Behavioural neuroscience / Seán Commins.

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Apr 2018).

Machine generated contents note: Preface; 1. Neurons and neural communication; 2. An introduction to the brain; 3. Neuroscientific methods; 4. Examination of animal behaviour. General principles and techniques; 5. Habituation and sensitisation in the Aplysia; 6. Classical conditioning in the Aplysia; 7. Long-term synaptic plasticity in mammals I. Long-term potentiation (LTP); 8. Long-term synaptic plasticity in mammals II. Long-term depression (LTD); 9. Eye-blink conditioning; 10. Fear conditioning; 11. Taste aversion; 12. Sound localisation; 13. Bat echolocation; 14. Spatial navigation; 15. Birdsong learning; 16. Circadian rhythms; Index.

Brain and behaviour are intrinsically linked. Animals demonstrate a huge and complex repertoire of behaviours, so how can specific behaviours be mapped onto the complicated neural circuits of the brain? Highlighting the extraordinary advances that have been made in the field of behavioural neuroscience over recent decades, this book examines how behaviours can be understood in terms of their neural mechanisms. Each chapter outlines the components of a particular behaviour, discussing laboratory techniques, the key brain structures involved, and the underpinning cellular and molecular mechanisms. Commins covers a range of topics including learning in a simple invertebrate, fear conditioning, taste aversion, sound localization, and echolocation in bats, as well as more complex behaviours, such as language development, spatial navigation and circadian rhythms. Demonstrating key processes through clear, step-by-step explanations and numerous illustrations, this will be valuable reading for students of zoology, animal behaviour, psychology, and neuroscience.