title: Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience.
abstract: Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the structures and functions of the brain and brain-mind relations. This effort results in an increasing amount of data, generated by sophisticated technologies. However, these data enhance ourdescriptive knowledge, rather than improve ourunderstandingof brain functions. This is caused by methodological gaps both within and between subdisciplines constituting neuroscience, and theatomistic approachthat limits the study of macro- and mesoscopic issues. Whole-brain measurement technologies do not resolve these issues, but rather aggravate them by the complexity problem. The present article is devoted to methodological and epistemic problems that obstruct the development of human neuroscience. We neither discuss ontological questions (e.g., the nature of the mind) nor review data, except when it is necessary to demonstrate a methodological issue. As regardsintradisciplinarymethodological problems, we concentrate on those within neurobiology (e.g., the gap between electrical and chemical approaches to neurophysiological processes) and psychology (missing theoretical concepts). As regardsinterdisciplinaryproblems, we suggest that core disciplines of neuroscience can be integrated using systemic concepts that also entail human-environment relations. We emphasize the necessity of ameta-discussionthat should entail a closer cooperation withphilosophyas a discipline of systematic reflection. The atomistic reduction should be complemented by the explicit consideration of theembodiednessof the brain and theembeddednessof humans. The discussion is aimed at the development of an explicit methodology ofintegrative human neuroscience, which will not only link different fields and levels, but also help in understanding clinical phenomena.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kotchoubey
authors.affiliation: Bertalanffy Centre for the Study of Systems ScienceVienna, Austria; Bavarian Academy for Addiction and Health Issues (BAS)Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tretter
authors.affiliation: AG Neurodynamics, Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Philipps University of Marburg Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy I, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buchheim
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Draguhn
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Centre of Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University of Berlin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hasler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Philosophy, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hastedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Clinic of Regensburg Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hinterberger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health Research: Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics, University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Northoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rentschler
authors.affiliation: Department of Theory and History of Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen Groningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schleim
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Neurophilosophy and Ethics of Neuroscience, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sellmaier
authors.affiliation: Section of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tebartz Van Elst
authors.affiliation: Experimental Psychology, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tschacher
keywords: brain; methodology; mind; neuroscience; psychology; systems science