Functional Neuroimaging of Visual Cognition

The latest volume in the critically acclaimed and highly influential Attention and Performance series focuses on the role that functional neuroimaging plays in visual cognition. Functional neuroimaging has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the brain, and has been one of the most important tools in cognitive neuroscience. At the same time, the full power of neuroimaging can be realized only if there is convergence with theories based on other approaches includingcomputational modelling, behavioural experiments, and electrophysiology in the behaving animal. In this book, Nancy Kanwisher and John Duncan have brought together leading cognitive neuroscientists to present groundbreaking new research on the neural bases of vision. The first part of the book considers the degree to which visual processing in the brain is modular, including contributions from both sceptics and proponents of modularity. Part 2 focuses on object recognition, in particular the role of the ventral visual pathway. In part 3, the mechanisms ofvisual attention are discussed. The final part of the book explores the relationship between vision and action, with a look at the neurophysiology of sensorimotor integration. In additional chapters, Giacomo Rizzolatti discusses research on mirror neurons and their implications for understanding the actions and intentions of others, while Michael Posner considers what we have achieved so far with neuroimaging, and looks to the future and the next steps in our quest tounderstand brain function. Superbly edited and full of stunning colour images, this will be one of the key publications in the field of cognitive neuroscience.