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What is as unique as your fingerprints and more revealing than your diary? Hint: Your body is emitting them right now and has been every single day of your life. Brainwaves. Analyzing brainwaves, the imperceptible waves of electricity surging across your scalp, has been possible for nearly a century. But only now are neuroscientists becoming aware of the wealth of information brainwaves hold about a person's life, thoughts, and future health. From the moment a reclusive German doctor discovered waves of electricity radiating from the heads of his patients in the 1920s, brainwaves have sparked astonishment and intrigue, yet the significance of the discovery and its momentous implications have been poorly understood. Now, it is clear that these silent broadcasts can actually reveal a stunning wealth of information about any one of us. In Electric Brain, world-renowned neuroscientist and author R. Douglas Fields takes us on an enthralling journey into the world of brainwaves, detailing how new brain science could fundamentally change society, separating fact from hyperbole along the way. In this eye-opening and in-depth look at the most recent findings in brain science, Fields explores groundbreaking research that shows brainwaves can: Reveal the type of brain you have-its strengths and weaknesses and your aptitude for learning different types of information Allow scientists to watch your brain learn, glean your intelligence, and even tell how adventurous you are Expose hidden dysfunctions-including signifiers of mental illness and neurological disorders Render your thoughts and transmit them to machines and back from machines into your brain Meld minds by telepathically transmitting information from one brain to another Enable individuals to rewire their own brains and improve cognitive performance Written by one of the neuroscientists on the cutting edge of brainwave research, Electric Brain tells a fascinating and obscure story of discovery, explains the latest science, and looks to the future-and the exciting possibilities in store for medicine, technology, and our understanding of ourselves.
Formation of synapses and the changes in their connections during life are the basis for learning and memory and recovery from brain disease or injury. Much interest has been focused on how synapses function at the molecular level, while the cell-cell interactions controlling the formation receive far less attention. This book expands the scope of inquiry beyond the synaptic cleft to provide a comprehensive insight into how intercellular signalling enables neurons to communicate beyond the synapse, and to interact with other cells in the brain to alter synaptic connections appropriately. There are chapters devoted to consideration of glia, brain cells which have thus far been ignored in the majority of studies of learning and memory. Writing for academic researchers and professionals, contributors to this book reveal that there is much to learning and memory that lies beyond the synapse.
Formation of synapses and the changes in their connections during life are the basis for learning and memory and recovery from brain disease or injury. Much interest has been focused on how synapses function at the molecular level, while the cell-cell interactions controlling the formation receive far less attention. This book expands the scope of inquiry beyond the synaptic cleft to provide a comprehensive insight into how intercellular signalling enables neurons to communicate beyond the synapse, and to interact with other cells in the brain to alter synaptic connections appropriately. There are chapters devoted to consideration of glia, brain cells which have thus far been ignored in the majority of studies of learning and memory. Writing for academic researchers and professionals, contributors to this book reveal that there is much to learning and memory that lies beyond the synapse.
