Clinical Aspects of Brain Function Augmentation

Clinical Aspects of Brain Function Augmentation PDF Author: Benjamin Green
Publisher: States Academic Press
ISBN: 9781639891092
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
The brain is an organ which consists of a mass of nerve tissue which is surrounded by the skull. Its major divisions are cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres, which are further divided into lobes. It is responsible for problem solving, coordinating motor skills, attention, interpreting sensory information, interpreting emotions, etc. The cerebellum helps in the management of fine motor skills as well as helping the body maintain its balance and posture. The functions of the brain can be broadly categorized into sensory information processing, maintaining breathing and blood pressure, and regulating the release of hormones. The book aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of brain functions and the recent researches in this field. Its extensive content provides the readers with a thorough understanding of the subject. This book will prove to be immensely beneficial to students and researchers in this field.

Clinical Aspects of Brain Function Augmentation

Clinical Aspects of Brain Function Augmentation PDF Author: Benjamin Green
Publisher: States Academic Press
ISBN: 9781639891092
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
The brain is an organ which consists of a mass of nerve tissue which is surrounded by the skull. Its major divisions are cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres, which are further divided into lobes. It is responsible for problem solving, coordinating motor skills, attention, interpreting sensory information, interpreting emotions, etc. The cerebellum helps in the management of fine motor skills as well as helping the body maintain its balance and posture. The functions of the brain can be broadly categorized into sensory information processing, maintaining breathing and blood pressure, and regulating the release of hormones. The book aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of brain functions and the recent researches in this field. Its extensive content provides the readers with a thorough understanding of the subject. This book will prove to be immensely beneficial to students and researchers in this field.

Brain Function Augmentation: Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience

Brain Function Augmentation: Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience PDF Author: Benjamin Green
Publisher: Murphy & Moore Publishing
ISBN: 9781639870820
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
The central nervous system of the human body is made up of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is responsible for receiving and processing the information from the sense organs, taking decisions accordingly and sending directions to the rest of the body. There are various areas of the brain, each with a specialized function. The augmentation of brain functions involves enhancing the performance of the brain in healthy adults as well as people suffering from neurological disorders. Sensory, cognitive and motor functions are the three main areas which are targeted by this field. This augmentation can be done either through neurostimulation or through pharmacological means. This book includes some of the vital pieces of work being conducted across the world, on various topics related to brain functions. It presents researches and studies performed by experts across the globe. Scientists and students actively engaged in this field will find this book full of crucial and unexplored concepts.

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy PDF Author: Manuel F. Casanova
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889456161
Category : Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
The final volume in this tripartite series on Brain Augmentation is entitled “From Clinical Applications to Ethical Issues and Futuristic Ideas”. Many of the articles within this volume deal with translational efforts taking the results of experiments on laboratory animals and applying them to humans. In many cases, these interventions are intended to help people with disabilities in such a way so as to either restore or extend brain function. Traditionally, therapies in brain augmentation have included electrical and pharmacological techniques. In contrast, some of the techniques discussed in this volume add specificity by targeting select neural populations. This approach opens the door to where and how to promote the best interventions. Along the way, results have empowered the medical profession by expanding their understanding of brain function. Articles in this volume relate novel clinical solutions for a host of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), traumatic brain injury, and disorders of consciousness. In disease, symptoms and signs denote a departure from normal function. Brain augmentation has now been used to target both the core symptoms that provide specificity in the diagnosis of a disease, as well as other constitutional symptoms that may greatly handicap the individual. The volume provides a report on the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in ASD with reported improvements of core deficits (i.e., executive functions). TMS in this regard departs from the present-day trend towards symptomatic treatment that leaves unaltered the root cause of the condition. In diseases, such as schizophrenia, brain augmentation approaches hold promise to avoid lengthy pharmacological interventions that are usually riddled with side effects or those with limiting returns as in the case of Parkinson’s disease. Brain stimulation can also be used to treat auditory verbal hallucination, visuospatial (hemispatial) neglect, and pain in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. The brain acts as a telecommunication transceiver wherein different bandwidth of frequencies (brainwave oscillations) transmit information. Their baseline levels correlate with certain behavioral states. The proper integration of brain oscillations provides for the phenomenon of binding and central coherence. Brain augmentation may foster the normalization of brain oscillations in nervous system disorders. These techniques hold the promise of being applied remotely (under the supervision of medical personnel), thus overcoming the obstacle of travel in order to obtain healthcare. At present, traditional thinking would argue the possibility of synergism among different modalities of brain augmentation as a way of increasing their overall effectiveness and improving therapeutic selectivity. Thinking outside of the box would also provide for the implementation of brain-to-brain interfaces where techniques, proper to artificial intelligence, could allow us to surpass the limits of natural selection or enable communications between several individual brains sharing memories, or even a global brain capable of self-organization. Not all brains are created equal. Brain stimulation studies suggest large individual variability in response that may affect overall recovery/treatment, or modify desired effects of a given intervention. The subject’s age, gender, hormonal levels may affect an individual’s cortical excitability. In addition, this volume discusses the role of social interactions in the operations of augmenting technologies. Finally, augmenting methods could be applied to modulate consciousness, even though its neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Finally, this volume should be taken as a debate on social, moral and ethical issues on neurotechnologies. Brain enhancement may transform the individual into someone or something else. These techniques bypass the usual routes of accommodation to environmental exigencies that exalted our personal fortitude: learning, exercising, and diet. This will allow humans to preselect desired characteristics and realize consequent rewards without having to overcome adversity through more laborious means. The concern is that humans may be playing God, and the possibility of an expanding gap in social equity where brain enhancements may be selectively available to the wealthier individuals. These issues are discussed by a number of articles in this volume. Also discussed are the relationship between the diminishment and enhancement following the application of brain-augmenting technologies, the problem of “mind control” with BMI technologies, free will the duty to use cognitive enhancers in high-responsibility professions, determining the population of people in need of brain enhancement, informed public policy, cognitive biases, and the hype caused by the development of brain- augmenting approaches.

Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function

Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function PDF Author: Ioan Opris
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030545644
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 747

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Book Description
This book covers recent advances in neural technology that provide for enhancements for brain function. It addresses a broad range of neural phenomena occurring in the brain circuits involved in perception, cognition, emotion and action, that represent the building blocks of behavior and cognition. Augmentation of brain function can be achieved by using brain implants for recordings, stimulation, or drug delivery. Alternative methods include employing brain-machine interfaces, as well as noninvasive activation of certain brain areas. This volume evaluates existing methods of brain augmentation while discussing the brain circuitry and neuronal mechanisms that make augmentation possible. This volume offers novel insights into brain disorders, and explores new devices for brain repair while also addressing the philosophical and ethical implications of brain augmentation. The information in this book is relevant to researchers in the fields of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical practice. Advance Praise for Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function: “This impressive book by leading experts in neuroscience and neuroengineering lays out the future of brain augmentation, in which the human mind and machine merge, leading to a rapid exponential growth of the power of humanity.” Ray Kurzweil, best-selling author, inventor, entrepreneur and a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (1999), and the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2001) "This book employs a holistic approach in covering the recent advances in the fields of neuroscience, neuroinformatics, neurotechnology and neuro-psycho-pharmacology. Each chapter of the book covers major aspects of modern brain research in connection with the human mind and behavior, and is authored by researchers with unique expertise in their field. " Ioan Dumitrache, Prof. Dr. Eng. Faculty of Computer Science, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania “This book presents compelling perspectives on what interactive neuroscience will look like in the future, delving into the innovatory ideas of a diverse set of neuroscientists, and speculating on the different ways computer chips implanted in the brains of humans can effect intelligence and communication.” György Buzsáki, MD, PhD is the Biggs Professor of Neuroscience, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy PDF Author: Ioan Opris
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889456153
Category : Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Languages : en
Pages : 403

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Book Description
The Volume II is entitled “Neurostimulation and pharmacological approaches”. This volume describes augmentation approaches, where improvements in brain functions are achieved by modulation of brain circuits with electrical or optical stimulation, or pharmacological agents. Activation of brain circuits with electrical currents is a conventional approach that includes such methods as (i) intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), (ii) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and (iii) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). tDCS and TMS are often regarded as noninvasive methods. Yet, they may induce long-lasting plastic changes in the brain. This is why some authors consider the term “noninvasive” misleading when used to describe these and other techniques, such as stimulation with transcranial lasers. The volume further discusses the potential of neurostimulation as a research tool in the studies of perception, cognition and behavior. Additionally, a notion is expressed that brain augmentation with stimulation cannot be described as a net zero sum proposition, where brain resources are reallocated in such a way that gains in one function are balanced by costs elsewhere. In recent years, optogenetic methods have received an increased attention, and several articles in Volume II cover different aspects of this technique. While new optogenetic methods are being developed, the classical electrical stimulation has already been utilized in many clinically relevant applications, like the vestibular implant and tactile neuroprosthesis that utilizes ICMS. As a peculiar usage of neurostimulation and pharmacological methods, Volume II includes several articles on augmented memory. Memory prostheses are a popular recent development in the stimulation-based BMIs. For example, in a hippocampal memory prosthesis, memory content is extracted from hippocampal activity using a multiple-input, multiple-output non-linear dynamical model. As to the pharmacological approaches to augmenting memory and cognition, the pros and cons of using nootropic drugs are discussed.

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy. Volume III: From Clinical Applications to Ethical Issues and Futuristic Ideas

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy. Volume III: From Clinical Applications to Ethical Issues and Futuristic Ideas PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The final volume in this tripartite series on Brain Augmentation is entitled "From Clinical Applications to Ethical Issues and Futuristic Ideas". Many of the articles within this volume deal with translational efforts taking the results of experiments on laboratory animals and applying them to humans. In many cases, these interventions are intended to help people with disabilities in such a way so as to either restore or extend brain function. Traditionally, therapies in brain augmentation have included electrical and pharmacological techniques. In contrast, some of the techniques discussed in this volume add specificity by targeting select neural populations. This approach opens the door to where and how to promote the best interventions. Along the way, results have empowered the medical profession by expanding their understanding of brain function. Articles in this volume relate novel clinical solutions for a host of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as stroke, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), traumatic brain injury, and disorders of consciousness. In disease, symptoms and signs denote a departure from normal function. Brain augmentation has now been used to target both the core symptoms that provide specificity in the diagnosis of a disease, as well as other constitutional symptoms that may greatly handicap the individual. The volume provides a report on the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in ASD with reported improvements of core deficits (i.e., executive functions). TMS in this regard departs from the present-day trend towards symptomatic treatment that leaves unaltered the root cause of the condition. In diseases, such as schizophrenia, brain augmentation approaches hold promise to avoid lengthy pharmacological interventions that are usually riddled with side effects or those with limiting returns as in the case of Parkinson's disease. Brain stimulation can also be used to treat auditory verbal hallucination, visuospatial (hemispatial) neglect, and pain in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. The brain acts as a telecommunication transceiver wherein different bandwidth of frequencies (brainwave oscillations) transmit information. Their baseline levels correlate with certain behavioral states. The proper integration of brain oscillations provides for the phenomenon of binding and central coherence. Brain augmentation may foster the normalization of brain oscillations in nervous system disorders. These techniques hold the promise of being applied remotely (under the supervision of medical personnel), thus overcoming the obstacle of travel in order to obtain healthcare. At present, traditional thinking would argue the possibility of synergism among different modalities of brain augmentation as a way of increasing their overall effectiveness and improving therapeutic selectivity. Thinking outside of the box would also provide for the implementation of brain-to-brain interfaces where techniques, proper to artificial intelligence, could allow us to surpass the limits of natural selection or enable communications between several individual brains sharing memories, or even a global brain capable of self-organization. Not all brains are created equal. Brain stimulation studies suggest large individual variability in response that may affect overall recovery/treatment, or modify desired effects of a given intervention. The subject's age, gender, hormonal levels may affect an individual's cortical excitability. In addition, this volume discusses the role of social interactions in the operations of augmenting technologies. Finally, augmenting methods could be applied to modulate consciousness, even though its neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Finally, this volume should be taken as a debate on social, moral and ethical issues on neurotechnologies. Brain enhancement may transform the individual into someone or something else. These techniques bypass the usual routes of accommodation to environmental exigencies that exalted our personal fortitude: learning, exercising, and diet. This will allow humans to preselect desired characteristics and realize consequent rewards without having to overcome adversity through more laborious means. The concern is that humans may be playing God, and the possibility of an expanding gap in social equity where brain enhancements may be selectively available to the wealthier individuals. These issues are discussed by a number of articles in this volume. Also discussed are the relationship between the diminishment and enhancement following the application of brain-augmenting technologies, the problem of "mind control" with BMI technologies, free will the duty to use cognitive enhancers in high-responsibility professions, determining the population of people in need of brain enhancement, informed public policy, cognitive biases, and the hype caused by the development of brain- augmenting approaches.

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy. Volume II: Neurostimulation and Pharmacological Approaches

Augmentation of Brain Function: Facts, Fiction and Controversy. Volume II: Neurostimulation and Pharmacological Approaches PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The Volume II is entitled "Neurostimulation and pharmacological approaches". This volume describes augmentation approaches, where improvements in brain functions are achieved by modulation of brain circuits with electrical or optical stimulation, or pharmacological agents. Activation of brain circuits with electrical currents is a conventional approach that includes such methods as (i) intracortical microstimulation (ICMS), (ii) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and (iii) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). tDCS and TMS are often regarded as noninvasive methods. Yet, they may induce long-lasting plastic changes in the brain. This is why some authors consider the term "noninvasive" misleading when used to describe these and other techniques, such as stimulation with transcranial lasers. The volume further discusses the potential of neurostimulation as a research tool in the studies of perception, cognition and behavior. Additionally, a notion is expressed that brain augmentation with stimulation cannot be described as a net zero sum proposition, where brain resources are reallocated in such a way that gains in one function are balanced by costs elsewhere. In recent years, optogenetic methods have received an increased attention, and several articles in Volume II cover different aspects of this technique. While new optogenetic methods are being developed, the classical electrical stimulation has already been utilized in many clinically relevant applications, like the vestibular implant and tactile neuroprosthesis that utilizes ICMS. As a peculiar usage of neurostimulation and pharmacological methods, Volume II includes several articles on augmented memory. Memory prostheses are a popular recent development in the stimulation-based BMIs. For example, in a hippocampal memory prosthesis, memory content is extracted from hippocampal activity using a multiple-input, multiple-output non-linear dynamical model. As to the pharmacological approaches to augmenting memory and cognition, the pros and cons of using nootropic drugs are discussed.

Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function

Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function PDF Author: Ioan Opris
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783030545659
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book covers recent advances in the neural technology that produces enhancements for brain function. It addresses a broad range of neural phenomena occurring in the brain circuits for perception, cognition, emotion and action, representing the building blocks of the behavior and mind. Augmentation of brain function is achieved using brain implants for recordings, stimulation and drug delivery. Alternative methods include employing brain-machine interfaces, as well as noninvasive activation of certain brain areas. Existing methods of brain augmentation are evaluated, and new approaches are introduced. Brain circuitry and neuronal mechanisms that are candidates for augmentation are discussed. This volume provides novel insights into brain disorders, and new devices for brain repair. Information in this book is relevant to researchers in the field of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical practice. Philosophical and ethical implications of brain augmentation are also addressed. "This impressive book by leading experts in neuroscience and neuroengineering lays out the future of brain augmentation, in which the human mind and machine merge, leading to a rapid exponential growth of the power of humanity." - Ray Kurzweil "This book employs a holistic approach in covering the recent advances in the fields of neuroscience, neuroinformatics, neurotechnology and neuro-psycho-pharmacology. Each chapter of the book covers major aspects of modern brain research in connection with the human mind and behavior, and is authored by researchers with unique expertise in their field. " - Ioan Dumitrache "This book presents compelling perspectives on what interactive neuroscience will look like in the future, delving into the innovatory ideas of a diverse set of neuroscientists, and speculating on the different ways computer chips implanted in the brains of humans can effect intelligence and communication." - György Buzsáki.

Current Research in Brain Function Augmentation

Current Research in Brain Function Augmentation PDF Author: Max White
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781639871421
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The human brain is a part of the human nervous system. This organ is responsible for controlling almost all the activities of the body. The augmentation of the brain refers to the different ways in which the performance of the brain can be boosted. It can also be used to repair the brain of a person who suffers from a neurological disease. This can be done through a variety of methods such as through brain implants, brain-machine interfaces (BMI), or through pharmacological or electrical stimulation. There are also non-invasive techniques which can activate specific areas of the brain. This book unfolds the innovative aspects of brain augmentation which will be crucial for the progress of this field in the future. The recent studies that are constantly contributing towards advancing technologies and evolution of this field are examined in detail. As this field is emerging at a rapid pace, the contents of this book will help the readers understand the modern concepts and applications of the subject.

Discovering the Brain

Discovering the Brain PDF Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309045290
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
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."