1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910454931303321

Autore

Pfaff Donald W. <1939->

Titolo

Brain arousal and information theory [[electronic resource] ] : neural and genetic mechanisms / / Donald Pfaff

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cambridge, Mass., : Harvard University Press, 2006

ISBN

0-674-04210-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (216 p.)

Classificazione

CZ 1000

Disciplina

153

Soggetti

Arousal (Physiology)

Information theory

Neurogenetics

Neurophysiology

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-195) and index.

Nota di contenuto

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Preface and Dedication -- 1. Toward a Universal Theory of Brain Arousal -- 2. Anatomy Is Not Destiny, but a Little Neuroanatomy Helps -- 3. Arousal Is Signaled by Electrical Discharges in a System of Nerve Cells -- 4. Autonomic Nervous System Changes Supporting Arousal; the Unity of the Body -- 5. Genes Whose Neurochemical Products Support Arousal -- 6. Heightened States of Arousal: Sex Compared to Fear -- 7. Major Systems Questions about Brain Arousal Networks -- 8. Summary and Practical Importance: From Biological Mechanisms to Health Applications -- Works Cited -- Acknowledgments -- Index

Sommario/riassunto

In Brain Arousal and Information Theory, Donald Pfaff presents a daring perspective on the long-standing puzzle of what arousal is. Pfaff argues that, beneath our mental functions and emotional dispositions, a primitive neuronal system governs arousal. Employing the simple but powerful framework of information theory, Pfaff revolutionizes our understanding of arousal systems in the brain.