Biological Learning and Control: How the Brain Builds Representations, Predicts Events, and Makes Decisions (Computational Neuroscience)
An introductory examination of the book reveals many pages of somewhat daunting, complex mathematics; however, the text explains the mathematical applications thoroughly and, often, delightfully...Like the clever examples provided throughout this book, the insights into brain function provided by Shadmehr and Mussa-Ivaldi have broad applications. I believe this book would be a great choice for an undergraduate special topics course; it just might inspire greater interest in the biomedical applications of mathematics.Peggy L Edds WaltonBioScienceThis exciting book provides a coherent framework for understanding how the brain learns to control the body. By synthesizing recent advances with historical perspectives, it provides an accessible entry point for both biological and engineering students, as well as a valuable resource for professionals seeking to understand the workings of the brain.(Daniel Wolpert, University of Cambridge)As neuroscience moves into the 21st century, insights from theories, neurobiological and behavioral experiments are molded into an understanding of the nature of perception, action and cognition. The authors guide the reader through data and theory, revealing deep and beautiful insights into the way uncertainty and environmental constraints shape the way we move and learn.(Konrad Körding, Associate Professor, Northwestern University; Lead Scientist, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Center for Parkinson's Disease)Almost 20 years have passed since Reza Shadmehr and Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi published their seminal work on motor adaptation, leading to an explosion of research on how we learn, retain, and generalize our movement skills. This book brings these studies together into a unified and coherent theory of adaptive motor control, synthesizing recent ideas on space perception, state estimation, reward maximization, optimal control, and many other fascinating topics. The result is sure to become an influential milestone in the field, leaving one eager to see what the next 20 years will bring.(Paul Cisek, Department of Physiology, University of Montréal)