Brain-Computer Interface is a rapidly emerging field comprising various core concepts of Signal Processing, Neuroscience, and Machine Learning. Having such a wide range of topics can sometimes lead to confusion about where to start for a beginner. Reading books is by far the best way to learn about the basics of a topic. Here are some of the books written by the best researchers and scientists who have dedicated their lives to this field.
Brain-Computer Interfacing: An Introduction by Rajesh P. N. Rao
This is a great book to start with if you are interested in the exciting world of brain-computer interfaces. It provides an all-encompassing perspective, touching on invasive, semi-invasive, and noninvasive methods. Furthermore, it presents stimulating and bidirectional BCIs. It also provides an introduction to signal processing and machine learning, two important areas of study in BCI. It covers a wide range of BCI applications and also familiarizes with ethics in BCI. It also includes questions and exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge.
Brain-Computer Interfaces: Principles and Practice by Jonathan Wolpaw and Elizabeth Winter Wolpaw
This is yet another primer on BCI that describes the field in great detail. In light of the intrinsic multidisciplinarity of the area, it aims to familiarize researchers from all of the relevant fields with BCI research so that they can collaborate more effectively. This book is meant to serve as an overview of the field of brain-computer interface (BCI) research and development. Its purpose is to be a complete, balanced, and integrated explanation of the field’s main ideas, current practice, and future prospects. The effectiveness of the book is greatly improved by the fact that each chapter was written by a well-known expert in the field.
Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain by Mark F. Bear, Barry W. Connors, and Michael A. Paradiso
This is an introductory text to the field of neuroscience, covering fundamental topics in cellular foundations, sensory and motor systems, and behavioral neuroscience. This book is written in a clear and concise style, and it includes numerous “paths to discovery” and short stories to keep the reader engaged.
Spikes: Exploring the Neural Code by Fred Rieke
This book presents a full account of the mathematical analysis of neural data and information processing by the nervous system. Mathematical and statistical processing is required to decode the spike trains that make up the input from the sensory nerves. This aspect of the nervous system is revealed in Spikes, illuminating the inner workings of neurons and the processes by which they make judgments. It incorporates numerous biological experiments to help the readers better comprehend this phenomenon.
Theoretical Neuroscience by Peter Dayan and L.F. Abbott
Theoretical Neuroscience provides an in-depth explanation of what the neurological systems are and how they work, down to the underlying principles. The book consists of three parts: Part I discusses the relationship between sensory stimuli and neural responses. Part II focuses on how cells and synapses can be modeled computationally, and Part III delves into the function of plasticity in learning and development. A background in basic differential equations, probability and statistics, linear algebra, and machine learning can help you better comprehend this book.
Dynamical Systems in Neuroscience by Eugene Izhikevich
Dynamical Systems provide a foundation for non-linear dynamics in neuroscience. It also comes under the theoretical neuroscience literature, giving a detailed explanation of the relationship between electrophysiology, nonlinear dynamics, and the computational properties of neurons, both from neuroscience and mathematics perspectives with a geometric intuition.
Biophysics of Computation by Christof Koch
The intricate and dynamic nature of neurons is explained in this book using fully detailed experimental and theoretical results from cellular biophysics. Information can be encoded in the voltage across the membrane, in the intracellular calcium concentration, or in the timing of individual spikes, as the author demonstrates. It will provide you with a thorough analysis of how information processing works in neurons.
Networks of the Brain by Olaf Sporns
This book provides a primer on network theory and describes how it can be used to study neuroscience. There is an emphasis on the role that neural networks play in linking structural integrity to functional integrity at various levels of brain organization. For researchers interested in the intersection of complex networks and the brain, Networks of the Brain presents a much-needed synthesis of both fields. One should have some familiarity with graph theory before reading the book.
A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination by Gerald M. Edelman and Giulio Tononi
This book provides an overview of consciousness from a neurological point of view. Despite its complexity, consciousness is an essential human capability. The methods of brain research and the implications of these studies are illustrated throughout A Universe of Consciousness with several concrete instances. It has enormous implications for our understanding of language, thought, emotion, and mental illness.
The Brain Electric: The Dramatic High-Tech Race to Merge Minds and Machines by Malcolm Gay
After thoroughly exploring each neuroscience subject, you may be curious about its practical applications. This book transports the reader to the front row of the operating rooms, startup offices, and research labs where the future is being drafted. It provides a practical perspective on the technology by outlining the efforts of pioneers in the fields of neuroscience and brain-computer interface as well as the challenges that have been encountered along the way.
Have other books which helped you understand the complex world of neuroscience? Let us know in the comments section.
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