The Hand: Perception, Cognition, Action

Description

Drawing on shared research experiences and collaborative projects, this book offers a broad and timely perspective on research on the hand and its current challenges. It especially emphasizes the interdisciplinary context in which researchers need to be trained in contemporary science. From language to psychology, from neurology to the social sciences, and from art to philosophy and religion, the chapters discuss various aspects involved in hand research and therapy. On the basis of concrete and validated case studies, they approach hand function and gestures from different perspectives – not only neurological and medical, but also philosophical, evolutionary and anthropological. By highlighting the overlaps between different areas of research, the book seeks to foster better communication between researchers, and ultimately a better understanding of hand function and its recovery. It offers essential information and inspirations for students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of psychology, epistemology, bioengineering, neuroscience, anthropology and bioethics. Front Matter ....Pages i-x Front Matter ....Pages 1-1 The Cognitive Properties of the Motor System and Mirror Neurons (Leonardo Fogassi)....Pages 3-17 Children’s Object Manipulation: A Tool for Knowing the External World and for Communicative Development (Valentina Focaroli, Jana M. Iverson)....Pages 19-27 Hands Shaping Communication: From Gestures to Signs (Laura Sparaci, Virginia Volterra)....Pages 29-54 Primates’ Propensity to Explore Objects: How Manual Actions Affect Learning in Children and Capuchin Monkeys (Fabrizio Taffoni, Eugenia Polizzi di Sorrentino, Gloria Sabbatini, Domenico Formica, Valentina Truppa)....Pages 55-73 Current Achievements and Future Directions of Hand Prostheses Controlled via Peripheral Nervous System (Anna Lisa Ciancio, Francesca Cordella, Klaus-Peter Hoffmann, Andreas Schneider, Eugenio Guglielmelli, Loredana Zollo)....Pages 75-95 Front Matter ....Pages 97-97 The Human Hand as a Microcosm. A Philosophical Overview on the Hand and Its Role in the Processes of Perception, Action, and Cognition (Maria Teresa Russo)....Pages 99-113 Ready-to-Hand in Heidegger. Philosophy as an Everyday Understanding of the World and the Question Concerning Technology (José Manuel Chillón)....Pages 115-126 The Therapeutic Hand (Xavier Escribano, Albert Pérez-Bellmunt)....Pages 127-145 Cooking and Human Evolution (Maria Pia Chirinos)....Pages 147-161 Essential to Art (Sixto J. Castro)....Pages 163-173 On the Role of the Hand in the Expression of Music (Marc Leman, Luc Nijs, Nicola Di Stefano)....Pages 175-192