scholarly journals We are More Than our Executive Functions: on the Emotional and Situational Aspects of Criminal Responsibility and Punishment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Coppola
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Criminal Responsibility ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Working Set ◽  
Normative Criteria ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Responsible Person

AbstractIn Responsible Brains (MIT Press, 2018), Hirstein, Sifferd and Fagan apply the language of cognitive neuroscience to dominant understandings of criminal responsibility in criminal law theory. The Authors make a compelling case that, under such dominant understandings, criminal responsibility eventually ‘translates’ into a minimal working set of executive functions (MWS) that are primarily mediated by the frontal lobes of the brain. In so arguing, the Authors seem to unquestioningly accept the law’s view of the “responsible person” as a mixture of cognitive capacities and mechanisms—thereby leaving aside other fundamental aspects of individuals’ human agency. This commentary article offers a critique of the Authors’ rationalist and individualist approach. The critique can be summarized through the following claim: We humans, as responsible beings, are more than our executive functions. This claim articulates through four main points of discussion: (1) role of emotions in moral judgments and behavior; (2) executive functions and normative criteria for legal insanity; (3) impact of adverse situational factors on executive functions; (4) Authors’ account of punishment and, especially, rehabilitation.

scholarly journals The role of Bisphenol A in shaping the brain, epigenome and behavior

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer T. Wolstenholme ◽  
Emilie F. Rissman ◽  
Jessica J. Connelly
Keyword(s):  
Bisphenol A ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Plasticity: Cells, Circuits, Brains, and Behavior

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia S. Churchland ◽  
Terrence J. Sejnowski
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Classical Conditioning ◽  
Neuronal Plasticity ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Synaptic Strength ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

This chapter examines the physical mechanisms in nervous systems in order to elucidate the structural bases and functional principles of synaptic plasticity. Neuroscientific research on plasticity can be divided into four main streams: the neural mechanism for relatively simple kinds of plasticity, such as classical conditioning or habituation; anatomical and physiological studies of temporal lobe structures, including the hippocampus and the amygdala; study of the development of the visual system; and the relation between the animal's genes and the development of its nervous system. The chapter first considers the role of the mammalian hippocampus in learning and memory before discussing Donald Hebb's views on synaptic plasticity. It then explores the mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity and those that decrease synaptic strength, the relevance of time with respect to plasticity, and the occurrence of plasticity during the development of the nervous system. It also describes modules, modularity, and networks in the brain.

The Role of Executive Function in Shaping Reinforcement Learning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Rmus ◽  
Samuel McDougle ◽  
Anne Collins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Instrumental Behavior ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Neural Computations ◽  
Human Decision ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Reinforcement learning (RL) models have advanced our understanding of how animals learn and make decisions, and how the brain supports some aspects of learning. However, the neural computations that are explained by RL algorithms fall short of explaining many sophisticated aspects of human decision making, including the generalization of learned information, one-shot learning, and the synthesis of task information in complex environments. Instead, these aspects of instrumental behavior are assumed to be supported by the brain’s executive functions (EF). We review recent findings that highlight the importance of EF in learning. Specifically, we advance the theory that EF sets the stage for canonical RL computations in the brain, providing inputs that broaden their flexibility and applicability. Our theory has important implications for how to interpret RL computations in the brain and behavior.

Developmental psychopathology in an era of molecular genetics and neuroimaging: A developmental neurogenetics approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke W. Hyde
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Genetics ◽  
Developmental Psychopathology ◽  
Imaging Genetics ◽  
Gene Environment ◽  
Brain Structure And Function ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe emerging field of neurogenetics seeks to model the complex pathways from gene to brain to behavior. This field has focused on imaging genetics techniques that examine how variability in common genetic polymorphisms predict differences in brain structure and function. These studies are informed by other complimentary techniques (e.g., animal models and multimodal imaging) and have recently begun to incorporate the environment through examination of Imaging Gene × Environment interactions. Though neurogenetics has the potential to inform our understanding of the development of psychopathology, there has been little integration between principles of neurogenetics and developmental psychopathology. The paper describes a neurogenetics and Imaging Gene × Environment approach and how these approaches have been usefully applied to the study of psychopathology. Six tenets of developmental psychopathology (the structure of phenotypes, the importance of exploring mechanisms, the conditional nature of risk, the complexity of multilevel pathways, the role of development, and the importance of who is studied) are identified, and how these principles can further neurogenetics applications to understanding the development of psychopathology is discussed. A major issue of this piece is how neurogenetics and current imaging and molecular genetics approaches can be incorporated into developmental psychopathology perspectives with a goal of providing models for better understanding pathways from among genes, environments, the brain, and behavior.

Steroids and Plasticity

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa L. Pedersen ◽  
Colin J. Saldanha
Keyword(s):  
End Points ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Vertebrate Brain ◽  
Synaptic Neurotransmission ◽  
And Function ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Vertebrate Central Nervous System ◽  
Made In

Given the profound influence of steroids on the organization and activation of the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), it is perhaps not surprising that these molecules are involved in processes that restructure the cytoarchitecture of the brain. This includes processes such as neurogenesis and the connectivity of neural circuits. In the last 30 years or so, we have learned that the adult vertebrate brain is far from static; it responds to changes in androgens and estrogens, with dramatic alterations in structure and function. Some of these changes have been directly linked to behavior, including sex, social dominance, communication, and memory. Perhaps the most dramatic levels of neuroplasticity are observed in teleosts, where circulating and centrally derived steroids can affect several end points, including cell proliferation, migration, and behavior. Similarly, in passerine songbirds and mammals, testosterone and estradiol are important modulators of adult neuroplasticity, with documented effects on areas of the brain necessary for complex behaviors, including social communication, reproduction, and learning. Given that many of the cellular processes that underlie neuroplasticity are often energetically demanding and temporally protracted, it is somewhat surprising that steroids can affect physiological and behavioral end points quite rapidly. This includes recent demonstrations of extremely rapid effects of estradiol on synaptic neurotransmission and behavior in songbirds and mammals. Indeed, we are only beginning to appreciate the role of temporally and spatially constrained neurosteroidogenesis, like estradiol and testosterone being made in the brain, on the rapid regulation of complex behaviors.

scholarly journals Algorithm of diagnostics of cognitive functions development violation in children born extremally premature

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
E. S. Keshishyan ◽  
G. A. Alyamovskaya ◽  
E. S. Sakharova ◽  
S. G. Vorsanova ◽  
I. A. Demidova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Pregnancy And Delivery ◽  
Genetic Examination ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain ◽  
General Care ◽  
Selection Of

A qualitative improvement in the management of pregnancy and delivery, optimization of General care and provision of intensive care for children born prematurely, particularly with low and extremely low body weight, significantly reduced the risk of damage to the nervous system of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic genesis. At the same time, there is a significant number of children born at low gestational age, with a significant violation of intellectual, cognitive development and behavior change. One of the assumptions about cause of improper maturation of the brain is the role of unbalanced chromosomal and genomic micro anomalies. There is provided the data on the survey of 22 children with approximately the same clinic of developmental disorders, 19 of which revealed various structural micro-damages of genesis, but their interpretation is difficult today. The algorithm of selection of children for the extended genetic examination is given.

Neurological and cognitive significance of probiotics: a holy grail deciding individual personality

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 1059-1074
Author(s):  
Muhammad Afzal ◽  
Sayyeda Farwa Mazhar ◽  
Sadia Sana ◽  
Muhammad Naeem ◽  
Muhammad Hidayat Rasool ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Subjects ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Cognitive Significance ◽  
Individual Personality ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Mood And Cognition ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

The role of the human microbiome in the brain and behavioral development is an area of increasing attention. Recent investigations have found that diverse mechanisms and signals including the immune, endocrine and neural associations are responsible for the communication between gut microbiota and the brain. The studies have suggested that alteration of intestinal microbiota using probiotic formulations may offer a significant role in the maturation and organization of the brain and can shape the brain and behavior as well as mood and cognition in human subjects. The understanding of the possible impact of gut microflora on neurological function is a promising phenomenon that can surely transform the neurosciences and may decipher the novel etiologies for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

Emotion Intelligence Computation Based on Matrix Description of State Machine

2013 ◽  
Vol 717 ◽  
pp. 439-443
Author(s):  
Xue Fei Shi ◽  
Tao Feng
Keyword(s):  
Intelligent Systems ◽  
Intelligent System ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
State Machine ◽  
System A ◽  
Matrix Description ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Nowadays the functional role of emotions has been recently fully recognized as essential for intelligent systems. In this paper an emotion and behavior model are presented based on the similarity between primary emotion and state machine. A two-layer emotional state generator based on the brain science is introduced firstly. The matrix description of state machine is applied to construct the bottom level of emotion generator. This method could improve the reactive performance of intelligent system. A neural cell model named Lapicque is used to describe the transition of emotion state. Experimental results is presented in the end demonstrate the response advantage of our model.

scholarly journals On the nature of explanations offered by network science: A perspective from and for practicing neuroscientists

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell A Bertolero ◽  
Danielle S Bassett
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Science ◽  
Neural Function ◽  
Philosophical Work ◽  
Scale Free ◽  
Careful Treatment ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Network Neuroscience

This article is part a forthcoming Topics in Cognitive Science Special Issue: "Levels of Explanation in Cognitive Science: From Molecules to Culture," Matteo Colombo and Markus Knauff (Topic Editors). Network neuroscience represents the brain as a collection of regions and inter-regional connections. Given its ability to formalize systems-level models, network neuroscience has generated unique explanations of neural function and behavior. The mechanistic status of these explanations and how they can contribute to and fit within the field of neuroscience as a whole has received careful treatment from philosophers. However, these philosophical contributions have not yet reached many neuroscientists. Here we complement formal philosophical efforts by providing an applied perspective from and for neuroscientists. We discuss the mechanistic status of the explanations offered by network neuroscience and how they contribute to, enhance, and interdigitate with other types of explanations in neuroscience. In doing so, we rely on philosophical work concerning the role of causality, scale, and mechanisms in scientific explanations. In particular, we make the distinction between an explanation and the evidence supporting that explanation, and we argue for a scale-free nature of mechanistic explanations. In the course of these discussions, we hope to provide a useful applied framework in which network neuroscience explanations can be exercised across scales and combined with other fields of neuroscience to gain deeper insights into the brain and behavior.

Detachment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Troisi
Keyword(s):  
Early Experience ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Emotional Detachment ◽  
Social Encounters ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
The Brain

Most of us find social encounters rewarding, especially when we encounter those with whom we are familiar and have built up a relationship. From an evolutionary point of view, this is not surprising; human beings are fundamentally social organisms, and human development and functioning occur within a social context. The origin of individual differences in the capacity to experience social reward is likely to involve a complex interplay of genetic and environmental variables, including genetic variation, early experience and current situational factors. A few individuals seem to lie at the lower extreme of this continuum, experiencing little or no positive feelings during affiliative interactions. This chapter deals with the psychological and behavioral traits that characterize these uncommon individuals and reviews the mechanisms likely to cause their emotional detachment. The chapter then discusses the importance of aversive early experience in promoting an avoidant style of adult attachment and the role of the brain opioid system and genetic polymorphisms in mediating diminished hedonic response to affiliative interactions.

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