Brain and Space

ISBN: 0198542844

Author: Paillard, Jacques

Condition: New

This work presents the work of leading authorities on spatial relationships and cognition, describing the latest medical research and new theoretical insights. The authors explore problems concerning the way space is represented in the brain, and how spatial relationships are encoded in the neural network, creating a framework for our perceptions that enables them to guide our actions. Although these fascinating questions have generated endless philosophical debate over the years, it is only recently that neurophysiology has advanced sufficiently to provide a sound scientific basis for understanding the subject. Among the topics examined here are oculomotor control, neural control of skeletal movements, the contribution of the cortical parietal association areas to mapping spatial information, the role of hippocampal structures in cognitive mapping and spatial memory, and the ways neural networks generate internal representations of the physical world. In addition to researchers and advanced students in neurophysiology, neuropsychology, and cognitive psychology, this state-of-the-art work will interest scientists in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics.