Cognitive Neuroscience

Cognitive neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field of research that aims to understand how the human brain functions in perception, cognition and behaviour. This field combines knowledge and methods from psychology, biology, physics, medicine, philosophy and computer science.

Researchers in cognitive neuroscience use a variety of techniques to study the brain, including brain imaging, brain stimulation, studies of patients with brain damage and the recording of the brain's electrical activity.

The ultimate goal of cognitive neuroscience is to understand how cognitive functions emerge from neural processes and how these processes are modulated by internal and external factors such as learning, memory, emotions, motivation and the environment.

Cognitive neuroscience research has practical applications in many fields, including mental health, neurology, education, psychology, artificial intelligence and robotics.

Cognitive neuroscience focuses on possible causal links between brain structures and functions.

Perception, language, motivation, reasoning, emotions, creativity, memory, attention and consciousness are at the root of human behaviour. 

The aim of cognitive neuroscience is to establish a link between cognitive processes and brain function.

At a very similar level is behavioural neuroscience, the aim of which is to relate behaviour to the functioning of the nervous system.

In the context of normal functioning, cognitive and behavioural neuroscience are therefore interested in the way in which the functioning of our nervous system contributes to, for example:

• Our sensations, perception and motor skills.
• Behaviours such as eating, sexual behaviour and sleep.
• Complex functions such as learning and memory, emotions, language, social interaction, consciousness or empathy...

Cognitive neuroscience is not an isolated discipline. At a very similar level, we find cognitive psychology and cognitive science. At slightly more distant levels are psychopharmacology, which studies the impact of pharmacological molecules on cognitive processes, ethology, which is the study of animal behaviour in its natural environment, and developmental psychology. As you can see, depending on the subject you are interested in in psychology, you will need to consider knowledge from other disciplines. So don't close yourself off from biology, artificial intelligence or anthropology.