Neurometrics

by E. Roy John

Published 18 July 2021

Originally published in 1977, this volume attempts to show how the existing state of knowledge and technique in neuroscience can be effectively applied to a variety of practical clinical problems that at the time were dealt with less than adequately. Traditionally, clinical electroencephalography had been one of the major techniques by which our knowledge of neuroscience had been brought to bear upon these problems. The utility of this technique had been sharply limited and constrained by reliance upon qualitative interpretation of electrophysiological observations. In contrast, the approach proposed here is based upon quantitative measurements of salient features extracted from electrophysiological data which reflect various aspects of brain function related to sensory, perceptual and cognitive processes as well as to the structural and functional integrity of different neuroanatomical systems. The Editors call this quantitative approach "neurometrics".


Originally published in 1977, this title describes the basic structure and function of the brain, as well as the highest cognitive functions, using data from various disciplines to detail ways in which behaviorally relevant functions are mediated by the neural systems. Among the topics discussed are the neurophysiology of emotion, the chemical basis of memory, daily subjective experience and psychopathology, and information representation. A major purpose of this volume was to provide the student not only with a sound foundation in functional neuroscience, but also to equip them with a detailed understanding of how these facts and methods can be applied to clinical problems.