How Molecules Matter to Mental Computation.

Almost all computational models of the mind and brain ignore details about neurotransmitters, hormones, and other molecules. The neglect of neurochemistry in cognitive science would be appropriate if the computational properties of brains relevant to explaining mental functioning were in fact electr...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Philosophy of Science Vol. 69; no. 3; pp. 429 - 447
Autor principal: Thagard, Paul
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Cambridge University Press Sep2002
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Almost all computational models of the mind and brain ignore details about neurotransmitters, hormones, and other molecules. The neglect of neurochemistry in cognitive science would be appropriate if the computational properties of brains relevant to explaining mental functioning were in fact electrical rather than chemical. But there is considerable evidence that chemical complexity really does matter to brain computation, including the role of proteins in intracellular computation, the operations of synapses and neurotransmitters, and the effects of neuromodulators such as hormones. Neurochemical computation has implications for understanding emotions, cognition, and artificial intelligence.