Psychophysiology by the end of the 20th century.
The first real breakthrough in the research of brain organization and thinking in the 20th century was made in neurophysiological investigations performed in direct contact with different sites of the brain, which became possible in diagnosis and treatment. The second breakthrough is happening at present. It is based on the opportunities provided by the non-invasive technique. The theory of the unique character of the brain system consisting of rigid and flexible elements maintaining thinking was created as well as concepts on the reliability in the system, of the error detector and intrinsic protective mechanisms of the brain. In the clinic these data enabled us to help patients who had lost various functions due to stroke. In confirmation with the above theory it was revealed that the same task could be solved in the brain by systems consisting of different elements due to environmental changes or even direction of attention. Data on the functional properties or every zone of the cortex and subcortex as well as cerebellum are rapidly increasing in number. The first priority lies in neurophysiologically penetrating into the physiological character and micromosaic of the activation sites of PET. The main aim of future brain research lies in the investigation of the fine physiological rearrangements which underlie thinking, i.e. deciphering its brain code. This is going to be the basis for the third, extremely valid breakthrough in the research on brain organization of thinking.
Bechtereva
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Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Thinking and Consciousness, Institute of the Human Brain, Academy of Science of Russia, 9 Pavlov St, St. Petersburg, Russia. bechtrv@brain.nw.ru
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D011603:Psychophysiology / Q000639:trends*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed