The new and rapidly evolving field of cognitive neuroscience brings together cognitive psychology and neuroscience, drawing conceptual and technical elements from both these traditional disciplines. This union has been motivated by the exciting possibility of better understanding complex human brain functions that have puzzled thinkers for centuries. The emergence of cognitive neuroscience as a discipline in its own right over the last two decades is thus an expression of what many see as the next logical step for both neuroscience and cognitive psychology, driven by powerful new methods for studying the human brain.

Principles of Cognitive Neuroscience, introduced in 2008, was written to inform readers at all levels about the growing canon of cognitive neuroscience, and to make clear the many challenges that remain to be solved.

Now, in this Second Edition, the authors–all leaders in the field–offer what is in essence a completely new book:

*The 28 chapters of the original edition have been condensed and combined to 15 chapters for the new edition.

*The condensation makes the topics covered easier to assimilate, and better suited to presentation in a single-semester course.

*Each chapter has been updated to address the latest developments in the field, including expanded coverage of genetics, evolution, and neural development.

*Introductory Boxes in each chapter take up an especially interesting issue to better capture readers’ attention.

*An appendix reviews the major features of human neuroanatomy and basic aspects of neural signaling.

As before, this edition includes an extensive glossary of key terms. And, with every copy, we offer a fully upgraded version of Sylvius 4 Online, which includes an interactive tutorial on human neuroanatomy as well as a magnetic resonance imaging atlas of the human brain.

Review

About the Author

Contents

Chapter 1 Cognitive Neuroscience: Definitions, Themes, and Approaches
Chapter 2 The Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience
Chapter 3 Sensory Systems and Perception: Vision
Chapter 4 Sensory Systems and Perception: Auditory, Mechanical, and Chemical Senses
Chapter 5 Motor Systems: The Organization of Action
Chapter 6 Attention and Its Effects on Stimulus Processing
Chapter 7 The Control of Attention
Chapter 8 Memory: Varieties and Mechanisms
Chapter 9 Declarative Memory
Chapter 10 Emotion
Chapter 11 Social Cognition
Chapter 12 Language
Chapter 13 Executive Functions
Chapter 14 Decision Making
Chapter 15 Evolution and Development of Brain and Cognition
Appendix: The Human Nervous System