Computational Neuroscience of Vision »

Professor Edmund Rolls DSc is a major figure in the field of neuroscience. His books are usually controversial, but without exception, highly successful. Gustavo Deco is a lesser known scientist, though one with a reputation for high quality research, and unquestionably a future star in psychology/neuroscience

The human visual system is so incredibly complex that any attempt to understand how the brain processes visual information necessitates a range of approaches, on a number of different levels. Neurophysiological studies, at the single neuron level are required. We need to bring in neuropsychological studies of brain damaged patients in order to understand what different parts of the visual system do, and what each part is needed for. Neuroimaging work can provide valuable information on the locations in the brain where these processes are taking place. Additionally required is an understanding of the biophysical and synaptic properties of neurons to see how the computing elements of the brain work. A knowledge of the anatomical and functional architecture of the cortex further enhances our understanding. Finally, neural computation methods can bring together the evidence to understand how the visual system actually works. Most of the books looking at the topic of vision tend to take a particular approach and exclude the work and data being obtained from studies adopting other approaches

This important new book from the eminent neuroscientist, Edmund Rolls (in collaboration with Gustavo Deco), is unique in combining all these approaches within a single volume to further our understanding of vision. This original approach enables a far more complete understanding of a very complex subject. This is a book which will be of great value to psychologists interested in vision and attentional processes, neuroscientists, and vision scientists

Booknews

To help understand how the brain functions, especially regarding vision, Rolls (experimental psychology, U. of Oxford) and Deco (U.of Munich) link the neural computation approach to neuronal neurophysiology to provide primary data about how the brain operates; to psychophysical studies, for example of attention; to neuropsychological studies of patients with brain damage; and to functional magnetic resonance imaging and other neuroimaging techniques. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)