Neurophilosophy and Alzheimer’s Disease PDF
Preview Neurophilosophy and Alzheimer’s Disease
RESEARCH AND PERSPECTIVES IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Fondation Ipsen Editor Yves Christen, Fondation Ipsen, Paris (France) Editorial Board Yves Agid, Hopital Pitie Salpetriere, Paris (France) Albert Aguayo, The Montreal Hospital, Montreal (Canada) Luigi Amaducci, University of Florence, Florence (Italy) Brian H. Anderton, Institute of Psychiatry, London (GB) Raymond T. Bartus, Cortex, Irvine (USA) Anders Bjorklund, University of Lund (Sweden) Floyd Bloom, Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla (USA) Fram:;ois Boller, Inserm U 324, Paris (France) Carl Cotman, University of California, Irvine (USA) Peter Davies, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York (USA) Andre Delacourte, Inserm U 16, Lille (France) Steven Ferris, New York University Medical Center, New York (USA) J ean-Franr;ois Fo ncin, Hopital Pitie Salpetriere, Paris (France) Fram;;ois Forette, Hopital Broca, Paris (France) Fred Gage, University of California, La Jolla (USA) Carleton D. Gajdusek, National Institute of Health, Bethesda (USA) George G. Glenner, University of California, La Jolla (USA) Dmitry Goldgaber, State University of New York Stone Brook (USA) John Hardy, S1. Mary's Hospital, Medical School, London (GB) Jean-Jaques Hauw, Hopital Pitie Salpetriere, Paris (France) Robert Katzman, University of California, La Jolla (USA) Claude Kordon, Inserm U 159, Paris (France) Kenneth K. Kosik, Harvard Medical School Center of Neurological Diseases and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (USA) Yvon Lamour, Inserm U 161, Paris (France) Jacques Mallet, CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette (France) Colin L. Masters, University of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia) Stanley I. Rapoport, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda (USA) Andre Rascol, Hopital Purpan, Toulouse (France) Barry Reisberg, New York University Medical Center, New York (USA) Dennis J. Selkoe, Harvard Medical School Center for Neurological Diseases and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (USA) Michael L. Shelanski, Columbia University, New York (USA) Jean-Louis Signoret, Hopital Pi tie Salpetriere, Paris (France) Pierre-Marie Sinet, Hopital Necker, Paris (France) Peter St George Hyslop, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada) Robert Terry, University of California, La Jolla (USA) Henry Wisniewski, Institute for Basic Research in Development Disabilities, Staten Island (USA) Edouard Zarijian, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Caen (France) Y. Christen P. Churchland (Eds.) N europhilosophy and Alzheimer's Disease Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York London Paris Tokyo Hong Kong Barcelona Budapest Christen, Yves, Ph.D. Fondation IPSEN pour la Recherche TMrapeutique 30, rue Cambronne F-75737 Paris CEDEX Churchland, Patricia S. Department of Philosophy University of California La Jolla, CA 92093 USA ISBN 978-3-642-46761-5 ISBN 978-3-642-46759-2 (eBook) DOl 10.1007/978-3-642-46759-2 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is only permitted un der the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current ver sion, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1992 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1992 The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publica tion does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for genereal use. Product liability: The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information about dosage and application contained in this book. In every individual case the user must check such information by consulting the relevant literature. Reproduction of the figures: G. Dreher GmbH, 7000 Stuttgart Typesetting: Mitterweger GmbH, 6831 Plankstadt 27/3145/543210 - Printed on acid-free paper Preface Any mention of the relationship, still poorly understood, between body (or brain) and mind invariably invokes the name of Descartes, who is often thought of as the father of modern philosophy and perhaps of neurophilosophy. Although a native of the heart of France (the region around Tours), Rene Descartes travelled widely, as everyone knows, especially to Holland and Sweden. It should come as no surprise, that the Congress of Neurophilosophy and Alzheimer's Disease was the first in the series of Fondation Ipsen Colloques Medecine et Recherche to be held outside France. The meeting was held in San Diego (California) on January 11, 1991. This venue was chosen for a number of reasons. The University of California San Diego is without doubt one of the most dynamic universities today. A good number of friends of the Fondation Ipsen who have taken part as speakers in previous conferences are based there. Patricia Churchland, whose publications have helped "launch" the term "neurophilosophy", also teaches there. The choice of this particular venue gave us the welcome opportunity of benefiting directly during the conference from the participation of many eminent (including some Nobel Prize-winning) scientists, including biochemists, neuro scientists and "alzheimerologist", psychologists, cognitive science specialists and philosophers. In this volume we have published the texts of speeches presented on this occasion. This book forms part of our series dealing with Alzheimer's disease, and follows a list of titles which are perhaps less astonishing in academic terms: Immunology and Alzheimer's Disease, Genetics and Alzheimer's Disease, Neuronal Grafting and Alzheimer's Disease, Biological Markers of Alzheimer's Disease, Imaging, Cerebral Topography and Alzheimer's Disease, and Growth Factors and Alzheimer's Disease. The next volume in the series, Heterogeneity of Alzheimer's Disease, will be published after a conference in Marseille, France, on April 6, 1992. The central idea underlying the choice of the theme for the present volume is the following. Alzheimer's disease could be a good model for the study of typical neurophilosophical problems such as the mind-brain relationship and also, more particularly, as a means to understanding different aspects of human consciousness and thinking. In effect, Alzheimer's disease presents a situation in which both modification of the cognitive faculties and organic changes, cellular and even molecular, may be observed simultaneously. Since this disease is currently at the centre of a considerable number of research programmes in exellent laboratories, a large volume of data is available. Thus, VI Preface (b J? .........~ 7( i.... 7 I LOll:: .....k.. ..• .<j ...... ......~ ~··:- """ ~~. Descartes and the mind-brain relationship. This famous picture was published in Traite de ['Homme in 1664. It illustrates the functioning of the human machine as a result of the discharge of the "esprits animaux" from the pineal gland of the brain much work of little apparent philosphical interest takes on great significance when viewed in this light. The dominant trend in "alzheimerology" is currently amyloid protein. Despite some deeply interesting work in the field of molecular biology, the role of this protein in the disease is still not clear. It is not known with certainty whether it is the cause of the disease (many specialists think so), simply a consequence of the disease, or possibly even a defensive reaction of the host organism against an unidentified pathogenic process. It is clear, then, that the central question of the most fundamental research deals with a problem of a philosophical nature, namely the search for a cause, and more especially the cause of major cognitive modification. Francis Crick arrounced somewhat provocatively in his memoirs the advent of molecular psychologyl; one may 1 Crick F (1988) What mad pursuit: a personal view of scientific discovery. Basic, New York Preface VII wonder whether this type of work does not, in fact, constitute the premise of such astatement. It is reasonable to expect that these data should take on a more general significance beyond the confines of research into Alzheimer's disease. In science, the pathological is often used to understand the normal. The study of illness has led to improvements in understanding physiology, and the study of mutation has greatly contributed to the advancement of genetics. It is interesting to note that Emil Kraepelin, a pioneer of neurology and Alois Alzheimer's teacher (and the first to use the expression "Alzheimer's disease"), wrote: An acquaintance with these disorders [of mind] unlocks a mine of discoveries with a direct bearing on everything connected with the life of the mind. The study of dementia does not simply uncover a body of general laws; it opens up before us a wealth of profound insights into the history of the development of the human mind, both of the individual and of the entire human race2• Commenting on this quotation, Marc Jeannerod wonders whether "the range of psychiatric disorders might not be a simple inverted or negative image of a psychic repertory containing the rules with which we construct our behaviour and our personality,,3. It is therefore most useful to have models, preferably many models, in which the breakdown of the mind-brain relationship illuminates that which is normally transparent, namely normality. Reflection on such models is evidently already underway. Studies on the phenomenon of the split brain have already provided a celebrated example4• On a purely theoretical level, the reflections of Daniel Dennett5 on experiments in brain transfer provide another model in their own way. The interest in the Alzheimer model no doubt stems from the fact that it is relat~d to a particularly common situation, which is by no means the case for the other two examples given. It is certainly not the aim of either the conference in San Diego or the present proceedings to pronounce the last word on a debate which is certain to continue for a long time to come. Our more humble intention was simply to help introduce the neurophilosophical debate into an area of research where it is more often molecules that are manipulated rather than philosophical concepts. I would like to thank all those who contributed to the conference in San Diego and to the present publication. My thanks are due in particular to Floyd Bloom (La Jolla), Hanna Damasio (Iowa City), Roger Guillemin (La Jolla) and Larry Squire (La Jolla), who agreed to chair the sessions; Jacqueline Mervaillie, who took care of organisation down to the very last detail; and Mary Lynn Gage for her editorial assistance. Finally, I would like to acknowledge my very speical debt to the late Jean-Louis Signoret (1933-1991), professor at the Hopital Pitie-Salpetriere, with whom I frequently discussed both the subject of this book and the conference before it was actually organised. Signoret presented a paper in San 2 Kraepelin E (1984) Introduction a la psychiatrie clinique. Navarin, Paris (1st edn 1900) 3 Jeannerod M (1991) Esprit, ou es-tu? Jacob, Paris 4 Gazzaniga M (1985) The social brain. Basic, New York 5 Dennett DC (1978) Brainstorms: philosophical essays on mind and psychology. Bradford, Montgomery VIII Preface Diego which is included in this work, and he came back from the conference filled with enthusiasm. Alas, he was to take his leave of us a few months later, the victim of a heart attack. I would like to dedicate the present work to his memory as a token of my friendship and my gratitude for the help he gave, from the very beginning, to all the initiatives of the Fondation Ipsen concemced with Alzheimer's disease. Yves Christen Contents Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V Y. Christen Introduction: Neurophilosophy and Alzheimer's Disease P. S. Churchland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Temporal Anomalies of Consciousness: Implications of the Uncentered Brain D. C. Dennett ........................................ 5 Intertheoretic Reduction: A Neuroscientist's Field Guide P. M. Churchland and P. S. Churchland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Language Comprehension in Ape and Child: Evolutionary Implications E. S. Savage-Rumbaugh and E. Rubert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 A Cognitive Neuroscience of Alzheimer's Disease: What Can be Learned from Studies of Visual Imagery? S. M. Kosslyn and 1. E. Dror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Neuronal Models of Cognitive Functions Associated with the Prefrontal Cortex f.-P. Changeux and S. Dehaene ........................... 60 Exploring Memory in the Aging Brain from the Perspective of Recent Split Brain Studies L. L. Le Sueur and M. S. Gazzaniga ....................... 80 Alzheimer's Disease: Disruption of Mind-Brain Relations S. 1. Rapoport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Memory, Language and Decision-Making: Contributions from the Lesion Method in Humans H. Damasio and A. R. Damasio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 X Contents The Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. What Causes Dementia? R. D. Terry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 The Early Detection of Brain Pathology in Alzheimer's Diesease M.l. de Leon, G. Smith, A. Convit, A. E. George, 1. Golomb, C. Flicker, T. McRae, A. Kluger, W. Tsui, H. Rusinek, S. H. Ferris, B. Reisberg, 1. Ciaravino, 1. Wegiel, O. Narkiewicz, H. Wisniewski, and A. P. Wolf 131 Consciousness: Evidence of Four Components in Alzheimer's Disease 1. L. Signoret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 144 Subject Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Contributors Changeux, 1. -Po UA CNRS D1284, Molecular Neurobiology, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris CEDEX 15, France Churchland, P. M. Department of Philosophy, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA Churchland, P. S. Department of Philosophy, University of California, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA Ciaravino, 1. Department of Psychiatry, NYU Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA Convit, A. Nathan S. Kline Psychiatric Research Institute, Orangesburg, NY 10962, USA Damasio, A. R. Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Damasio, H. Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA Dehaene, S. UA CNRS D1284, Molecular Neurobiology, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris CEDEX 15, France
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