Preface

What do we mean by "behavioral neuroscience?"

This book aims at providing an overview of behavioral neuroscience and deepening neuronal mechanisms and brain circuits that regulate the fundamental aspects of human behavior, such as cognitive and emotional functions. It is intended to give the reader the most up-to-date vision of how the interaction between biological mechanisms and neurocognitive processes leads to complex and highly organized behaviors.

The authors offer original contributions to develop new perspectives in behavioral neuroscience thanks to the originality of their ideas, theories, research, scientific results, and discussions.

The first part of the book deals with the definition of behavioral neuroscience and the presentation of the framework in which it is located.

The introductory chapter emphasizes how behavioral neuroscience concerns not only the biological bases of behavior but also the more complex phenomena of mind and brain. Indeed, the great challenge of neuroscience is to understand behavior and thought. One of the main topics of discussion in the twentieth century was whether mental activities are functions different from brain activities or if they also represent functional expressions of the brain neurons. Only in the twenty-first century do we begin to have information of fundamental importance on the nature of highly organized and complex mental processes such as consciousness, will, and social cognition. Today we still find ourselves having to answer this question: *Are we our brain?*

The second chapter opens the book on the interesting "neurophenomenological" perspective to establishing correlations between descriptions of lived experience and brain states. The question we want to answer is: *How can a neuronal state be a state of consciousness?*

The third chapter describes the contribution of intestinal microorganisms for modulation of many systems and human behavior. The author thus underlines well how exploring the interaction of gut microbes and human brain will not only allow us to better understand the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders, but will also provide us with new opportunities for the design of novel immuno- or microbebased therapies.

The second part of the book deals with the contributions of behavioral neuroscience in the field of child neuropsychiatry.

The first chapter of this section is dedicated to social factors and early psychosocial interventions that can modify (in a positive way) the trajectories of the mind– brain relationship. The second chapter outlines the role of mindsets and failure in explaining learning differences among students. An experimental study in the

Finnish elementary school context is the starting point for a constructive discussion in the light of earlier neuroscientific research related to mindsets, including limitations and suggestions for future research in the field. The last chapter of the section opens to the topic of neuropsychiatric pathology in children. The association between cerebellar neuroanatomical alterations and autism is analyzed, opening a new avenue for further research.

The third part of the book deals with the contributions of behavioral neuroscience in the field of adult neuropsychiatry.

The first chapter of this section is aimed at an in-depth examination of treatmentinduced brain plasticity in psychiatric disorders. Although neural substrates of symptoms expression have been studied extensively, neural mechanisms mediating post-treatment amelioration of symptoms and brain networks functionality remain poorly characterized. We now have to rethink mental disorders, re-evaluating the treatment possibilities given by learning and brain plasticity.

The last chapter reviews the altered brain structure and function associated with drug addiction, with a focus on brain regions involved in learning and motivated behavior. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of reduced ability to experience rewards and emotional dysregulation, leading to persistent memories of pleasure related to drugs responsible for the onset of the harmful "addiction cycle."

It is a small book with great content. The book offers an excellent synopsis of perspectives, methods, empirical evidences, and international references. Therefore, it represents an extraordinary opportunity to target neuroscientific hot topics and outline new horizons in the study of the relationship between brain and behavior.

*"Neuroscience is by far the most exciting branch of science because the brain is the most fascinating object in the universe. Every human brain is different—the brain makes each human unique and defines who he or she is."*

*Stanley B. Prusiner*

**Sara Palermo, PhD** Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy

**Rosalba Morese, PhD** Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland Section 1

Definition and Operational Framework of the 21st Century
