Neuroscience

Brain Aromatase, Estrogens, and Behavior

Jacques Balthazart, Gregory Ball (eds)

Aromatase—or estrogen, as it is commonly known—is present in the brain and has been the subject of much recent research, not only with regard to menopause and the dwindling supply of ... More

Aromatase—or estrogen, as it is commonly known—is present in the brain and has been the subject of much recent research, not only with regard to menopause and the dwindling supply of estrogen and its impact on cognition, but the role estrogen in aging and plasticity in the brain. This book provides a review of what is known about aromatase and its distribution and regulation in the brain, and its many effects on behavior. The volume covers research on mammals (from rats to monkeys), as well as work done on birds, reptiles and amphibians, and fishes. Topics range from behavioral effects (genomic) of locally produced estrogen in the brain; aromatase and sexual differentiation; rapid changes in brain aromatase as a result of environmental effects; aromatase and brain repair; the rapid effects of estrogens on behavior; rapid effect of estrogen on sensory (auditory) processing; and a concluding statement on current challenges to research. Less

Cognition and Neural Development

Don Tucker, Phan Luu

Scientific research shows how experience shapes the organization of the human brain through mechanisms of neural plasticity, which capture the information of the world within the ... More

Scientific research shows how experience shapes the organization of the human brain through mechanisms of neural plasticity, which capture the information of the world within the connections among neurons. To understand this plasticity, it is important to look to the developmental mechanisms through which the brain grows from a single cell in embryogenesis to achieve the complex architecture of the human brain. The process of neural morphogenesis involves exuberant formation of neuronal connections, and then subtractive elimination of unused connections. This process is continued after birth, providing the neural plasticity of learning that allows cognitive development in infancy and childhood. Recognizing this continuity suggests an interesting insight—cognition is a reflection of neural development throughout the life span. This book examines the embryonic development of the brain to appreciate the dimensions of developmental momentum that shape the neural and psychological development of our lives. Human brain embryogenesis involves gradients of trophic factors that guide the migration of neurons from ventricular proliferative zones to organize the architecture of the cerebral hemispheres. The architecture of human cognition involves a functional differentiation of dorsal (pyramidal) and ventral (granular) corticolimbic divisions. This differentiation is a defining feature of not just human but mammalian neuroanatomy. The separation of pyramidal and granular cortical architectures appeared with the evolution of the six-layered mammalian neocortex from the three-layered primitive general cortex of reptiles and amphibians. The functional differentiation of the dorsal and ventral divisions of the cerebral hemispheres has been shown to be integral to multiple levels of psychological function, from elementary motivation to the most complex forms of executive self-regulation. Less

Neuroethics in Practice

Anjan Chatterjee, Martha J. Farah (eds)