Neurology, Addiction and Psychiatry Conference

Cognitive neuroscience is a multidisciplinary field of study that integrates research approaches in neuroscience and psychology, developing explanations of brain functions that may support and shape mental processes, such as memory, perception, language, decision-making, and behavior. It thus opened a window to the neural mechanisms behind cognitive functions, thereby giving it a better indication of how the mind works and possibly why certain things might arise in the case of impaired brain function. This field of cognitive neuroscience will link two areas together, promising deeper insight into the partnership between the brain and behavior both in basic scientific knowledge and that in applied clinical use.

The aim of cognitive neuroscience is the identification of special parts of the brain responsible for certain mental processes. Recent technological advances in the domain of brain imaging allow direct real-time visualization of activity within a living brain. For example, using fMRI, it is possible to determine which brain regions are activated while performing memory, attentional, or problem-solving tasks. The information the technology gives has greatly opened up into how the elements of the distributed brain communicate with each other so as to subservice more complex cognitive functions.

Cognitive psychology is the practice of understanding mental processes with a behavioral perspective. It analyses how people acquire, process, and retain information and therefore lightens into how people learn, problem-solve, and make decisions. The role of cognitive psychology in formulating educational strategies, therapeutic interventions, and techniques for behavior modification is extremely important.

But it might also help determine not only what happens in the brain but also how manifestations of cognitive dysfunctions appear in Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For instance, in Alzheimer's disease, cognitive neuroscience explained the very specific structural damages in the hippocampus and gave one clear important clue for diagnosis and treatment.

There is one very important common ground for their interest, focusing on choice and problem solving, by cognitive neuroscience and psychology. Such research areas of interest involve how individuals make choices, weighing risk versus reward along with emotion; moreover, which brain regions are involved in these complex processes.

Advancement in cognitive neuroscience supports the neuroscientific basis of behavior in order to discover ways through which impairments of cognition can be enhanced in their treatment, maximization of mental health interventions can be achieved, and better brain health will be provided. In this manner, a rich interlinkage between the brain and the mind is understood, providing a basis for therapeutic approaches to many mental health conditions as well as promoting resilience in cognition.