The Cerebellum

2020 ◽  
pp. 152-165
Author(s):  
Frederick L. Coolidge
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Abstract Thinking ◽  
Dendritic Branching ◽  
Human Cerebellum ◽  
Phylogenetic Origin ◽  
Motor Movements ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
The Brain

The cerebellum is estimated to contain about 80% of all of the brain’s neurons. Its original adaptation appears to be the seamless and smooth execution of motor movements. The dendritic branching of the cerebellum’s neurons is the most complex and extensive in the brain. The lateral and posterior portions of modern humans’ cerebellum have a more recent phylogenetic origin than that of other hominins. An exaptation of the human cerebellum is the cognitive control and refinement of higher cognitive functions, including lower- and higher-level abstract thinking. Numerous empirical studies link insight and creativity to the cerebellum.

Dennett, Functionalism, and Introspection

1985 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 55-83
Author(s):  
William Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
The Brain

Recent functionalist accounts of the mental, at least on the part of philosophers, have often been a result of dissatisfaction with the reductionist accounts championed by such physicalists as Place, Smart and Feigl. In particular this new account gained momentum from the growing belief that our map of the mental, at least in regard to the higher cognitive functions, does not seem to be a map of the brain and its processes. The more we find out about the working brain, the less we are able to cling to the belief that our talk about beliefs, evaluations, intentions, desires and motives gives us information about the structure or functioning of our brains.

scholarly journals Bridging the Gap Between Neurons and Cognition Through Assemblies of Neurons

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Christos H. Papadimitriou ◽  
Angela D. Friederici
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Computational Power ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
Simple Sentences ◽  
The Brain

During recent decades, our understanding of the brain has advanced dramatically at both the cellular and molecular levels and at the cognitive neurofunctional level; however, a huge gap remains between the microlevel of physiology and the macrolevel of cognition. We propose that computational models based on assemblies of neurons can serve as a blueprint for bridging these two scales. We discuss recently developed computational models of assemblies that have been demonstrated to mediate higher cognitive functions such as the processing of simple sentences, to be realistically realizable by neural activity, and to possess general computational power.

The brain as an organ of the living being

2017 ◽  
pp. 107-172
Author(s):  
Thomas Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Implicit Memory ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Conscious Experience ◽  
Feedback Loops ◽  
Gestalt Perception ◽  
Neuronal Patterns ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Living Being

‘The brain as an organ of the living being’ first presents the brain as the organ of vital regulation, which is connected to the organism through various feedback loops. This constant resonance between brainstem and organism is the basis of a background ‘feeling of being alive’ as the foundation of all conscious experience. Second, the relations of brain, organism, and environment are portrayed by means of the functional cycle of perception and movement. As a consequence of this ecological model, consciousness is regarded as the integral of the functional loops between the organism and the environment. In a third step, the development of capacities is traced back to neuroplasticity and implicit memory. This serves as a basis for the investigation into the higher cognitive functions of the brain, in particular, gestalt perception. The focus lies on the principle of resonance between activated neuronal patterns and configurations of stimuli in the environment.

scholarly journals Estrogen Effects on Cognitive and Synaptic Health Over the Lifecourse

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 785-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Hara ◽  
Elizabeth M. Waters ◽  
Bruce S. McEwen ◽  
John H. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Hormone Replacement ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
The Body ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Estrogen facilitates higher cognitive functions by exerting effects on brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Estrogen induces spinogenesis and synaptogenesis in these two brain regions and also initiates a complex set of signal transduction pathways via estrogen receptors (ERs). Along with the classical genomic effects mediated by activation of ER α and ER β, there are membrane-bound ER α, ER β, and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) that can mediate rapid nongenomic effects. All key ERs present throughout the body are also present in synapses of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. This review summarizes estrogen actions in the brain from the standpoint of their effects on synapse structure and function, noting also the synergistic role of progesterone. We first begin with a review of ER subtypes in the brain and how their abundance and distributions are altered with aging and estrogen loss (e.g., ovariectomy or menopause) in the rodent, monkey, and human brain. As there is much evidence that estrogen loss induced by menopause can exacerbate the effects of aging on cognitive functions, we then review the clinical trials of hormone replacement therapies and their effectiveness on cognitive symptoms experienced by women. Finally, we summarize studies carried out in nonhuman primate models of age- and menopause-related cognitive decline that are highly relevant for developing effective interventions for menopausal women. Together, we highlight a new understanding of how estrogen affects higher cognitive functions and synaptic health that go well beyond its effects on reproduction.

Brain plasticity, cognitive functions and neural stem cells: a pivotal role for the brain-specific neural master gene |-SRGAP2–FAM72-|

2017 ◽  
Vol 399 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thanh Ho ◽  
Arne Kutzner ◽  
Klaus Heese
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Rho Gtpase ◽  
Brain Plasticity ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Higher Cognitive Functions ◽  
The Brain

AbstractDue to an aging society with an increased dementia-induced threat to higher cognitive functions, it has become imperative to understand the molecular and cellular events controlling the memory and learning processes in the brain. Here, we suggest that the novel master gene pair |-SRGAP2–FAM72-| (SLIT-ROBO Rho GTPase activating the protein 2, family with sequence similarity to 72) reveals a new dogma for the regulation of neural stem cell (NSC) gene expression and is a distinctive player in the control of human brain plasticity. Insight into the specific regulation of the brain-specific neural master gene |-SRGAP2–FAM72-| may essentially contribute to novel therapeutic approaches to restore or improve higher cognitive functions.

Sex Differences in Cognition

2019 ◽  
pp. 41-66
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hampson
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
Sex Steroids ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Laboratory Animals ◽  
Human Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain

Organizational and activational effects of sex steroids were first discovered in laboratory animals, but these concepts extend to hormonal actions in the human central nervous system. This chapter begins with a brief overview of how sex steroids act in the brain and how the organizational-activational hypothesis originated in the field of endocrinology. It then reviews common methods used to study these effects in humans. Interestingly, certain cognitive functions appear to be subject to modification by sex steroids, and these endocrine influences may help explain the sex differences often seen in these functions. The chapter considers spatial cognition as a representative example because the spatial family of functions has received the most study by researchers interested in the biological roots of sex differences in cognition. The chapter reviews evidence that supports an influence of both androgens and estrogens on spatial functions, and concludes with a glimpse of where the field is headed.

scholarly journals Inhibitory Mechanisms in the Processing of Negations: A Neural Reuse Hypothesis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Beltrán ◽  
Bo Liu ◽  
Manuel de Vega
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Functional Relation ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
General Domain ◽  
Inhibitory Mechanisms ◽  
Neural Reuse ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

AbstractNegation is known to have inhibitory consequences for the information under its scope. However, how it produces such effects remains poorly understood. Recently, it has been proposed that negation processing might be implemented at the neural level by the recruitment of inhibitory and cognitive control mechanisms. On this line, this manuscript offers the hypothesis that negation reuses general-domain mechanisms that subserve inhibition in other non-linguistic cognitive functions. The first two sections describe the inhibitory effects of negation on conceptual representations and its embodied effects, as well as the theoretical foundations for the reuse hypothesis. The next section describes the neurophysiological evidence that linguistic negation interacts with response inhibition, along with the suggestion that both functions share inhibitory mechanisms. Finally, the manuscript concludes that the functional relation between negation and inhibition observed at the mechanistic level could be easily integrated with predominant cognitive models of negation processing.

scholarly journals Antagonism between brain regions relevant for cognitive control and emotional memory facilitates the generation of humorous ideas

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Bitsch ◽  
Philipp Berger ◽  
Andreas Fink ◽  
Arne Nagels ◽  
Benjamin Straube ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Emotional Memory ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Frontal Brain ◽  
Successful Resolution ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
The Brain

AbstractThe ability to generate humor gives rise to positive emotions and thus facilitate the successful resolution of adversity. Although there is consensus that inhibitory processes might be related to broaden the way of thinking, the neural underpinnings of these mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a humorous alternative uses task and a stroop task, to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying the emergence of humorous ideas in 24 subjects. Neuroimaging results indicate that greater cognitive control abilities are associated with increased activation in the amygdala, the hippocampus and the superior and medial frontal gyrus during the generation of humorous ideas. Examining the neural mechanisms more closely shows that the hypoactivation of frontal brain regions is associated with an hyperactivation in the amygdala and vice versa. This antagonistic connectivity is concurrently linked with an increased number of humorous ideas and enhanced amygdala responses during the task. Our data therefore suggests that a neural antagonism previously related to the emergence and regulation of negative affective responses, is linked with the generation of emotionally positive ideas and may represent an important neural pathway supporting mental health.

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