Physiology, Physiology - Stimuli & Behavior, Radiology & Diagnostic Imaging, Neuroscience, Mathematical Modeling - Science, Neurology, Physiology - Sense & Motion, Physiology - Nervous System, Cognitive Psychology, Neurophysiology

Principles of Brain Functioning: A Synergetic Approach to Brain Activity, Behavior and Cognition

Name: Principles of Brain Functioning: A Synergetic Approach to Brain Activity, Behavior and Cognition
Author: Hermann Haken
ISBN: 9783642795725

by Hermann Haken

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Overview

This book presents a new understanding of brain activity. Based on the general results of synergetics, the brain is conceived as a complex self-organizing system with emergent properties. This approach is elaborated upon by numerous explicit models that are based on and checked by detailed experiments on movement control, on various results on vision and on EEG and MEG analysis. The book provides newcomers to brain research with an introductory chapter on the experimental exploration of the brain and provides newcomers to synergetics with detailed and easy-to-read chapters on the basic concepts and theoretical tools of this field.

The book contains predominantly black-and-white illustrations, with some color illustrations.

Synopsis

It is increasingly being recognized that the experimental and theoretical study of the complex system brain requires the cooperation of many disciplines, in cluding biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, linguistics, and others. In this way brain research has become a truly interdis ciplinary endeavor. Indeed, the most important progress is quite often made when different disciplines cooperate. Thus it becomes necessary for scientists to look across the fence surrounding their disciplines. The present book is written precisely in this spirit. It addresses graduate students, professors and scientists in a variety of fields, such as biology, medicine and physics. Be yond its mathematical representation the book gives ample space to verbal and pictorial descriptions of the main and, as I believe, fundamental new insights, so that it will be of interest to a general readership, too. I use this opportunity to thank my former students, some of whom are my present co-workers, for their cooperation over many years. Among them I wish to mention in particular M. Bestehorn, L. Borland, H. Bunz, A. Daf fertshofer, T. Ditzinger, E. Fischer, A. Fuchs, R. Haas, R. Honlinger, V. Jirsa, M. Neufeld, M. Ossig, D. Reimann, M. Schanz, G. Schoner, P. Tass, C. Uhl. My particular thanks go to R. Friedrich and A. Wunderlin for their constant help in many respects. Stimulating discussions with a number of colleagues from a variety of fields are also highly appreciated.

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Editorials

Xabier Beristain

The book is a new release in the series devoted to synergetics and this time dedicated to the principles of brain functioning. This book is intended to give a multidisciplinary approach to understanding brain function from the point of view of synergetics, with the cooperation of several disciplines from biology, to computer science, to mathematics. However, it appears that many of the ideas described in this book have been previously discussed in other books of this series. Although the editor claims that this is a book directed to graduate students, professors, and scientists in different areas, the primary audience of this book is beyond graduate student education. Its real target is scientists, in particular neuroscientists, and theorists interested in models to explain brain functioning. The editor is a well-known expert in the field of synergetics who has already edited other books in this series dedicated to synergetics. This book is divided in four sections plus appendixes and a table of contents that guarantee easy access to information. There are many illustrations to ease understanding of the text. However, some chapters are overillustrated, with redundant figures that do not provide extra information. The quality of illustration is appropriate, with some of them in color. The overall appearance of the book is appropriate. This book offers a model of brain functioning based on synergetics, representing a repetition of ideas discussed in previous books of this series. Although the editor is trying to bring together main ideas and new insights in synergetics, it is not clear that he has accomplished the latter task.

From The Critics

Reviewer: Xabier Beristain, MD(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description: The book is a new release in the series devoted to synergetics and this time dedicated to the principles of brain functioning.
Purpose: This book is intended to give a multidisciplinary approach to understanding brain function from the point of view of synergetics, with the cooperation of several disciplines from biology, to computer science, to mathematics. However, it appears that many of the ideas described in this book have been previously discussed in other books of this series.
Audience: Although the editor claims that this is a book directed to graduate students, professors, and scientists in different areas, the primary audience of this book is beyond graduate student education. Its real target is scientists, in particular neuroscientists, and theorists interested in models to explain brain functioning. The editor is a well-known expert in the field of synergetics who has already edited other books in this series dedicated to synergetics.
Features: This book is divided in four sections plus appendixes and a table of contents that guarantee easy access to information. There are many illustrations to ease understanding of the text. However, some chapters are overillustrated, with redundant figures that do not provide extra information. The quality of illustration is appropriate, with some of them in color. The overall appearance of the book is appropriate.
Assessment: This book offers a model of brain functioning based on synergetics, representing a repetition of ideas discussed in previous books of this series. Although the editor is trying to bring together main ideas and new insights in synergetics, it is not clear that he has accomplished the latter task.

3 Stars from Doody