Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are

I am an undergraduate college student and I chose to read this book to familiarize myself with synaptic plasticity for a course in neuroscience. I found the text very easy to read and understand; it was both informative and entertaining. Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend that this book would be useful and instructive for anyone wishing or needing to expand a previously existing basic understanding about how brains work. The author gives an impressive overview of `self' that is not exclusively biological, but also philosophical and psychological; I think he tries to come at the problem of defining `self' from all angles, which is not only admirable but also extremely beneficial for the reader.The first few chapters are devoted to defining first the physiology of the brain that is available thus far and next the "question" or problem which many neuroscientists are working to solve. Neurons, synapses, and brain function is taught to the reader in preparation of more detailed ideas. He offers a unique take on nature vs. nurture that I have never before encountered: influences from the environment pass through the same pathway through which genetic influences are processed. Essentially he is saying that "nature" and "nurture" work together in the brain to develop the being, and neither one nor the other is superior in development. The genes of an individual and the environment surrounding him equally contribute to that individual's ability to learn.LeDoux not only explains the discoveries and experiments which led up to the modern views of neuroscience, but also describes the basic structure and function of brain parts and how our synapses make us unique individuals within the same species. He provides some historical philosophy followed by more recent psychology on what the self is, how a conscious self exists, and how and why these views have changed over time. I found the results, critiques and reviews of past experiments particularly helpful as an introduction to currently accepted ideas and theories. Additionally, the background biology was a good refresher for me and helped me to recall facts and processes I do not have to think about everyday but that were important when reading the book. He spends time expounding theories on memory and fear conditioning as well. He gives descriptions of what happens at the cellular level in neurons and synapses along with the general area of the brain in which things are taking place.The next topic in the book is Hebbian plasticity, which is described in sufficient detail at the biochemical level. Again, a fair amount of time is spent explaining experiments that took place several years ago and the information is pieced together in order to present the modern view. Hebbian plasticity is a widely accepted and used model of synaptic plasticity and the book could not be complete without it. The main idea and commonly known key phrase is "cells that fire together, wire together" which assumes that the more repetitions a synapse experiences (the greater the number of times the postsynaptic cell is excited by the presynaptic cells) the stronger the synapse will become and the more engrained the behavior, memory, or information will be. Basically, synapses can be strengthened by the same transmission or activity occurring over and over.LeDoux continues expanding upon circuits and pathways in the brain, and then moves into problematic brains, mental illnesses, and treatments. As in previous chapters, he provides an historical account of how neuroscientists reached the point where we are today in terms of understanding disorders and diseases of the brain and how and why certain treatments work to overcome these challenges. Like any credible neuroscience text, the peculiar case of H.M. comes up several times throughout the book.The purpose of the last chapter is to weave together the ideas that synapses encode information and the encoded information makes you who you are. Therefore, you are your synapses. The mind is portrayed by LeDoux as a mental trilogy consisting of cognition, emotion, and motivation; the trilogy should encompass any and all mental functions, so all mental functions can be pared down to synapses. Whether this is the best conclusion possible for our time or an oversimplification of the human mind is undoubtedly debatable. It is probably safe to say, though, his conclusion that all three pieces of the trilogy are necessary for our "normal" self to live will be generally accepted. LeDoux has described how if one part fails (cognition, emotion, or motivation), the other two parts will not be able to compensate and some sort of disorder will arise.Each chapter begins with a quote followed by an introduction of the material. There are several simple diagrams throughout the book, which helped me visualize processes and remember pathways and interactions. The words alone were generally enough to convey the information LeDoux presents, but the diagrams were so easy to read and understand and significantly added to my enjoyment of the material and the straightforwardness of reading it. Mildly technical language is used since the book is on a rather technical topic; however, it was neither overly technical nor difficult to get through. Since I have general familiarity with the biological terms associated with this topic, I had no trouble with the vocabulary of the book. If I did not have such knowledge beforehand, I think I would find the book challenging and maybe boring.The author is very conscientious about crediting and citing the work of others, and he does this several times in all the chapters. He also makes a few references to his own lab and the book he wrote before this one, The Emotional Brain. I found there was a nice balance between pure facts, pertinent examples, and experimental data. The book reads more like a science story than a textbook, which adds to the ease of reading. This would be a good book for anyone interested in neuroscience, and a sufficient introduction to brain function, biological brain components, and mental illness. The references and citations verify the book's credibility.

Rating: 3 ½ stars Jospeh LeDoux's Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are is an excellent introduction to one of the most important components of the brain and identity, but the book, published in 2002, could have greatly benefited from the past decades' research on synaptic interactions. As a result, the book paves the way for comprehension and appreciation of synapses by laymen but doesn't fully convey the current body of research. Clearly aimed at a general audience, simple explanatory diagrams abound, and an overview of the brain is included with synapses as the focal point."The Big One"/ "Seeking the Self"/ "The Most Unaccountable Machinary" Often when speaking of the self, an author will ruminate ad nauseum about the mystery of identity, the ineffable essence of being, and the failures of science to capture the soul. LeDoux sidesteps these tedious mores in favor of a direct approach. Off the bat (page 2), he states his view of identity, and the rest of the book is laying the ground work of understanding, amassing support, and exploring the implications. "My notion of personality is pretty simple: it's that your 'self,' the essence of who you are, reflects patterns of interconnectivity between neurons in your brain." The relief from meaningless nattering gives way to full blown enjoyment upon LeDoux's healthy use of supporting research. Based on the premise that the mind is operates on the basis of natural forces and can therefore be explained, an examiner might be puzzled by how the experience of the mind can be encapsulated in the branching cells and electrical impulses. LeDoux identifies the synapses as the dynamic element of the nervous system--as we gain sensory stimuli, experiences, knowledge, and memories, the changes that allow this acquisition is the malleable connections between neurons. "Given the importance of synaptic transmission in brain function, it should be practically a truism to say that the self is synaptic. What else could it be?""Building the Brain" The staging ground for this argument is neural development in infants. There is a synaptic explosion as a newborn is interfacing with the world and learning by experimentation; this occurs after the brain has been pre-equipped with certain pathways. Correlated with this is the act of learning, discoveries, and the rising awareness of the world and how it works. This expansive increase undergoes a pruning process as the child grows, presumably to maintain pertinent information without the costly burden of useless data."Adventures in Time"/ "Small Change"/ "The Mental Trilogy" Memory, LeDoux posits, is the result of synaptic encoding. The hippocampus is the arbiter of explicit or declarative memory. As is obligatory in any neuroscientific discussion of memory, HM is invoked to illustrate the importance of the temporal lobe. The hippocampus mediates more recent memories, but it's role in recall reduces for more distant memories. Long-term potentiation and other "small changes" are linked to learning, as research from his own lab and that of Nobel laureate Eric Kandel corroborate."The Emotional Brain Revisited"/ "Synaptic Sickness" My favorite section was by far "Synaptic Sickness," which elaborates on specific neurological disorders. Psychosis, pharmaceutical drugs, stress, and anxiety--LeDoux uses his framework of a synapses-centric brain to delve into these topics. The molecular basis of this type of sickness is fascinating, and he does it justice with detailed dissections and the history of their diagnosis. An interesting point is that drugs may not have as the direct effects as they superficially appear. The proscription of an anti-depressant drug can improve mood, and look, there's more of neurotransmitter X in the synaptic clefts. Clearly, X is the agent in the improvement. Such logic can be hugely oversimplifying, since changes in sensitivity and other aspects of plasticity could well be involved."Who Are You?" Such a chapter title might lead you to believe that LeDoux lapses into the afore-condemned ruminations, but that is not the case. Instead, after appropriately quoting The Who, he explores the sources of individuality and the previously-elusive self. Though the overarching structure of the brain is relatively uniform between individuals, synapses are the key to our diversity of personalities and quirks. LeDoux concludes where he began, "You are your synapses. They are who you are." LeDoux excels in providing scientific research to establish and develop his claims. The notes and works cited enable the reader to see the exact research being referenced and provide a good start for more details. He thoroughly explores not only concurrent findings but addresses opposing material as well. This leads to a piece of writing that is convincing and based in the essence of the subject. He does not shy away from the details of studies, which serves to substantiate his discussion. One stylistic element of LeDoux's writing that I found mildly grating was the excessive use of simple diagrams. Yes, I am reading the paragraph above the chart connecting two concepts with an arrow--I think I could have managed the association based on your written explanation. This complaint may just be the result of my own reading preferences. The book is intended for wide readership, and perhaps others find the connect-the-dots on every other page to be helpful. I love LeDoux's use of artists quotes as introductions for each chapter. The interface of science and art is something I very much enjoy (such as that in Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer), and LeDoux does mix in a touch of the humanities to accent his points. Still, it is evident that he is a well-versed scientist, knowledgeable and discerning, which makes his allusions all the more insightful and germane. Joseph LeDoux is a talented writer who backs his claims in hard fact (and extraneous diagrams). This is an excellent book to improve understanding of the interactions of neurons and the importance of synapses, and the learning curve is not difficult. LeDoux presents all his ideas with well-written, accessible prose and the science to ground it. That said, this aging book obviously lacks in current research; it will familiarize readers with the field, but up-to-date information must be found elsewhere.

El autor es fabuloso, el contenido muy bueno; el texto tiene papel de una calidad horrible

A truly in-depth review, albeit with some (rare) slightly too broad and too shallow conclusions drawn. LeDoux is an exceptionally versatile neuroscientist which is doubly important in the current zeitgeist of over-specialisation in the field.

simple language,easy to understand.excellent scientific work..i also recomend 'the emotional brain' and 'anxious' for those who r interested by same author LeDoux.

La temática es muy interesante y el autor sabe cómo explicarlo sin ser excesivo en tecnicismos, para entenderlo todo el mundo.

Very interesting