scholarly journals The role of crossmodal interaction in psychological and brain organization of mathematical abilities

2016 ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
N.A. Khokhlov ◽  
M.S. Kovyazina
Keyword(s):  
Brain Organization ◽  
Crossmodal Interaction ◽  
Mathematical Abilities

scholarly journals The genetic architecture of structural left–right asymmetry of the human brain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Sha ◽  
Dick Schijven ◽  
Amaia Carrion-Castillo ◽  
Marc Joliot ◽  
Bernard Mazoyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Asymmetry ◽  
Functional Enrichment ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Brain Expression ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Left Right Asymmetry ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Subcortical Volume

AbstractLeft–right hemispheric asymmetry is an important aspect of healthy brain organization for many functions including language, and it can be altered in cognitive and psychiatric disorders. No mechanism has yet been identified for establishing the human brain’s left–right axis. We performed multivariate genome-wide association scanning of cortical regional surface area and thickness asymmetries, and subcortical volume asymmetries, using data from 32,256 participants from the UK Biobank. There were 21 significant loci associated with different aspects of brain asymmetry, with functional enrichment involving microtubule-related genes and embryonic brain expression. These findings are consistent with a known role of the cytoskeleton in left–right axis determination in other organs of invertebrates and frogs. Genetic variants associated with brain asymmetry overlapped with those associated with autism, educational attainment and schizophrenia. Comparably large datasets will likely be required in future studies, to replicate and further clarify the associations of microtubule-related genes with variation in brain asymmetry, behavioural and psychiatric traits.

Neural Systems for Sentence Processing in Stuttering

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 814-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Weber-Fox
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Linguistic Processing ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Brain Potentials ◽  
Closed Class ◽  
Functional Brain Organization ◽  
Open Class

The role of neurolinguistic factors in stuttering was investigated by determining whether individuals who stutter display atypical neural functions for language processing, even with no speech production demands. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were obtained while 9 individuals who stutter (IWS) and 9 normally fluent speakers (NS) read sentences silently. The ERPs were elicited by: (a) closed-class words that provide structural or grammatical information, (b) open-class words that convey referential meaning, and (c) semantic anomalies (violations in semantic expectation). In standardized tests, adult IWS displayed similar grammatical and lexical abilities in both comprehension and production tasks compared to their matched, normally fluent peers. Yet the ERPs elicited in IWS for linguistic processing tasks revealed differences in functional brain organization. The ERPs elicited in IWS were characterized by reduced negative amplitudes for closed-class words (N280), open-class words (N350), and semantic anomalies (N400) in a temporal window of approximately 200–450 ms after word onsets. The overall pattern of results indicates that alterations in processing for IWS are related to neural functions that are common to word classes and perhaps involve shared, underlying processes for lexical access.

scholarly journals SLC6A4 binding site and acute prosocial effects of (+/-)-3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are evolutionarily conserved in Octopus bimaculoides

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Edsinger ◽  
Gül Dölen
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Social Behaviors ◽  
Evolutionary Conservation ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Social Approach ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Approach Behaviors

ABSTRACT:Human and octopus lineages are separated by over 500 million years of evolution, and show divergent anatomical patterns of brain organization. Moreover, while humans exhibit highly complex social behaviors, octopuses are thought to be largely asocial and solitary. Despite these differences, growing evidence suggests that ancient neurotransmitter systems are shared across vertebrate and invertebrate species, and in many cases enable overlapping functions. Here we provide evidence that, as in humans, the atypical amphetamine derivative (+/-)-3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) enhances acute prosocial behaviors in Octopus bimaculoides. This finding is paralleled by the evolutionary conservation of the serotonin transporter (SERT, encoded by the Slc6A4 gene) binding site of MDMA in the O. bimaculoides genome. Taken together, these data provide evidence that the neural mechanisms subserving social behaviors exist in O. bimaculoides, and indicate that the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in regulating social behaviors is evolutionarily conserved.ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:Here we provide evidence that the atypical amphetamine derivative (+/-)-3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) increases acute social approach behaviors in Octopus bimaculoides, a finding that is paralleled by the evolutionary conservation of the SLC6A4 binding site of MDMA.

scholarly journals Psychological mechanisms of development of mathematical research abilities’ components in schoolchildren

HUMANITARIUM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-84
Author(s):  
Hanna Kolinets
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mathematical Thinking ◽  
Mathematical Research ◽  
School Students ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Mathematical Abilities ◽  
Mechanisms Of Development ◽  
Definition Of

The article deals with the problem of psychological mechanisms of development of students’ mathematical research abilities in the process of solving mathematical creative tasks. It is indicated on the growing role of mathematical knowledge in connection with the implementation of a new, broader approach to the social functions of the school. Therefore, the formation of creative, research thinking, high level of need for achievements of schoolchildren is, of course, an important task of modern education, in particular its intermediate level. In order to develop the flexibility of thinking, developed and proposed to students of the upper classes, three types of problems with gradually increasing complexity: analytical and synthetic problems, problems with different degrees of assistance, tasks of self-research orientation. The results of recent researches and publications on psychology of creative activity, specifics of the process of formation of mathematical abilities are analyzed. The definition of concepts of research abilities, research mathematical abilities is given. The relationship between research abilities and the development of the problem of creativity psychology has been established. It was created the methodology for the development of components of mathematical research abilities of pupils in the process of carrying out special classes, which was focused on the development of separate components of mathematical research abilities. It has been confirmed that specially organized training positively influenced the development of structural components of mathematical research abilities of senior pupils. It is indicated on certain differences in the definition of research abilities in psychological and pedagogical literature, in revealing the essence, structure of research abilities, which affects the absence of valid methods of their detection. This is precisely why we can explain the inadequate development of this problem in methodological, theoretical and practical plans. It is proved that the senior school age is the age of development of the pre-professional scientific orientation of the person, in particular research abilities. The research mathematical orientation of high school students is manifested in the ability to quickly and easily find original, non-standard ways of solving problems, to investigate problems for compatibility and sufficiency of data, to establish cause and effect patterns. It is confirmed that the role of the motivational-personal component of mathematical research abilities is increasing among the high school students, namely: the interest in mathematical thinking is increasing, the desire to learn new is growing, showing persistence, determination, commitment and so on.

scholarly journals Limitations of compensatory plasticity: the organization of the primary sensorimotor cortex in foot-using bilateral upper limb dysplasics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Striem-Amit ◽  
Gilles Vannuscorps ◽  
Alfonso Caramazza
Keyword(s):  
Sensorimotor Cortex ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Association Cortex ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Primary Sensorimotor Cortex ◽  
Hand Area ◽  
Compensatory Plasticity

SummaryWhat forces direct brain organization and its plasticity? When a brain region is deprived of its input would this region reorganize based on compensation for the disability and experience, or would strong limitations of brain structure limit its plasticity? People born without hands activate their sensorimotor hand region while moving body parts used to compensate for this ability (e.g. their feet). This has been taken to suggest a neural organization based on functions, such as performing manual-like dexterous actions, rather than on body parts. Here we test the selectivity for functionally-compensatory body parts in the sensorimotor cortex of people born without hands. Despite clear compensatory foot use, the sensorimotor hand area in the dysplasic subjects showed preference for body parts whose cortical territory is close to the hand area, but which are not compensatorily used as effectors. This suggests that function-based organization, originally proposed for congenital blindness and deafness, does not apply to cases of the primary sensorimotor cortex deprivation in dysplasia. This is consistent with the idea that experience-independent functional specialization occurs at relatively high levels of representation. Indeed, increased and selective foot movement preference in the dysplasics was found in the association cortex, in the inferior parietal lobule. Furthermore, it stresses the roles of neuroanatomical constraints such as topographical proximity and connectivity in determining the functional development of brain regions. These findings reveal limitations to brain plasticity and to the role of experience in shaping the functional organization of the brain.Significance StatementWhat determines the role of brain regions, and their plasticity when typical inputs or experience is not provided? To what extent can extreme compensatory use affect brain organization? We tested the functional reorganization of the primary sensorimotor cortex hand area in people born without hands, who use their feet for every-day tasks. We found that it is preferentially activated by close-by body-parts which cannot serve as effectors, and not by the feet. In contrast, foot-selective compensatory plasticity was found in the association cortex, in an area involved in tool use. This shows limitations of compensatory plasticity and experience in modifying brain organization of early topographical cortex, as compared to association cortices where function-based organization is the driving factor.ClassificationBiological Sciences\Neuroscience

Natural Brains and Motivated, Emotional Mind

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-138
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Synaptic Coupling ◽  
Subjective Character ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Conscious Mind ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Brain

We know that the brain is the seat of the mind. Constructing the reductive model of the conscious mind requires an indication of the laws according to which the mind emerges from biophysical processes occurring in natural brains. Because in Part I, the authors presented the theoretical model referring to the ideal structures of the imagined neural network, we now have easier task, because we need to indicate in the brains of the living beings those processes that functionally correspond to our postulates. Such suitability is not guaranteed by known processes occurring in specialized parts of the brain. The role of the primary sensory areas is a detailed analysis of sensory stimuli with specific modality. They result in analysis of the meaning of all useful stimuli and their interpretation used in various parts of the cortex. The high specialization of individual cortex areas is striking and are the result of evolutionary development of the brain. New brain structures, such as the new cortex, were added on the outskirts of existing structures, improving their performance in the ever more demanding environments, where other intelligent beings ravened. But even as we know the brain organization, we struggle to understand how it works. How neurons that make the brain work together to create the conscious mind. To discover functionally effective processes in the brain, one need to reach for the biophysical properties of the astrocyt-neural network. In this chapter, the authors suggest that some concepts of neuro-electro-dynamics and the phenomena of neuro- and synapto-genesis as well as synaptic couplings may explain the processes of categorization, generalization and association leading to the formation of extensive, semihierarchical brain structures constituting neural representations of perceptions, objects and phenomena. Natural brains meet the embodiment condition. They are products of evolution, so they have intentionality, their own goals and needs. So they can naturally show emotions, drives and instincts that motivate to act. This determines the nature of constructed mental representations. They are the subject of psychological research, which shows the motivation of pain and pleasure in the field of intelligent activities, as well as the motivation of curiosity and the need for understanding in the domain of propositional and phenomenal consciousness. They describe the way pain is felt in organisms as basic quale. The role of other qualia for “how-it-is-like to feel something” and their subjective character was explained, as well as their interspecies specificity was characterized. In this chapter, the authors present an elementary biophysical phenomenon, that is a flash of consciousness. This phenomenon is synaptic coupling formed in the course of learning. They justify that the stream of such phenomena is the foundation of consciousness. They also point out that the astrocytic-neural network meets all the conditions required to generate conscious sensations.

The role of neuroimaging in understanding the impact of neuroplasticity after CNS damage

2015 ◽  
pp. 161-173
Author(s):  
Nick Ward
Keyword(s):  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Recovery Of Function ◽  
Complete Recovery ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Functional Brain Imaging ◽  
Brain Organization ◽  
Brain Reorganization ◽  
Invasive Techniques ◽  
The Impact

After stroke, there is little restitution of neural tissue, but reorganization of surviving neural networks appears to be important for recovery of function. Non-invasive techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography allow some aspects of this brain reorganization to be studied. For example, early after stroke there appears to be an upregulation in task-related activity, which diminishes with time and recovery. Those with the most complete recovery tend to have the most ‘normal’ activation pattern, and those with less complete recovery tend to rely on additional brain regions. This reorganization is functionally relevant. Advances in functional neuroimaging allow the study of alterations in connections between brain regions. Understanding how brain organization is related to anatomical damage, as well as impairment and recovery that can take place over weeks and months following stroke opens the way for functional brain imaging to become a clinically useful tool in rehabilitation.

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