
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7.1 Introduction and overview 7.1 Introduction and overview
-
7.2 The nervous system 7.2 The nervous system
-
7.3 Brain anatomy 7.3 Brain anatomy
-
7.3.1 Neurons and neural information processing 7.3.1 Neurons and neural information processing
-
7.3.2 Modules and areas 7.3.2 Modules and areas
-
7.3.3 Basic brain and body maintenance 7.3.3 Basic brain and body maintenance
-
-
7.4 General organizational principles 7.4 General organizational principles
-
7.4.1 Function-oriented mappings 7.4.1 Function-oriented mappings
-
7.4.2 Cortical columns and topographies 7.4.2 Cortical columns and topographies
-
7.4.3 Neural tuning and coordinated communication 7.4.3 Neural tuning and coordinated communication
-
-
7.5 Brain mechanisms and brain imaging 7.5 Brain mechanisms and brain imaging
-
7.5.1 Brain lesion studies 7.5.1 Brain lesion studies
-
7.5.2 Active methods 7.5.2 Active methods
-
7.5.3 Passive methods 7.5.3 Passive methods
-
7.5.4 Summary 7.5.4 Summary
-
-
7.6 Summary and conclusions 7.6 Summary and conclusions
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
7 Brain Basics from a Computational Perspective
Get access-
Published:January 2017
Cite
Abstract
This chapter provides a crude overview of current knowledge in neuroscience about the human nervous system and its functionality. The distinction between the peripheral and central nervous systems is introduced. Next, brain anatomy is introduced, as well as nerve cells and the information processing principles that unfold in biological neural networks. Moreover, brain modules are covered, including their interconnected communication. With modularizations and wiring systematicities in mind, functional and structural systematicities are surveyed, including neural homunculi, cortical columnar structures, and the six-layered structure of the cerebral cortex. Finally, different available brain imaging techniques are contrasted. In conclusion, evidence is surveyed that suggests that the brain can be viewed as a highly modularized predictive processing system, which maintains internal activity and produces internal structures for the purpose of maintaining bodily needs in approximate homeostasis.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 4 |
November 2022 | 2 |
December 2022 | 2 |
January 2023 | 1 |
February 2023 | 2 |
March 2023 | 3 |
April 2023 | 7 |
May 2023 | 7 |
June 2023 | 8 |
July 2023 | 10 |
October 2023 | 5 |
February 2024 | 1 |
April 2024 | 5 |
May 2024 | 2 |
June 2024 | 15 |
July 2024 | 11 |
August 2024 | 2 |
September 2024 | 5 |
October 2024 | 5 |
November 2024 | 2 |
January 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.