The Social Brain: Evolution and Pathology

The human brain is, without doubt, the most complex organ ever evolved. But why did our ancestors grow such large and energetically "expensive" brains? Recent studies suggest that many brain functions evolved in primates and early humans due to the necessity to cope with an increasingly complex social environment. This ability, the so–called "social brain," confers advantages. For example, social cleverness and aptitude enhance an individual′s chances of social success. "Behaviour reading," of facial expressions, gestures and vocalisations, allows us to anticipate or foresee how others might respond or act which has obvious advantages. In addition, apes and humans evolved the cognitive capacity of reading other′s minds, commonly referred to as having a "theory of mind".
Despite their advantages, such complex brain functions also have disadvantages. For example, it takes years or – in the case of human beings – a decade or more to acquire all the social knowledge, strategies, and rules indispensable for effectively managing social demands.Moreover, there are a number of psychiatric disorders in which the ontogenetic development, the correct application, or the preservation of social cognitive capacities during an individual′s lifetime have gone "awry". Autism, ADHD, focal damage in certain brain regions, endogenous psychoses, personality disorders, and dementia, share the common feature of compromised social functioning in the affected individual.
This book provides a concise overview of the evolution, development, and pathology of the human social brain and explores the psychiatric disorders that can result when that social brain is impaired. Integrates several key disciplines involved in the understanding of the human brain, how it evolved, its role in social interaction and psychiatric disorders.
Appeals across a range of disciplines from psychiatry and neuropsychiatry to basic neuroscience and evolutionar y biology.
Brings together the latest research from eminent international researchers

Spis treści:
List of Contributors.
Preface (M. Brüne, et al.).
Introduction (L. Brothers).
PART I: EVOLUTIONARY ASPECTS OF THE ′SOCIAL BRAIN′.
Stereotypy vs. Plasticity in Vertebrate Cognition (C. Strungaru).
Is the Human Brain Unique? (G. Roth).
Tracing the Evolutionary Path of Cognition (R. Byrne).
ProtocadherinXY: a Candidate Gene for Cerebral Asymmetry and Language (T. Crow).
Part II: CULTURE AND THE ′SOCIAL BRAIN′.
Evolution of the Cultured Mind: Lessons from Wild Chimpanzees (W. McGrew).
Ninye Kanye: the Human Mind. Traditional Papuan Societies as Models to Understand Evolution towards the Social Brain (W. Schiefenhövel).
PART III: DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF THE ′SOCIAL BRAIN′.
Big Brains, Slow Development, and Social Complexity: The Developmental and Evolutionary Origins of Social Cognition (D. Bjorklund & J. Bering).
Where Is ′The Other′  in the Self? Multiplicity, Unity, and Transformation of the Self from a Developmental Standpoint (I. Josephs & H. Ribbert).
PART IV: PATHOLOGIES OF THE ′SOCIAL BRAIN′.
The Social Brain in Autism (F. Volkmar, et al.).
Do Children with ADHD not Need Their Frontal Lobes for Theory of Mind? A Review of Brain Imaging and Neuropsychological Studies (W. Kain & J. Perner).
Social Cognition following Prefrontal Cortical Lesions (R. Morris, et al.).
Social Cognition at the Neural Level: Invesigations in Autism, Psychopathy and Schizophrenia (T. Russell & T. Sharma).
Social Cognition and Behaviour in Schizophrenia (M. Brüne).
Theory of Mind Delusions and Bizarre Delusions in an Evolutionary Perspective: Psychiatry and the Social Brain (B. Charlton).
Social Cognition in Paranoia and Bipolar Affectiv e Disorder (P. Kinderman).
Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and Theory of Mind (L. Mealey & S. Kinner).
Borderline Personality Disorder Theory of Mind: An Evolutionary Perspective (G. Dammann).
Awareness and Theory of Mind in Dementia (S. Starkstein & M. Garau).
Postscript (M. Brüne, et al.).
Index.

Okładka tylna:
The human brain is, without doubt, the most complex organ ever evolved. But why did our ancestors grow such large and energetically "expensive" brains? Recent studies suggest that many brain functions evolved in primates and early humans due to the necessity to cope with an increasingly complex social environment. This ability, the so–called "social brain," confers advantages. For example, social cleverness and aptitude enhance an individual′s chances of social success. "Behaviour reading," of facial expressions, gestures and vocalisations, allows us to anticipate or foresee how others might respond or act which has obvious advantages. In addition, apes and humans evolved the cognitive capacity of reading other′s minds, commonly referred to as having a "theory of mind".
Despite their advantages, such complex brain functions also have disadvantages. For example, it takes years or – in the case of human beings – a decade or more to acquire all the social knowledge, strategies, and rules indispensable for effectively managing social demands.Moreover, there are a number of psychiatric disorders in which the ontogenetic development, the correct application, or the preservation of social cognitive capacities during an individual′s lifetime have gone "awry". Autism, ADHD, focal damage in certain brain regions, endogenous psychoses, personality disorders, and dementia, share the common feature of compromised social functioning in the affected individual.
This book provides a concise overview of the evolution, development, and pathology of the human s ocial brain and explores the psychiatric disorders that can result when that social brain is impaired. Integrates several key disciplines involved in the understanding of the human brain, how it evolved, its role in social interaction and psychiatric disorders.
Appeals across a range of disciplines from psychiatry and neuropsychiatry to basic neuroscience and evolutionary biology.
Brings together the latest research from eminent international researchers