It’s not every day that we see a new journal emerging. However, Springer now launches a new journal called Brain Imaging and Behavior. According to the mission statement, the goal of the journal is to
publish innovative, clinically-relevant research using neuroimaging approaches to enhance the understanding of neural mechanisms underlying disorders of cognition, affect and motivation, and their treatment or prevention.
In this sense, the journal seems to have the ultimate goal of disease understanding and treatment. However, as they write, research on individual differences in representation of normal functions is important as well. What I find particularly interesting is that “brain imaging” is taken to imply a whole range of imaging methods in the study of the brain. It involves everything from the higher cognitive functions to molecular imaging methods. This implies the different approaches that involves genetics, behaviour and neuroimaging, AKA imaging genetics.
Brain Imaging and Behavior sounds like a very interesting initiative. I had problems finding the first online articles (this link). And would it not be better if the journal, just as any science journal, was free? It would be good if they followed the example of PLoS.
-Thomas
