Many brain-imaging studies are designed with the goal of isolating brain regions responsible for a specific mental function. The results, which reveal islands of activity scattered about the brain, can give the impression that the brain is just a disorganized collection of specialized processing centers. However, examination of how brain activity changes as a new skill is learned reveals a stru...

The basic cognitive architecture of the human brain remains unknown. However, there is evidence for the existence of distinct behavioral control systems shared by humans and nonhumans; and there is further evidence pointing to distinct higher-level problem solving systems shared by humans and other primates. To clarify the nature of these proposed systems and examine how they may interact in th...

Self-control is one of the most important skills that are considered as the main characteristic of individual adaptability. Indeed, an individual with self-control ability is one who can prioritize his/her goals and keep a balance between his/her emotions and thoughts. The purpose of this study was to compare self-control and behavioral activation and prevention systems in both normal and blind...

This article reviews the vertical organization of the brain. The cortico-basal ganglia and the cerebro-cerebellar circuitry systems are described as fundamental to cognitive and behavioral control. The basal ganglia anticipate and guide implicitly learned behaviors on the basis of experienced reward outcomes. The cerebellar-cortical network anticipates sensorimotor outcomes, allowing behaviors ...

Many complex behaviors are genetically hardwired. Based on previous findings on genetic control of mating and other behaviors in invertebrate and mammalian systems, I suggest that genetic control of complex behaviors is modular: first, dedicated genes specify different behavioral patterns; secondly, separable genetic networks govern distinct behavioral components. I speculate that modular genet...

Although autism is defined by deficits in three areas of functioning (social, communicative, and behavioral), impairments in social interest and restricted behavioral repertoires are central to the disorder. As a result, a detailed understanding of the neurobiological systems subserving social behavior may have implications for prevention, early identification, and intervention for affected fam...

253 A central premise in the “catecholamine hypothesis” of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is that dopamine (DA) dysfunction leads to clinical symptoms. The hypothesis arises, in part, from the clinical efficacy of methylphenidate, as well as evidence from brain imaging studies that suggest reduced activity in frontal-striatal regions. The theory, however, overlooks the phenotyp...