Cognitive Science An Introduction to the Science of the Mind

Building on the discussion of neuroanatomy in chapter 3, this chapter explores how the brain is wired. The first section looks at brain maps developed to clarify the relationship between structure and function in the brain and based on anatomical connectivity research. The second section introduces neurophysiological techniques, including EEG, MEG, PET, and fMRI, which allow cognitive scientists to map brain functions and connectivities. Then we discuss these techniques' temporal and spatial resolution to see their different strengths and weaknesses in cognitive neuroscience studies. In the following two sections, we look at two cases combining multiple techniques to explore the mechanism of visual attention in the brain. Finally, the last section discusses some reasons for caution when interpreting neural imaging data.