State-of-the-Art

Cognition is our mental activity encompassing perception, mental imagery, thinking, remembering, problem solving, decision-making, learning, language use, and conscious direction of motor activities. Cognitive psychology is the study of how we process information from our environment; how we attend to, perceive, process, and store information; and how we retrieve and act on information from memory.

Today, studies in cognitive functioning are performed by psychologists and neuroscientists. These studies take several forms. Psychologists perform controlled experiments in learning, memory, and cognitive processing in order to determine how the brain functions. Other neuroscientists study the effects on cognitive functioning of injuries, surgery, or medications on particular parts of the brain.

Advances in technology have enabled the study of brain processing through the use of techniques such as positron-emission tomography (PET) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The blending of cognitive psychology and neuroscience has led to the creation of new disciplines such as neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. These new fields combine the classic experimental techniques of cognitive psychology with imaging of the brain as specific tasks are performed.

Areas of Brain Activated During a Memory Task	Activation of the Primary Visual Cortex as Whirling Pattern is Viewed
3-D fMRIs* (Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center)

* Researchers: Jonathan Cohen, University of Pittsburgh & Carnegie Mellon University and Nigel Goddard, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center