CT afferents are receptors in mammalian hairy skin that fire action potentials when the skin is touched lightly which makes them particularly important in affective touch. Traditionally neuroscientific research has focused on more discriminative and haptic properties of touch that are mediated by large myelinated afferents and the coding properties and functional organization of unmyelinated CT afferents have been studied much less. The proposed volume will draw together existing knowledge in this nascent field. Separate sections will address (1) how we can measure affective touch, (2) CT structure and physiology, (3) CT processing, (4) the contribution of CTs to sexual behavior, (5) clinical relevance, (6) commercial relevance, and (7) future research considerations.​

This volume provides methods on the study of the systems of the brain. Chapters are divided into four parts covering; discriminative touch, proprioception and kinaesthesis, affective touch, individual differences due to atypical development, ageing, illusions and sensory substitution, microneurography, electrophysiology, brain imaging, and brain stimulation. In Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your research center and clinical investigation. Thorough and comprehensive, Somatosensory Research Methods aims to be comprehensive guide for researchers.

How do we thrive in our behaviors and experiences? Positive neuroscience research illuminates the brain mechanisms that enable human flourishing. Supported by the John Templeton Foundation's Positive Neuroscience Project, which Martin E. P. Seligman established in 2008, Positive Neuroscience provides an intersection between neuroscience and positive psychology. In this edited volume, leading researchers describe the neuroscience of social bonding, altruism, and the capacities for resilience and creativity. Part I (Social Bonds) describes the mechanisms that enable humans to connect with one another. Part II (Altruism) focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying the human ability and willingness to confer costly benefits on others. Part III (Resilience and Creativity) examines the mechanisms by which human brains overcome adversity, create, and discover. Specific topics include: a newly discovered nerve type that appears to be specialized for emotional communication; the effects of parenting on the male brain; how human altruism differs from that of other primates; the neural features of extraordinary altruists who have donated kidneys to strangers; and distinctive patterns of brain wiring that endow some people with exceptional musical abilities. Accessible to a broad academic audience, from advanced undergraduates to senior scholars, these subjects have generated a fascinating and highly convergent set of ideas and results, shaping our understanding of human nature.

The application of neurophysiological examination techniques to the newborn infant has increased considerably in recent years. This book gives an up-to-date description of these techniques, and evaluates their importance in the care of newborn babies.

The Senses: A Comprehensive Reference, Second Edition, Seven Volume Set is a comprehensive reference work covering the range of topics that constitute current knowledge of the neural mechanisms underlying the different senses. This important work provides the most up-to-date, cutting-edge, comprehensive reference combining volumes on all major sensory modalities in one set. Offering 264 chapters from a distinguished team of international experts, The Senses lays out current knowledge on the anatomy, physiology, and molecular biology of sensory organs, in a collection of comprehensive chapters spanning 4 volumes. Topics covered include the perception, psychophysics, and higher order processing of sensory information, as well as disorders and new diagnostic and treatment methods. Written for a wide audience, this reference work provides students, scholars, medical doctors, as well as anyone interested in neuroscience, a comprehensive overview of the knowledge accumulated on the function of sense organs, sensory systems, and how the brain processes sensory input. As with the first edition, contributions from leading scholars from around the world will ensure The Senses offers a truly international portrait of sensory physiology. The set is the definitive reference on sensory neuroscience and provides the ultimate entry point into the review and original literature in Sensory Neuroscience enabling students and scientists to delve into the subject and deepen their knowledge. All-inclusive coverage of topics: updated edition offers readers the only current reference available covering neurobiology, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology of sense organs and the processing of sensory information in the brain Authoritative content: world-leading contributors provide readers with a reputable, dynamic and authoritative account of the topics under discussion Comprehensive-style content: in-depth, complex coverage of topics offers students at upper undergraduate level and above full insight into topics under discussion

The first comprehensive treatment of active inference, an integrative perspective on brain, cognition, and behavior used across multiple disciplines. Active inference is a way of understanding sentient behavior—a theory that characterizes perception, planning, and action in terms of probabilistic inference. Developed by theoretical neuroscientist Karl Friston over years of groundbreaking research, active inference provides an integrated perspective on brain, cognition, and behavior that is increasingly used across multiple disciplines including neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. Active inference puts the action into perception. This book offers the first comprehensive treatment of active inference, covering theory, applications, and cognitive domains. Active inference is a “first principles” approach to understanding behavior and the brain, framed in terms of a single imperative to minimize free energy. The book emphasizes the implications of the free energy principle for understanding how the brain works. It first introduces active inference both conceptually and formally, contextualizing it within current theories of cognition. It then provides specific examples of computational models that use active inference to explain such cognitive phenomena as perception, attention, memory, and planning.

An At-Home Guide to Children’s Sensory and Behavioral Problems gives a new perspective on sensory and behavior problems, one that sees those behaviors as stemming from a child’s immature sensory nervous system and regulation difficulties. This book offers an effective at-home intervention, the Qigong Sensory Treatment, that enlists a parent's attuned touch to address often overlooked sensory issues that underlie ‘problem’ behaviors and works to organize those sensory experiences to foster connection and the capacity for self-regulation. It introduces the reader to a new and clinically useful model to understand sensory development, the Early Childhood Self-regulatory Milestones which are critical to the emotional and behavioral health and regulation for all children. With clear step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and links to online instructional videos, it teaches parents how to successfully implement the daily QST hands-on routine. Unique to the treatment model is how it guides and focuses parents to easily recognize, interpret and respond to their child's shifting non-verbal body and behavioral responses and cues. An extensive workbook section navigates parents through a year-long process of learning and implementing QST at home. Weekly letters include those written by the authors, parents who share their own personal experiences with the routine and by QST Master Trainers who offer their years of experience and helpful tips. The 52 letters are timed to anticipate and answer typical questions or stumbling blocks that parents commonly encounter at key points, guiding them to success with their child’s sensory and behavior difficulties while making for happier and less-stressful times with their child. This guide will be indispensable to parents and clinicians looking to understand and more effectively work with their child’s developmental difficulties.