Michael I. Posner

The study of attention is central to psychology. In this work, Michael Posner, a pioneer in attention research, presents the science of attention in a larger social context, which includes our ability to voluntarily choose and act upon an object of thought. The volume is based on fifty years of research involving behavioral, imaging, developmental, and genetic methods. It describes three brain networks of attention that carry out the functions of obtaining and maintaining the alert state, orienting to sensory events, and regulating responses. The book ties these brain networks to anatomy, connectivity, development, and socialization and includes material on pathologies that involve attentional networks, as well as their role in education and social interaction. - Publisher's description.

Scientists continue to try to pinpoint the physical mechanisms of the brain involved in perception, learning, memory, and other higher cognitive functions. Now they have at their command some remarkable investigative tools - including imaging technologies (primarily positron emission tomography, or PET) that are able to take pictures of the brain in action, rendering certain aspects of thought visible as they occur. By allowing scientists to see the physical changes brought on by mental activity, these technologies are helping to reveal the connections between different parts of the brain and specific functions of the mind. Images of Mind is a lavish showcase for PET, other brain imaging techniques, and the emerging field of cognitive neuroscience. Written by leading authorities Michael Posner (a cognitive psychologist) and Marcus Raichle (a neuroscientist), the book documents the often ingenious ways in which scientists are putting PET imaging to use. What happens to the brain physically when we read? Speak? Form mental images? Process information automatically? In Images of Mind, Posner and Raichle describe how cognitive neuroscientists investigate these functions and what they have learned. You will see how PET records change in the brain's blood flow during specific sensory stimulations and cognitive operations, and how those changes are measured objectively. You will also read about the latest applications of this field to studies of child development and mental disorders. Images of Mind reveals how far cognitive neuroscience has come in understanding the construction of thoughts and images in the brain. A compelling subject, fascinating illustrations, and authors who are foremost experts in the field combine to make this a particularly engrossing volume.