Overview
One of the major challenges facing science is understanding the relationship between the structure of the brain and the functions it generates, and in particular how this function can be disturbed in brain disorders. This book addresses this challenge by describing the brain at the neuroanatomical, cellular, and subcellular levels, and analyzing how the cellular components are assembled into functional arrays. This leads to a discussion of the concept of mind, and modern theories of mind based on the function of neurons. The final part of the book considers disorders of the brain, looking in detail at Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. In each case, emphasis is placed on the relationship between changes in the brain at the biochemical level and changes in function at the behavioral and psychological level.
By bridging the gap between basic and clinical sciences, this book provides a new perspective on brain function and brain disorders. It explains key concepts clearly, giving students of neuroscience and related subjects a thorough introduction to this key topic, and a foundation for future study. It is also a concise review and reference text for researchers.