Disentangling causal webs in the brain using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A review of current approaches

In the past two decades, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging has been used to relate neuronal network activity to cognitive processing and behaviour. Recently this approach has been augmented by algorithms that allow us to infer causal links between component populations of neuronal networks. Multiple inference procedures have been proposed to approach this research question but so far, each method has limitations when it comes to establishing whole-brain connectivity patterns. In this work, we discuss eight ways to infer causality in fMRI research: Bayesian Nets, Dynamical Causal Modelling, Granger Causality, Likelihood Ratios, LiNGAM, Patel's Tau, Structural Equation Modelling, and Transfer Entropy. We finish with formulating some recommendations for the future directions in this area

Reckoning the Moment of Reckoning in Spontaneous Voluntary Movement

One question that naturally arises is: When, if at all, along the time course of the RP does the brain make the final commitment to initiate movement? Is there a point of no return after which the sequence of action potentials becomes “ballistic” and movement, although not yet happening, can no longer be aborted? This is the question that Schultze-Kraft et al. (9) ask through a clever experiment involving a direct brain–computer interface (BCI). On-line detection of the RP allowed them to present a stop signal when the probability of an impending movement was high. This process afforded the authors a unique perspective on the inhibition of voluntary, uncued actions

Sociolinguistics and Insider/Outsider Status in Hawai\u27i

Prior to the rise of tourism in Hawai’i, the Hawaiian economy was largely driven by plantations. As labor was imported to work these plantations, a rich, multiethnic culture developed on the islands, producing a similarly diverse linguistic situation. What began as a pidgin blend of several languages for the purpose of communication between workers and supervisors has since developed into a language unique to the islands: Hawaiian Creole English (HCE). Social status in Hawai’i has long been influenced by a person’s manner of speech, as evidenced by elite Standard English (SE) schools founded to educate children of those in the top tier of Hawaiian economy and governmental efforts to suppress Hawaiian and HCE. This paper explores sociolinguistic aspects of language in Hawai’i and how the way a person speaks influences his or her ascribed social status. Utilizing a review of historic and current literature related to relevant issues, it answers the questions of how speech style influences Hawaiian residents’ perceptions of insider/outsider status and how attitudes of listeners and speakers compare and contrast with regards to speech style. Through modified Grounded Theory analysis of data gathered from long-term residents of Hawai’i in interviews, an attitude assessment, and a reflective journal, this study revealed that language is a critical factor in determining whether someone is considered local or not. While speaking HCE is not required to be considered local, familiarity with it and the unique dialect of Hawai’i largely determines whether someone will be accepted as an insider or not. Race is also a significant factor influencing conferral of social status and attitudes towards speech styles. Overall, locals evaluate whether a person shows respect for the culture and history of Hawai’i, in large part through the way s/he speaks, to determine their status

Why we may not find intentions in the brain

Intentions are commonly conceived of as discrete mental states that are the direct cause of actions. In the last several decades, neuroscientists have taken up the project of finding the neural implementation of intentions, and a number of areas have been posited as implementing these states. We argue, however, that the processes underlying action initiation and control are considerably more dynamic and context sensitive than the concept of intention can allow for. Therefore, adopting the notion of ‘intention’ in neuroscientific explanations can easily lead to misinterpretation of the data, and can negatively influence investigation into the neural correlates of intentional action.We suggest reinterpreting the mechanisms underlying intentional action, and we will discuss the elements that such a reinterpretation needs to account for

The anticipatory and task-driven nature of visual perception

Action Contro