Large-Scale Neuronal Theories of the Brain

About this book

This text brings together thirteen original contributions by scientists working in neuroscience today. It presents models and theories that challenge accepted ideas on the brain, the mind, and interactions between the two. Chapters in this book consider global theories of the brain from the bottom up - providing theories that are based on real nerve cells, their firing properties, and their anatomical connections. This is in contrast to the attempts that have been made by psychologists and by theorists in the artificial intelligence community to understand the brain strictly from a psychological or computational point of view. The authors encompass a broad background, from biophysics and electrophysiology to psychophysics, neurology, and computational vision. However, all the chapters focus on a common issue: the role of the primate (including human) cerebral cortex in memory, visual perception, focal attention, and awareness. Contributors: Horace Barlow, Patricia Churchland; V.S Ramchandran, Terrance J. Sejnowski, Antonio R. Damasio, Hanna Damasio, Robert Desimone, Earl K. Miller, Leonardo Chelazzi, Cristof Kock, Francis Crick, Rodolfo R. Llinas, Urs Ribary, David Mumford, Tomaso Poggio, Anya Hulbert, Michael I. Posner, Mary K. Rothbert, Wolf Singer, Charles F. Stevens, Shimon Ullman, David C. Van Essen, Charles W. Anderson and Bruno A. Olshausen

Contents

What is the computational goal of the neocortex?, Horace Barlow; a critique of pure vision, Patricia S. Churchland et al; corical systems for retrieval of concrete knowledge - the convergence zone framework, Antonia R. Damasio and Hanna Damasio; the interaction of neural systems for attention and memory, Robert Desimone et al; some further ideas regarding the neuronal basis of awareness, Christof Koch and Francis Crick; perception as an oneiric-like state modulated by the senses, Rodolfo R. Llinas and Urs Ribary; neuronal architectures for pattern-theoretic problems, David Mumford; observations on cortical mechanisms for object recognition and learning, Tomaso A. Poggio and Anya Hurlbert; constructing neuronal theories of mind, Michael I. Posner and Mary K. Rothbart; putative functions of temporal correlations in neocortical processing, Wolf Singer; what form should a cortical theory take?, Charles F. Stevens; sequence seeking and counterstreams - a model for bidirectional information flow in the cortex, Shimon Ullman; dynamic routing strategies in sensory, motor and cognitive processing, David C. Van Essen et al.

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Biography

Christof Koch is Professor of Computation and Neural Systems at the California Institute of Technology and the author of Biophysics of Computation. Joel L. Davis is Program Officer, Cognitive, Neural, and Biomolecular Science and Technology Division, Office of Naval Research.