications for creating a new road map for multidisciplinary research. These implications include assessment of the pluses and minuses of the Mirror System Hypothesis as an “old” road map. The cumulative road map is then presented in the concluding chapter. Originally published as a special issue of Interaction Studies 19:1/2 (2018).

Lingua Ex Machina

Author : William H. Calvin
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 9780262531986
Total Pages : 318 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (319 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Lingua Ex Machina by : William H. Calvin

Download or read book Lingua Ex Machina written by William H. Calvin and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A neuroscientist and a linguist show how evolution could have given rise to structured language. A machine for language? Certainly, say the neurophysiologists, busy studying the language specializations of the human brain and trying to identify their evolutionary antecedents. Linguists such as Noam Chomsky talk about machinelike "modules" in the brain for syntax, arguing that language is more an instinct (a complex behavior triggered by simple environmental stimuli) than an acquired skill like riding a bicycle. But structured language presents the same evolutionary problems as feathered forelimbs for flight: you need a lot of specializations to fly even a little bit. How do you get them, if evolution has no foresight and the intermediate stages do not have intermediate payoffs? Some say that the Darwinian scheme for gradual species self-improvement cannot explain our most valued human capability, the one that sets us so far above the apes, language itself. William Calvin and Derek Bickerton suggest that other evolutionary developments, not directly related to language, allowed language to evolve in a way that eventually promoted a Chomskian syntax. They compare these intermediate behaviors to the curb-cuts originally intended for wheelchair users. Their usefulness was soon discovered by users of strollers, shopping carts, rollerblades, and so on. The authors argue that reciprocal altruism and ballistic movement planning were "curb-cuts" that indirectly promoted the formation of structured language. Written in the form of a dialogue set in Bellagio, Italy, Lingua ex Machina presents an engaging challenge to those who view the human capacity for language as a winner-take-all war between Chomsky and Darwin.

Neuroanatomy of Language Regions of the Human Brain

Author : Michael Petrides
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0124059317
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (24 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Neuroanatomy of Language Regions of the Human Brain by : Michael Petrides

Download or read book Neuroanatomy of Language Regions of the Human Brain written by Michael Petrides and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2013-12-03 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many studies of the neural bases of language processes are now conducted with functional and structural neuroimaging. Research is often compromised because of difficulties in identifying the core structures in the face of the complex morphology of these regions of the brain. Although there are many books on the cognitive aspects of language and also on neurolinguistics and aphasiology, Neuroanatomy of Language Regions of the Human Brain is the first anatomical atlas that focuses on the core regions of the cerebral cortex involved in language processing. This atlas is a richly illustrated guide for scientists interested in the gross morphology of the sulci and gyri of the core language regions, in the cytoarchitecture of the relevant cortical areas, and in the connectivity of these areas. Data from diffusion MRI and resting-state connectivity are integrated iwth critical experimental anatomical data about homologous areas in the macaque monkey to provide the latest information on the connectivity of the language-relevant cortical areas of the brain. Although the anatomical connectivity data from studies on the macaque monkey provide the most detailed information, they are often neglected because of difficulties in interpreting the terminology used and in making the monkey-to-human comparison. This atlas helps investigators interpret this important source of information. Neuroanatomy of Language Regions of the Human Brain will assist investigators of the neural bases of language in increasing the anatomical sophistication of their research adn in evaluating studies of language and the brain. Abundantly illustrated with photographs, 3-D MRI reconstructions, and sections to represent the morphology of the sulci and gyri in the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions involved in language processing Photomicrographs showing the cytoarchitecture of cortical areas involved in language processing Series of coronal, sagittal, and horizontal sections identifying the sulci and gyri to assist language investigators using structural and functional neuroimaging techniques All images accompanied by brief commentaries to help users navigate the complexities of the anatomy Integration of data from diffusion MRI and resting-state connectivity with critical experimental anatomical data on the connectivity of homologous areas in the macaque monkey

Neurobiology of Language

Author : Gregory Hickok
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 : 0124078621
Total Pages : 1188 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (24 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Neurobiology of Language by : Gregory Hickok

Download or read book Neurobiology of Language written by Gregory Hickok and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2015-08-15 with total page 1188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neurobiology of Language explores the study of language, a field that has seen tremendous progress in the last two decades. Key to this progress is the accelerating trend toward integration of neurobiological approaches with the more established understanding of language within cognitive psychology, computer science, and linguistics. This volume serves as the definitive reference on the neurobiology of language, bringing these various advances together into a single volume of 100 concise entries. The organization includes sections on the field's major subfields, with each section covering both empirical data and theoretical perspectives. "Foundational" neurobiological coverage is also provided, including neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, genetics, linguistic, and psycholinguistic data, and models. Foundational reference for the current state of the field of the neurobiology of language Enables brain and language researchers and students to remain up-to-date in this fast-moving field that crosses many disciplinary and subdisciplinary boundaries Provides an accessible entry point for other scientists interested in the area, but not actively working in it – e.g., speech therapists, neurologists, and cognitive psychologists Chapters authored by world leaders in the field – the broadest, most expert coverage available

Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain

Author : Philip Lieberman
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674040228
Total Pages : 235 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain by : Philip Lieberman

Download or read book Human Language and Our Reptilian Brain written by Philip Lieberman and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an entry into the fierce current debate among psycholinguists, neuroscientists, and evolutionary theorists about the nature and origins of human language. A prominent neuroscientist here takes up the Darwinian case, using data seldom considered by psycholinguists and neurolinguists to argue that human language--though more sophisticated than all other forms of animal communication--is not a qualitatively different ability from all forms of animal communication, does not require a quantum evolutionary leap to explain it, and is not unified in a single language instinct. Using clinical evidence from speech-impaired patients, functional neuroimaging, and evolutionary biology to make his case, Philip Lieberman contends that human language is not a single separate module but a functional neurological system made up of many separate abilities. Language remains as it began, Lieberman argues: a device for coping with the world. But in a blow to human narcissism, he makes the case that this most remarkable human ability is a by-product of our remote reptilian ancestors' abilities to dodge hazards, seize opportunities, and live to see another day.

Language, Music, and the Brain

Author : Michael A. Arbib
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262018101
Total Pages : 677 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Language, Music, and the Brain by : Michael A. Arbib

Download or read book Language, Music, and the Brain written by Michael A. Arbib and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2013-06-28 with total page 677 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A presentation of music and language within an integrative, embodied perspective of brain mechanisms for action, emotion, and social coordination. This book explores the relationships between language, music, and the brain by pursuing four key themes and the crosstalk among them: song and dance as a bridge between music and language; multiple levels of structure from brain to behavior to culture; the semantics of internal and external worlds and the role of emotion; and the evolution and development of language. The book offers specially commissioned expositions of current research accessible both to experts across disciplines and to non-experts. These chapters provide the background for reports by groups of specialists that chart current controversies and future directions of research on each theme. The book looks beyond mere auditory experience, probing the embodiment that links speech to gesture and music to dance. The study of the brains of monkeys and songbirds illuminates hypotheses on the evolution of brain mechanisms that support music and language, while the study of infants calibrates the developmental timetable of their capacities. The result is a unique book that will interest any reader seeking to learn more about language or music and will appeal especially to readers intrigued by the relationships of language and music with each other and with the brain. Contributors Francisco Aboitiz, Michael A. Arbib, Annabel J. Cohen, Ian Cross, Peter Ford Dominey, W. Tecumseh Fitch, Leonardo Fogassi, Jonathan Fritz, Thomas Fritz, Peter Hagoort, John Halle, Henkjan Honing, Atsushi Iriki, Petr Janata, Erich Jarvis, Stefan Koelsch, Gina Kuperberg, D. Robert Ladd, Fred Lerdahl, Stephen C. Levinson, Jerome Lewis, Katja Liebal, Jônatas Manzolli, Bjorn Merker, Lawrence M. Parsons, Aniruddh D. Patel, Isabelle Peretz, David Poeppel, Josef P. Rauschecker, Nikki Rickard, Klaus Scherer, Gottfried Schlaug, Uwe Seifert, Mark Steedman, Dietrich Stout, Francesca Stregapede, Sharon Thompson-Schill, Laurel Trainor, Sandra E. Trehub, Paul Verschure

The Language Instinct

Author : Steven Pinker
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0062032526
Total Pages : 578 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (62 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Language Instinct by : Steven Pinker

Download or read book The Language Instinct written by Steven Pinker and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2010-12-14 with total page 578 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.

Cognitive Neuroscience of Language

Author : David Kemmerer
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 1317653157
Total Pages : 1982 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (176 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Cognitive Neuroscience of Language by : David Kemmerer

Download or read book Cognitive Neuroscience of Language written by David Kemmerer and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 1982 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Language is one of our most precious and uniquely human capacities, so it is not surprising that research on its neural substrates has been advancing quite rapidly in recent years. Until now, however, there has not been a single introductory textbook that focuses specifically on this topic. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language fills that gap by providing an up-to-date, wide-ranging, and pedagogically practical survey of the most important developments in the field. It guides students through all of the major areas of investigation, beginning with fundamental aspects of brain structure and function, and then proceeding to cover aphasia syndromes, the perception and production of speech, the processing of language in written and signed modalities, the meanings of words, and the formulation and comprehension of complex expressions, including grammatically inflected words, complete sentences, and entire stories. Drawing heavily on prominent theoretical models, the core chapters illustrate how such frameworks are supported, and sometimes challenged, by experiments employing diverse brain mapping techniques. Although much of the content is inherently challenging and intended primarily for graduate or upper-level undergraduate students, it requires no previous knowledge of either neuroscience or linguistics, defining technical terms and explaining important principles from both disciplines along the way.

Pathways of the Brain

Author : Sydney M. Lamb
Publisher : John Benjamins Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9027236755
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (272 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Pathways of the Brain by : Sydney M. Lamb

Download or read book Pathways of the Brain written by Sydney M. Lamb and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 1999 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The brain is the organ of knowledge and organizer of our abilities, our means of recognizing a face in a crowd, of conversing about anything we experience or imagine, of forming thoughts and developing ideas, of instantly understanding words coming rapidly in conversation. How does it manage all this? Does it represent information in symbols or in the connectivity of a vast network?Pathways of the Brain builds a theory to answer such questions. Using a top-down modeling strategy, it charts relationships among words and other products of the brain's linguistic system to reveal properties of that system. Going beyond earlier linguistics, it sets three plausibility requirements for a valid neurocognitive theory: operational, developmental, and neurological: It must show how the linguistic system can operate for speaking and understanding, how it can be learned by children, and how it is implemented in neural structures. Unlike theories that leave linguistics isolated from science, it builds a bridge to biology. Of interest to anthropologists, linguists, neurologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, psychologists, and any thoughtful person interested in language or the brain. The author is Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Cognitive Sciences.

Discovering the Brain

Author : National Academy of Sciences
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309045290
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Discovering the Brain by : National Academy of Sciences

Download or read book Discovering the Brain written by National Academy of Sciences and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 brainâ€"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 attentionâ€"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 techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."