scholarly journals Commentary: Content-Free Awareness: EEG-fcMRI Correlates of Consciousness as Such in an Expert Meditator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehrdad Rahimian
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Folk Psychology ◽  
Conscious State ◽  
Scientific Paradigms

The search for minimal neuronal requirements for consciousness rests on the premise that there exists a unique state of the human brain, the conscious state, that if one carefully excludes all the confounding cognitive functions, one will be able to isolate those regions that are involved in generating consciousness itself; nothing more, nothing less. I have argued elsewhere (Rahimian, 2021) why this view is deeply flawed and is based on unjustified assumptions mainly from folk psychology. Here I focus on some issues that arise while pursuing such assumptions in scientific paradigms.

Language processing is not a race against time

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giosuè Baggio ◽  
Carmelo M. Vicario
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
Language System ◽  
Moderating Factors

AbstractWe agree with Christiansen & Chater (C&C) that language processing and acquisition are tightly constrained by the limits of sensory and memory systems. However, the human brain supports a range of cognitive functions that mitigate the effects of information processing bottlenecks. The language system is partly organised around these moderating factors, not just around restrictions on storage and computation.

scholarly journals Cognitive functions and underlying parameters of human brain physiology are associated with chronotype

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Salehinejad ◽  
Miles Wischnewski ◽  
Elham Ghanavati ◽  
Mohsen Mosayebi-Samani ◽  
Min-Fang Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Cortical Inhibition ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Brain Physiology ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Term Potentiation

AbstractCircadian rhythms have natural relative variations among humans known as chronotype. Chronotype or being a morning or evening person, has a specific physiological, behavioural, and also genetic manifestation. Whether and how chronotype modulates human brain physiology and cognition is, however, not well understood. Here we examine how cortical excitability, neuroplasticity, and cognition are associated with chronotype in early and late chronotype individuals. We monitor motor cortical excitability, brain stimulation-induced neuroplasticity, and examine motor learning and cognitive functions at circadian-preferred and non-preferred times of day in 32 individuals. Motor learning and cognitive performance (working memory, and attention) along with their electrophysiological components are significantly enhanced at the circadian-preferred, compared to the non-preferred time. This outperformance is associated with enhanced cortical excitability (prominent cortical facilitation, diminished cortical inhibition), and long-term potentiation/depression-like plasticity. Our data show convergent findings of how chronotype can modulate human brain functions from basic physiological mechanisms to behaviour and higher-order cognition.

scholarly journals STAT3 inhibitor mitigates cerebral amyloid angiopathy and parenchymal amyloid plaques while improving cognitive functions and brain networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jogender Mehla ◽  
Itender Singh ◽  
Deepti Diwan ◽  
James W. Nelson ◽  
Molly Lawrence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Specific Inhibitor ◽  
Amyloid Angiopathy ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Aβ Peptides ◽  
Cerebral Amyloid

AbstractPrevious reports indicate a potential role for signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in amyloid-β (Aβ) processing and neuritic plaque pathogenesis. In the present study, the impact of STAT3 inhibition on cognition, cerebrovascular function, amyloid pathology, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation was studied using in vitro and in vivo models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related pathology. For in vitro experiments, human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMC) and human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) were used, and these cultured cells were exposed to Aβ peptides followed by measurement of activated forms of STAT3 expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Further, 6 months old 5XFAD/APOE4 (5XE4) mice and age-matched negative littermates were used for in vivo experiments. These mice were treated with STAT3 specific inhibitor, LLL-12 for 2 months followed by neurobehavioral and histopathological assessment. In vitro experiments showed exposure of cerebrovascular cells to Aβ peptides upregulated activated forms of STAT3 and produced STAT3-mediated vascular oxidative stress. 5XE4 mice treated with the STAT3-specific inhibitor (LLL-12) improved cognitive functions and functional connectivity and augmented cerebral blood flow. These functional improvements were associated with a reduction in neuritic plaques, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Reduction in amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and attenuation of oxidative modification of lipoprotein receptor related protein-1 (LRP-1) were identified as potential underlying mechanisms. These results demonstrate the broad impact of STAT3 on cognitive functions, parenchymal and vascular amyloid pathology and highlight the therapeutic potential of STAT3 specific inhibition for treatment of AD and CAA.

Is the human brain only responsive?

1995 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 365-366
Author(s):  
Rumyana Kristeva-Feige ◽  
Bernd Feige
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Evoked Potential ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
External Events ◽  
Potential Methods ◽  
The Brain

AbstractPosner & Raichle's (1994) book is a fascinating and readable account of the studies the authors have conducted on the localization of cognitive functions in the brain mainly using PET and EEC evoked potential methods. Our criticism concerns the underrepresentation of some imaging techniques (magnetoencephalography) and some forms of brain activity (spontaneous activity). Furthermore, the book leaves the reader with the impression that the brain only responds to external events.

scholarly journals The Importance of Cognitive Phenotypes in Experimental Modeling of Animal Anxiety and Depression

2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan V. Kalueff ◽  
Dennis L. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Experimental Modeling ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Developmental Pathway ◽  
Cognitive Dysfunctions ◽  
Pathogenetic Factor

Cognitive dysfunctions are commonly seen in many stress-related disorders, including anxiety and depression—the world's most common neuropsychiatric illnesses. Various genetic, pharmacological, and behavioral animal models have long been used to establish animal anxiety-like and depression-like phenotypes, as well as to assess their memory, learning, and other cognitive functions. Mounting clinical and animal evidences strongly supports the notion that disturbed cognitions represent an important pathogenetic factor in anxiety and depression, and may also play a role inintegratingthe two disorders within a common stress-precipitated developmental pathway. This paper evaluates why and how the assessment of cognitive and emotional domains may improve our understanding of animal behaviors via different high-throughput tests and enable a better translation of animal phenotypes into human brain disorders.

scholarly journals The modular and integrative functional architecture of the human brain

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (49) ◽  
pp. E6798-E6807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell A. Bertolero ◽  
B. T. Thomas Yeo ◽  
Mark D’Esposito
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Topic Model ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Modular Function ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Functional Architecture ◽  
Brain Imaging Data ◽  
The Brain

Network-based analyses of brain imaging data consistently reveal distinct modules and connector nodes with diverse global connectivity across the modules. How discrete the functions of modules are, how dependent the computational load of each module is to the other modules’ processing, and what the precise role of connector nodes is for between-module communication remains underspecified. Here, we use a network model of the brain derived from resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data and investigate the modular functional architecture of the human brain by analyzing activity at different types of nodes in the network across 9,208 experiments of 77 cognitive tasks in the BrainMap database. Using an author–topic model of cognitive functions, we find a strong spatial correspondence between the cognitive functions and the network’s modules, suggesting that each module performs a discrete cognitive function. Crucially, activity at local nodes within the modules does not increase in tasks that require more cognitive functions, demonstrating the autonomy of modules’ functions. However, connector nodes do exhibit increased activity when more cognitive functions are engaged in a task. Moreover, connector nodes are located where brain activity is associated with many different cognitive functions. Connector nodes potentially play a role in between-module communication that maintains the modular function of the brain. Together, these findings provide a network account of the brain’s modular yet integrated implementation of cognitive functions.

Neuroplasticity of the bilingual brain: Cognitive control and reserve

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 895-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jubin Abutalebi ◽  
Marpessa J. Rietbergen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
General Public ◽  
Protective Effects

The impacts of bilingualism upon the human brain, specifically in terms of the neuroplastic and neurofunctional changes upon general cognitive functions and on cognitive decline, are currently attracting much attention not only from the neuroscience and psycholinguistic communities but also from the general public. Researchers are especially focused on the putative protective effects of bilingualism upon cognitive decline.

scholarly journals The cognitive function and the framework of the functional hierarchy

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 81-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla Gain
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Cognitive Systems ◽  
Cognitive Computing ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Cognitive Services ◽  
Functional Hierarchy ◽  
Computing Literature

Cognitive computing is part of AI and cognitive applications consists of cognitive services, which are building blocks of the cognitive systems. These applications mimic the human brain functions, for example, recognize the speaker, sense the tone of the text. On this paper, we present the similarities of these with human cognitive functions. We establish a framework which gathers cognitive functions into nine intentional processes from the substructures of the human brain. The framework, underpins human cognitive functions, and categorizes cognitive computing functions into the functional hierarchy, through which we present the functional similarities between cognitive service and human cognitive functions to illustrate what kind of functions are cognitive in the computing. The results from the comparison of the functional hierarchy of cognitive functions are consistent with cognitive computing literature. Thus, the functional hierarchy allows us to find the type of cognition and reach the comparability between the applications.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document