FUNDAMENTALS OF NEURAL NETWORK MODELING: NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE.

Abstract

Attempts to model human mental activity have sometimes involved abstract information-processing schema. Alternatively, the structural features of brain regions believed to be associated with neuropsychological test performance have been considered without an appreciation of the contributions of multiple brain areas. This book emphasizes the shift towards the development of models of cognitive processes which are better-founded in an understanding of neural circuitry. The volume is the twelfth in a series in Computational Neuroscience, which began with Methods in Neuronal Modeling: From Synapses to Networks (1989), edited by Christof Koch and Idan Segev. Computer simulations of neurons and neural networks are now properly regarded as complementary to traditional techniques in neuroscience. Although some of the first applications were to industrial problems in the area of pattern recognition or signal processing, their potential for improving understanding of brain and cognitive processes soon became clear. In the 1990s, substantial improvements in computer architecture, software design and computing speed occurred, coupled with an increased interest in applying the methodology in neuropsychology and in studies of mental dysfunction. The feasibility of making connections between models and clinical data has also increased. The editors are persuasive on the need to provide a textbook that brings together much recent work in this area. This book considers models of many widely used neuropsychological tests and tasks, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting, Stroop, verbal fluency, Tower of Hanoi and Line Cancellation tests. It also covers a range of syndromes, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, epilepsy, alcoholism, stroke, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and frontal lobe disorders. The book has 17 chapters from 36 contributors. It is divided into four sections: Introduction to neural networks, Behavioural states, Neuropsychological tests and clinical syndromes, and Applications in dementia. Each chapter is followed by a full list of references and an index is …