Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-hvd4g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-31T02:37:01.583Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Brain-Mind and Structure-Function Relationships: A Methodological Response to Coltheart

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Adina L. Roskies
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In some recent papers, Max Coltheart has questioned the ability of neuroimaging techniques to tell us anything interesting about the mind and has thrown down the gauntlet before neuroimagers, challenging them to prove he is mistaken. Here I analyze Coltheart's challenge, show that as posed its terms are unfair, and reconstruct it so that it is addressable. I argue that, so modified, Coltheart's challenge is able to be met and indeed has been met. In an effort to delineate the extent of neuroimaging's ability to address Coltheart's concerns, I explore how different brain structure-function relationships would constrain the ability of neuroimaging to provide insight about psychological questions.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 76 , Issue 5 , December 2009 , pp. 927 - 939
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

‡

This work was supported in part by an Australian Research Council fellowship at the University of Sydney. I would like to thank Max Coltheart for his correspondence and comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.

References

Coltheart, Max (2004), “Brain Imaging, Connectionism, and Cognitive Neuropsychology”, Brain Imaging, Connectionism, and Cognitive Neuropsychology 21 (1): 21–25..CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coltheart, Max (2006a), “Perhaps Functional Neuroimaging Has Not Told Us Anything about the Mind (So Far)”, Perhaps Functional Neuroimaging Has Not Told Us Anything about the Mind (So Far) 42:422–427.Google Scholar
Coltheart, Max (2006b), “What Has Functional Neuroimaging Told Us about the Mind (So Far)?”, What Has Functional Neuroimaging Told Us about the Mind (So Far)? 42:323–331.Google Scholar
Fodor, Jerry A. (1999), “Let Your Brain Alone”, Let Your Brain Alone 21 (September 30).Google Scholar
Grill-Spector, Kalanit (2006), “Selectivity of Adaptation in Single Units: Implications for FMRI Experiments”, Selectivity of Adaptation in Single Units: Implications for FMRI Experiments 49 (2): 170–171..Google ScholarPubMed
Grill-Spector, Kalanit, and Malach, Rafael (2001), “fMR-Adaptation: A Tool for Studying the Functional Properties of Human Cortical Neurons”, fMR-Adaptation: A Tool for Studying the Functional Properties of Human Cortical Neurons 107 (1–3): 293–321.Google ScholarPubMed
Henson, Richard (2005), “What Can Functional Neuroimaging Tell the Experimental Psychologist?”, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 58A (2): 193–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jonides, John, Nee, Derek E., and Berman, Mark G. (2006), “What Has Functional Neuroimaging Told Us about the Mind? So Many Examples, So Little Space”, What Has Functional Neuroimaging Told Us about the Mind? So Many Examples, So Little Space 42:414–417.Google ScholarPubMed
Kamitani, Yukiyasu, and Tong, Frank (2005), “Decoding the Visual and Subjective Contents of the Human Brain”, Decoding the Visual and Subjective Contents of the Human Brain 8 (5): 679–685..Google ScholarPubMed
Petersen, Steven E., Mier, Hanneke van, Fiez, Julie A., and Raichle, Marcus E. (1998), “The Effects of Practice on the Functional Anatomy of Task Performance”, The Effects of Practice on the Functional Anatomy of Task Performance 95:853–860.Google ScholarPubMed
Poeppel, David (1996), “A Critical Review of PET Studies of Phonological Processing”, A Critical Review of PET Studies of Phonological Processing 55:317–351.Google ScholarPubMed
Poldrack, Russell A. (2006), “Can Cognitive Processes Be Inferred from Neuroimaging Data?”, Can Cognitive Processes Be Inferred from Neuroimaging Data? 10 (2): 59–63..Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, Edward E., and Jonides, John (1997), “Working Memory: A View from Neuroimaging”, Working Memory: A View from Neuroimaging 33:5–42.Google ScholarPubMed
Umiltà, Carlo (2006), “Localization of Cognitive Functions in the Brain Does Allow One to Distinguish between Psychological Theories”, Localization of Cognitive Functions in the Brain Does Allow One to Distinguish between Psychological Theories 42:399–401.Google ScholarPubMed
Uttal, William (2001), The New Phrenology: The Limits of Localizing Cognitive Processes in the Brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Van Orden, Guy C., and Paap, Kenneth R. (1997), “Functional Neuroimages Fail to Discover Pieces of Mind in Parts of the Brain”, Functional Neuroimages Fail to Discover Pieces of Mind in Parts of the Brain 64 (Proceedings): S85–S94.Google Scholar
Yacoub, Essa, Harel, Noam, and Uğurbil, Kâmil (2008), “High-Field fMRI Unveils Orientation Columns in Humans”, High-Field fMRI Unveils Orientation Columns in Humans 105:10607–10612.Google ScholarPubMed