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Neuroscience and Cognition

How brain research and neuroscience connect to cognitive science. Brain imaging, neural networks, and cognitive neuroscience.

Neuroscience studies the nervous system—the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Cognitive neuroscience combines this with cognitive science and asks: how does the brain's biological function produce mental processes?

This is one of science's greatest questions. How do three kilograms of neural tissue produce consciousness, memories, language, and thought?

What does cognitive neuroscience study?

Cognitive neuroscience studies the connection between brain and mind using both psychology methods (behavioral experiments) and neuroscience methods (brain imaging, lesion studies).

Key research questions

Localization – Which brain areas are specialized for certain functions? Vision, hearing, language, memory, and many other functions can be partially localized to specific brain regions.

Connectivity – How do brain regions communicate with each other? The brain isn't a collection of separate modules but a network where information flows between regions.

Plasticity – How do brains change with learning and experience? Brain structure and function are shaped throughout life.

Development – How do brains develop from fetus to adulthood? How do developmental disorders arise?

Damage and disease – What do brain injuries and neurological diseases tell us about how the mind works?

Brain imaging methods

Modern cognitive neuroscience development is based on brain imaging technology advances:

fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging)

fMRI measures brain blood flow and oxygen consumption. When a brain area activates, it needs more oxygen, and this shows in the fMRI signal.

Strengths:

  • Good spatial resolution (millimeter precision)
  • Non-invasive, no radiation
  • Shows whole brain function

Weaknesses:

  • Poor temporal resolution (second precision)
  • Indirectly measures neural activity
  • Expensive and immobile equipment

EEG (electroencephalography)

EEG measures the brain's electrical activity through electrodes placed on the scalp.

Strengths:

  • Excellent temporal resolution (millisecond precision)
  • Affordable and portable
  • Directly measures neurons' electrical activity

Weaknesses:

  • Poor spatial resolution
  • Source localization difficult
  • Sensitive to muscle artifacts

MEG (magnetoencephalography)

MEG measures magnetic fields produced by the brain's electrical activity. Finland is a leading country in MEG research.

Strengths:

  • Excellent temporal resolution
  • Better spatial accuracy than EEG
  • Signals don't distort through the skull

Weaknesses:

  • Very expensive equipment
  • Requires magnetically shielded room
  • Rarely available

PET (positron emission tomography)

PET uses radioactive tracers to measure brain function such as blood flow or neurotransmitters.

Strengths:

  • Can measure neurotransmitter systems
  • Enables molecular-level imaging

Weaknesses:

  • Requires radioactive substances
  • Poor temporal resolution
  • Radiation exposure

Brain structure and function

Cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex is the brain's outermost layer and the center of cognitive functions:

Frontal lobe – Decision-making, planning, personality, motor control Parietal lobe – Spatial perception, numbers, attention Temporal lobe – Hearing, language, memory Occipital lobe – Vision

Limbic system

A collection of structures deeper in the brain that processes emotions and memory:

Hippocampus – Memory formation, spatial navigation Amygdala – Emotion processing, especially fear Thalamus – Routing sensory information to the cortex

Neural networks

The brain consists of about 86 billion neurons with trillions of connections between them. Cognitive functions don't arise in individual neurons but in the networks they form.

Learning changes these networks: new connections form, existing ones strengthen or weaken. This is the basis of brain plasticity.

Cognitive neuroscience in Finland

Finland is a significant player in cognitive neuroscience:

Aalto University

Finland's leading brain imaging center. The MEG laboratory is among the world's best. Research focuses on computational neuroscience, social cognition, and brain connectivity.

University of Helsinki

The CBRU unit has studied music and speech processing in the brain for decades. The MMN method (mismatch negativity) was developed in Helsinki.

University of Turku

Turku PET Centre is Finland's leading molecular neuroimaging unit. Research covers emotions, social cognition, and neurotransmitter systems.

University of Jyväskylä

Music and movement neuroscience research. A multidisciplinary approach combines psychology, neuroscience, and music science.

Key findings

Cognitive neuroscience has made significant discoveries:

Mirror neuron discovery – Neurons that activate both during one's own action and when observing others' actions. Related to empathy and understanding.

Memory consolidation – The hippocampus is critical for forming new memories, but long-term memories transfer to the cortex.

Brain's resting state network – The brain is active even at rest. The "default mode network" activates when we're not focused on external tasks.

Plasticity in adulthood – It was previously believed that brains stop changing in adulthood. We now know plasticity continues, though it slows.

Applications

Cognitive neuroscience impacts many fields:

Neurology and psychiatry – Brain research improves diagnosis and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Brain-computer interfaces – Technology that reads brain signals and enables communication or device control through thought.

Learning – Understanding brain plasticity and memory function guides developing more effective learning methods.

Artificial intelligence – Neural network models, which are the foundation of current AI, are inspired by brain structure.

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