Contents -- Preface and Dedication -- 1 Toward a Universal Theory of Brain Arousal -- 2 Anatomy Is Not Destiny, but a Little Neuroanatomy Helps -- 3 Arousal Is Signaled by Electrical Discharges in a System of Nerve Cells -- 4 Autonomic Nervous System Changes Supporting Arousal; the Unity of the Body -- 5 Genes Whose Neurochemical Products Support Arousal -- 6 Heightened States of Arousal: Sex Compared to Fear -- 7 Major Systems Questions about Brain Arousal Networks -- 8 Summary and Practical Importance: From Biological Mechanisms to Health Applications -- Works Cited
Summary
In Brain Arousal and Information Theory, Donald Pfaff presents a daring perspective on the long-standing puzzle of what arousal is. Pfaff argues that, beneath our mental functions and emotional dispositions, a primitive neuronal system governs arousal. Employing the simple but powerful framework of information theory, Pfaff revolutionizes our understanding of arousal systems in the brain
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 155-195) and index
