The anatomy of the nervous system is now well known. Great strides have also been made in terms of diagnostics. However, predicting disease course and understanding underlying mechanisms still often remains difficult. Brain researchers have increasingly come to regard the brain as a network, rather than a collection of individual areas that have a particular function. As it were, it does not matter so much whether a particular area in the brain is dysfunctional, it is about what the repercussions are on the entire network of the brain. The focus in brain research is therefore on understanding information processing in that brain network and the adaptability of the brain (plasticity).
Connecting character
Research on the brain touches on important societal issues. Psychiatric disorders are common. In addition, the brain plays an important role in how people cope with health and illness. Deficiencies in brain functioning can hinder children's development and ability to learn. The brain determines how people feel and thus influences their well-being and productivity. Anti-social behaviour such as violence and substance abuse finds its cause in the brain. Knowledge of the ageing brain can help keep people healthy and independent for longer. In brain research, many disciplines meet, including medicine, physics, chemistry, biology, behavioural and nutritional research, technology, criminology, decision sciences and pedagogy. The research questions cover the whole spectrum from fundamental research, such as on how the brain works at the level of molecules and genes, to applied research, such as on the possibilities of influence.
