From Neuron to Brain

The first major biography of the Nobel Prize–winning scientist who discovered neurons and transformed our understanding of the human mind—illustrated with his extraordinary anatomical drawings

Neuroscience has largely abandoned its localizationist and mechanistic framework of the 20th century. The plastic, embodied, and network character of our nervous system is widely acknowledged and systems theory approaches to consciousness dominate the field. However, the underlying neuron theory has not changed. The neuron doctrine, conceptualizing the single neuron as atomistic, one-directional source of neural function, still provides the template for our understanding of these basic elements of our nervous system and the material foundation of consciousness. Yet, the single neuron does not exist as an isolated unit. It is embedded within multiple cellular, structural, and functional contexts, and highly depends on them for its development, neural activity, and survival. The book discusses the constraints of the neuron doctrine and its pragmatic reductionism in the light of the growing knowledge about the brain’s connectivity, plasticity, and systemic and embodied nature.To overcome these constraints, the author argues for a new neuron theory, depicting the neuron as bidirectional hub which is at the same time source and product of neural function. This bidirectionality is further characterized by spatial and time dimensions, placing the neuron within a multi-level pathway model of psychobiological development from the perspective of Developmental Embodiment Research. Furthermore, the author discusses the potential of neuroepigenetic markers to characterize the neuron and its range of plasticity within this developmental perspective.With its focus on neuroepigenetics, the book addresses a knowledge gap in the current study of the neural foundations of psychological functions.

Neuroscience has largely abandoned its localizationist and mechanistic framework of the 20th century. The plastic, embodied, and network character of our nervous system is widely acknowledged and systems theory approaches to consciousness dominate the field. However, the underlying neuron theory has not changed. The neuron doctrine, conceptualizing the single neuron as atomistic, one-directional source of neural function, still provides the template for our understanding of these basic elements of our nervous system and the material foundation of consciousness. Yet, the single neuron does not exist as an isolated unit. It is embedded within multiple cellular, structural, and functional contexts, and highly depends on them for its development, neural activity, and survival. The book discusses the constraints of the neuron doctrine and its pragmatic reductionism in the light of the growing knowledge about the brain’s connectivity, plasticity, and systemic and embodied nature.To overcome these constraints, the author argues for a new neuron theory, depicting the neuron as bidirectional hub which is at the same time source and product of neural function. This bidirectionality is further characterized by spatial and time dimensions, placing the neuron within a multi-level pathway model of psychobiological development from the perspective of Developmental Embodiment Research. Furthermore, the author discusses the potential of neuroepigenetic markers to characterize the neuron and its range of plasticity within this developmental perspective.With its focus on neuroepigenetics, the book addresses a knowledge gap in the current study of the neural foundations of psychological functions.