Whole-brain modelling

Abstract This book provides a comprehensive overview of sophisticated whole-brain models able to capture the underlying mechanisms of brain dynamics which are fundamental to gain a full understanding of the cartography of the dynamics of mind. The book is written for an audience of students and scholars coming from fields such as neuroscience, psychology, biology, physics, mathematics, engineering and medical science. Importantly, the book is written such that the necessary advanced maths and physics are easily accessible. The book provides all the key elements for understanding how these powerful computer models can accurately reproduce human brain activity in silico as measured through a combination of many different neuroimaging techniques. These computational models can be treated like animal models, where systematic lesion and stimulation allow for accurate descriptions of the precise mechanisms underlying human brain activity. In this book the reader will gain a deeper understanding of how the mind is shaped through hierarchical orchestration of brain dynamics. This is made possible by incorporating fundamental principles of modern physics including stochastic thermodynamics and turbulence, which have already shed new light on the inner working of the brain in health and disease. Overall, the book provides the necessary elements for a new understanding of brain function by combining careful experimental brain imaging methods with state-of-the-art causal whole-brain modelling. Ultimately this can help reveal the mechanisms responsible for any form of brain processing in health and disease and opens the possibility for new treatments and perhaps even eudaimonia and better lives—especially if coupled with early interventions.