Computational Explorations in Cognitive Neuroscience: Understanding the Mind by Simulating the Brain

by Randall C. O'Reilly, Yuko Munakata, James L. McClelland (Foreword)

This text, based on a course taught by Randall O'Reilly and Yuko Munakata over the past several years, provides an in-depth introduction to the main ideas in the computational cognitive neuroscience. The goal of computational cognitive neuroscience is to understand how the brain embodies the mind by using biologically based computational models comprising networks of neuronlike units. This text, based on a course taught by Randall O'Reilly and Yuko Munakata over the past several years, provides an in-depth introduction to the main ideas in the field. The neural units in the simulations use equations based directly on the ion channels that govern the behavior of real neurons, and the neural networks incorporate anatomical and physiological properties of the neocortex. Thus the text provides the student with knowledge of the basic biology of the brain as well as the computational skills needed to simulate large-scale cognitive phenomena. The text consists of two parts. The first part covers basic neural computation individual neurons, neural networks, and learning mechanisms. The second part covers large-scale brain area organization and cognitive perception and attention, memory, language, and higher-level cognition. The second part is relatively self-contained and can be used separately for mechanistically oriented cognitive neuroscience courses. Integrated throughout the text are more than forty different simulation models, many of them full-scale research-grade models, with friendly interfaces and accompanying exercises. The simulation software (PDP++, available for all major platforms) and simulations can be downloaded free of charge from the Web. Exercise solutions are available, and the text includes full information on the software.

Genres: Science, Psychology, Neuroscience, Biology

512 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 2000

Reviews

[Alexander Popov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great textbook! Computational cognitive neuroscience is one of our great instruments for understanding the mind and the world in general. It is a relatively young but vibrant discipline and this book can show you so many wonders if you let it do so. To really grasp the ideas it discusses, do the simulation exercises incorporated in the chapters. You can access for free the new and much improved version of the book from Randy O'Reilly's personal Colorado University webpage, where you can also find a link to the downloadable Emergent simulation software, and this is simply awesome. I took Randy's course last spring and it was one of the most rewarding academic experiences I have had. Stimulate you mind by simulating it!

(http://grey.colorado.edu/CompCogNeuro...)

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting topics are discussed in this book. Unfortunately, in many areas I found myself reading a section going "ok... ok... " and then once I had finished reading the passage having no clue what I should have just learned from it. This is not one of those books that you can pick up and learn something on your own.