Cognitive neuroscience

Cognitive psychology is the study of human mental processes that occur within the mind. It looks at such internal processes such as, memory, perception and attention. It came about in the 1950’s as a result of the behaviourist approach being flawed; internal mental processes cannot be observed. Therefore, from this an alternative method of looking at the physiological side of the brain had to emerge. Cognitive neuroscience was then born to identify the neural mechanisms, which are responsible for underlying cognition. These neural mechanisms are also important when it comes to manifestations in behaviour. Cognitive neuroscience helps to combine the works of cognitive science and cognitive psychology. However, it is important to consider how…

To begin with, developmental cognitive neuroscience is defined as an interdisciplinary scientific sector devoted to comprehending psychological processes as well as their neurological bases in the developing organism. The idea of cognitive neuroscience helps individuals to understand the experiences of childhood integrated into the structures of the developing brain as well as how the brain changes influence behavior (Gazzaniga, 2004). It is evident that this is one of the fields motivating…

The graduate program, Cognitive and Affective Nueroscience, at Rice University encompasses interest on the topic of emotional regulation and its impact on mental health. On the faculty page of the Psychology department, I noticed that Dr. Bryan Denny was researching said topic and I am interested in working with him. My interest also spans to a curiosity about the impact that cultural upbringing has on emotional regulation skills. I believe that I have the qualities required for Cognitive and…

What do you do with your thoughts? A long time ago, there was no paper to scribe thoughts onto or computers to record them. There was nothing to do with thoughts, but remember them. Anything worth preserving had to be preserved in memory. In the essay, “The End of Remembering” by Joshua Foer, memory is an important issue. Different tools for remembering are discussed. In the course of time, a series of technologies have been created: the alphabet, scrolls, the printing press, photography, the…

Cognitive training is a term that reflects the hypothesis that one can maintain a cognitive ability through exercise of the brain. This can be proven through many different activities which in turn increases the cognitive reserve capacity. The studies that are outlined in the following piece demonstrate the ways in which scientific researchers go about measuring and demonstrating an individual’s cognitive brain capacity, Cognitive Training, also known as Brain Training, is the ability to…

Sleep, defined as a naturally recurring state of mind and body characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, inhibition of nearly all voluntary muscles, and reduced interactions with surroundings. As humans, we all experience sleep, however, others experience it differently. Although sleep is relatively important for all humans, each human encounters sleep differently. For example, one can sleep through the night without a problem, whereas others will experience…

I’ve never been able to explain my major in neuroscience without the someone asking me, “Oh, so you’re going to study diseases and disorders, like Autism and Alzheimer’s?” I’ve now realized that it isn’t their fault at all. I mean, that’s all we people in the neuroscience field ever really talk about anyway. It’s basically like telling a construction worker, “Oh, so you’re going to destroy buildings and use explosives?” The study of neuroscience isn’t merely focused on the disorders and…

Neuroscience cannot effectively explain self is not the cause of their own behavior, nor can shows that our conscious mental state has no causal effect on our behavior. Some neurologists that agree on illusory free will studied free will by brain imaging techniques, mainly follow by an idea of if free will is not just a mere fantasy, then there should be a neurological reality to defense that. There is a mistake here of the premise: thinking about the relation between mind and brain, that we are…

began during an independent research project in the second year of my master’s degree at Bangalore University. I was in awe when I realized how extraordinarily complex the neural mechanisms that support memory formation are and yet these profound neural events may be “undone” if the memories are not retrieved. Furthermore, I learned that memories can be embedded in chains, or “engrams”, composed of antecedent and subsequent events and may lack specific retrieval ‘checkpoints’. Despite having…

myself from the emotional aspects of working with and for the sake of children, I am interested in child health because children are constantly growing and developing. In respects to neuroscience, I am able to see and research neurological diseases and cognitive functions as it applies to a brain that is constantly changing. The adult brain does have some plasticity, but it is incomparable to that of a child’s. I am fascinated by the aspect of change and development and how that influences the…