Von Economo Neurons and Self-Awareness

Von Economo Neurons and Self-Awareness Joshua McCosker Von Economo neurons (VENs) are large bipolar neurons found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), frontoinsular cortex (FI) and dorsolateral prefrontal area (DLPA) in the brains of humans, and to a lesser extent, the great apes, several cetaceans and elephants. It is believed that they arose independently within these species due to evolutionary pressure that required the rapid transmission and cognitive processing of social information in animals with large highly convoluted brains and complex social behaviours (Hakeem et al., 2009). Research has suggestedsuggests that the evolution of these neurons underlie the emergence of intuition, higher emotional cognitive functions and self-referential processes. This suggests an intriguing connection with the subjective conscious experience and self-conscious awareness (Critchley Seth, 2012). To investigate this connection between VENs and self-awareness it is necessary to examine the known behavioural functions of the ACC and FI, along w ith the evolution of these structures and the integration with this novel class of neuron. Furthermore, the higher social functions attributed to VENs and how these are related to awareness of consciousness self will be discussed in light of research that shows a correlation between the degeneration of VENs in several neuro-psychiatric disorders that leads to devastating deficits in conscious awareness and social skills (Butti, Santos, Uppal, Hof, 2013). The ACC and FI are found in the paralimbic cortex (also known as mesocortex) of the mammalian brain and represents a relatively ancient region that has recently gone through a period of evolutionary adaptive changes in humans and is directly connected to limbic structures while providing a transition to higher neocortical regions (Brà ¼ne et al., 2010; William W. Seeley et al., 2006). These paralimbic structures show increased connectivity with the hippocampus, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex and septum; the septum is involved in social memory and the development of trust in humans (Allman, Tetreault, Hakeem, Park, 2011). It is hypothesised that this enhanced connectivity is mediated by VENs that project from the FI and ACC to these structures providing functional integration with of somatosensory input and higher cognitive emotional processes leading to the emergence of intuition, social and self-awareness and the ability to empathise (Allman, Tetreault, Hakeem, Manaye, et al., 201 1; Allman, Tetreault, Hakeem, Park, 2011). AIC as the input sensory region and ACC as the output control region (Craig, 2009; W. W. Seeley et al., 2007). The evolutionary expansion of the cerebral cortex gave rise to the neocortex in mammals leading to a volumetric increase in humans of several-hundred times over that of lower primates (Nimchinsky et al., 1999). However, the types of neurons found within the brain have remained relatively constant (Nimchinsky et al., 1999; William W. Seeley et al., 2006). In 1926 Constantin Von Economo first described the cortical distribution and morphology of a novel class of neuron as being spindle like in form and of unusual length (Butti et al., 2013).. Von Economo neurons are large bipolar projection neurons that are relatively recent on the evolutionary path (Allman, Watson, Tetreault, Hakeem, 2005). They have large axons that bidirectionally connect the ACC to the FI and in turn to other structures of the brain between the limbic cortex and neocortex; suggesting a role in the rapid transmission of sensory information between these structures. Although VENs have been found in the FI and ACC of species other than great apes and homonids the cells are not found in the concentrated clusters that have been described in higher primates (Bauernfeind et al., 2013). It is interesting to note that volumetric studies have shown that the evolutionary expansion in size of the FI in primates is disproportionately greater to overall brain expansion by 36% and the total volume of the FI is about 4 times larger in humans compared to that of the chimpanzee (Bauernfeind et al., 2013). Furthermore, it is known that the vast majority of VENs develop during the first 8 months of life (Allman et al., 2010) . and this coincides with the emergence of stranger anxiety, separation anxiety and increased verbal skills (Hoffnung et al., 2013). These studies support the suggestion that the FI and ACC are intricately involved in enhancing social behaviours through the utilization of subjective emotional states in applying empathy toward others. ReseachResearch hasis showning a relationship between complex social and emotional processes and the advanced cognitive abilities that underlie the ability of self-recognition (Hunter, 2010). The mirror self-recognition test is used to assess self-awareness in animals and was developed by Gordon G. Gallup (1970) during his work with chimpanzees and self-recognition. In humans the ability to recognise the ‘self’ in a mirror image develops between the ages of 18 and 24 months and this coincides with the development of other indicators of social and self-awareness such as the ability to empathise (Hunter, 2010). As previously mentioned there is a rapid development of VENs during the first year of life and this development continues to age 4 when VEN numbers align to those of adult (Allman et al., 2010). The hypothesised role of VENs in higher cognitive functions and self-conscious awareness is supported by research that has shown the involvement of VENs in the pathogenesis of a number of neuropsychiatric and behavioural conditions that are characterised by deficits in emotional and social functioning, the ability to empathise, impairment of affective language and alterations in conscious awareness (Kaufman et al., 2008). Stereological research suggests that these conditions may be due to the failure of VENs to develop normally or the degeneration of these cells within the ACC and FI (Allman et al., 2005; Butti et al., 2013). This is evident in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) where patients present with a severe reduction in social judgement, empathy and the ability to self-monitor leading to sociopathic behaviour (William W. Seeley et al., 2006). In a study conducted by William W. Seeley et al. (2006) it was shown that FTD is characterised by early injury to the ACC and FI involving e arly, severe and selective VENs loss of 74% compared to controls. Similarly, patients with early onset schizophrenia are characterised by a reduced volume of the ACC showing a significant reduction in the density of VENs (Allman et al., 2010; Brà ¼ne et al., 2010). People with schizophrenia show a broad range of impaired social skills characterised by severe disturbance of cognitive processes and self-conscious awareness giving rise to symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thought and speech, disorganised and catatonic behaviour, poverty of speech and lack of, or inappropriate, responses to socio-emotional cues (Nolen-hoeksema, 2007). Recent research has suggested a connection between these VENs containing areas, self-referential processes and the subjective conscious experience of awareness (Allman et al., 2005; Craig, 2009; William W. Seeley et al., 2006). The evolutionary motivation underlying these adaptations may well have been due to the rise of species living in complex social groups that required the rapid intuitive assessment of social interactions and the ability to differentiate between the needs of oneself and those of others and this may have led to the ability to empathise with the emotional state and needs of individuals within the social structure (Allman et al., 2010; Allman, Tetreault, Hakeem, Park, 2011; Hakeem et al., 2009). We shall consider a model of consciousness where the FI serves to integrate bottom-up interoceptive sensory information with top-down predictions and modulations from higher level prefrontal cortical areas and the ACC generating a state of awareness (Gu, Hof, Friston, Fan , 2013). It is hypothesised that VENs mediate a rapid bidirectional feedback between the integration of sensory information in the AIC and the adaptive behavioral responses mediated by the ACC (Allman et al., 2005). Interoception is the integration of somatosensory information leading to a sense of the physiological state of the body, giving rise to a cortical image or representation of self (Craig, 2002, 2009). In humans the interoceptive network is mediated via afferent spinothalamic neurons projecting to the ventromedial nucleus which is significantly larger in humans than other primates; non-primates are unable to experience body feelings in the same manner as humans do due to the lack of the specific afferent spinothalamocortical pathway involved in â€Å"direct interoceptive representation† (Craig, 2002). This homeostatic information is relayed to the anterior insular cortex where there is a re-representation of this interoceptive cortical image and the ACC is involved in the active modulation of the feeling represented by this image in response to cognitive assessment from the orbitofrontal cortex (Allman et al., 2005; Craig, 2002, 2009; William W. Seeley et al., 2006)(Craig, 2002, 2009; Seeley, 2006; Allman, 2005). It is also worth noting that this top-down cognitive assessment could involve conscious internal dialog and suggests the co-evolution of language and consciousness and that we are conscious in a human sense because we have language. Language is not only used for external communication but internally as parts of our thought processes defining our current mental state and by extension is a defining the broader and more complex brain state (Arbib, 2001). The above research shows that VENs are intricately involved in the convergence of somatosensory information via a highly evolved thalamacortical pathway to the paralimbic structure of the AIC in which emerges an integrated cortical image. Bidirectional signaling between between the AIC, ACC and multiple areas of the brain is mediate via VENs and is a contiual feedback loop that assesses and updates this cortical self-image utilising contextual cues derived from the environment and past experiences accessed from long term memory via hippocampal projections. The AIC cortical self-representation is modulated with emotional context and predictive behavioural responses. References Allman, J. M., Tetreault, N. A., Hakeem, A. Y., Manaye, K. F., Semendeferi, K., Erwin, J. M., . . . Hof, P. R. (2010). The von Economo neurons in frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortex in great apes and humans. Brain Structure and Function, 214(5-6), 495-517. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00429-010-0254-0 Allman, J. M., Tetreault, N. A., Hakeem, A. Y., Manaye, K. F., Semendeferi, K., Erwin, J. M., . . . Hof, P. R. (2011). The von Economo neurons in the frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortex. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1225(1), 59-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06011.x Allman, J. M., Tetreault, N. A., Hakeem, A. Y., Park, S. (2011). The von economo neurons in apes and humans. American Journal of Human Biology, 23(1), 5-21. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.21136 Allman, J. M., Watson, K. K., Tetreault, N. A., Hakeem, A. Y. (2005). Intuition and autism: a possible role for Von Economo neurons. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9(8), 367-373. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2005.06.008 Arbib, M. A. (2001). Co-Evolution of Human Consciousness and Language. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 929(1), 195-220. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05717.x Bauernfeind, A. L., de Sousa, A. A., Avasthi, T., Dobson, S. D., Raghanti, M. A., Lewandowski, A. H., . . . Sherwood, C. C. (2013). A volumetric comparison of the insular cortex and its subregions in primates. Journal of Human Evolution, 64(4), 263-279. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.12.003 Brà ¼ne, M., Schà ¶bel, A., Karau, R., Benali, A., Faustmann, P. M., Juckel, G., Petrasch-parwez, E. (2010). Von Economo neuron density in the anterior cingulate cortex is reduced in early onset schizophrenia. Acta Neuropathologica, 119(6), 771-778. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00401-010-0673-2 Butti, C., Santos, M., Uppal, N., Hof, P. R. (2013). Von Economo neurons: Clinical and evolutionary perspectives. Cortex, 49(1), 312-326. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2011.10.004 Craig, A. D. (2002). How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nat Rev Neurosci, 3(8), 655-666. Craig, A. D. (2009). How do you feel now? The anterior insula and human awareness. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 10(1), 59-70. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrn2555 Critchley, H., Seth, A. (2012). Will Studies of Macaque Insula Reveal the Neural Mechanisms of Self-Awareness? Neuron, 74(3), 423-426. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2012.04.012 Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. (1970). Chimpanzees: Self-Recognition. Science, 167(3914), 86-87. doi: 10.2307/1728199 Gu, X., Hof, P. R., Friston, K. J., Fan, J. (2013). Anterior insular cortex and emotional awareness. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 521(15), 3371-3388. doi: 10.1002/cne.23368 Hakeem, A. Y., Sherwood, C. C., Bonar, C. J., Butti, C., Hof, P. R., Allman, J. M. (2009). Von Economo Neurons in the Elephant Brain. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 292(2), 242-248. doi: 10.1002/ar.20829 Hoffnung, M., Hoffnung, R. J., Seifert, K. L., Smith, R. B., Hine, A., Ward, L., PauseÃÅ' , C. (2013). Lifespan development : a chronological approach (Second Australasian Edition ed.): Milton, Qld. John Wiley and Sons Australia. Hunter, P. (2010). The basis of morality. EMBO Reports, 11(3), 166-169. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/embor.2010.19 Kaufman, J., Paul, L., Manaye, K., Granstedt, A., Hof, P., Hakeem, A., Allman, J. (2008). Selective reduction of Von Economo neuron number in agenesis of the corpus callosum. Acta Neuropathologica, 116(5), 479-489. doi: 10.1007/s00401-008-0434-7 Nimchinsky, E. A., Gilissen, E., Allman, J. M., Perl, D. P., Erwin, J. M., Hof, P. R. (1999). A neuronal morphologic type unique to humans and great apes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 96(9), 5268-5273. Nolen-hoeksema, S. (2007). Abnormal psychology (E. Barrosse Ed.  ¤4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Seeley, W. W., Carlin, D. A., Allman, J. M., Macedo, M. N., Bush, C., Miller, B. L., DeArmond, S. J. (2006). Early frontotemporal dementia targets neurons unique to apes and humans. Ann Neurol, 60(6), 660-667. doi: 10.1002/ana.21055 Seeley, W. W., Menon, V., Schatzberg, A. F., Keller, J., Glover, G. H., Kenna, H., . . . Greicius, M. D. (2007). Dissociable intrinsic connectivity networks for salience processing and executive control. J Neurosci, 27(9), 2349-2356. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5587-06.2007

Sylvia Plaths Mirror Essay -- Papers Sylvia Plath Poem Poetry Essays

Sylvia Plath's Mirror Sylvia Plath's "Mirror" offers a unique perspective on the attitudes of aging. "Mirror" displays tremendous insight and objectivity into the natural human behavior of growing older. Plath is able to emphasize the loneliness, hope, despair, and insecurity that awaits us through mankind's incessant addiction with reflection. "Mirror" expresses the problems associated with aging through terse comparisons between reality and desire. Plathe's strength of "Mirror" lies in its ability to establish a solid comparison among appearance and human emotions between the first and second stanzas. At first "Mirror" introduces reflection as a precise and accurate force through utilizing the first person perspective of a mirror: "I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. I am not cruel, only truthful.." (Plathe lines 1-4) This example can then be viewed symbolically of appearance especially concerning "love or dislike". In that people never hate nor adore their features but merely accept that what they see is what defines them. This faith is reinforced by the quality and type of reflection because it is originating from a mirror which is suppose to be exact, honest, and universal for all. Plathe understanding these principles describes the reflection process by instilling this object with living characteristics such as thought, sight, and a lifestyle: "Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall. It is pink with speckles. I have looked at it so long I think it is part of my heartà ¢? ¦Faces and darkness separate us over and over." (Pl... ... that not only destroys our reflection but also ones sense of identity, purpose, and confidence. The critical comparisons found in Sylvia Plath's "mirror" portray a distinctive attitude towards aging. Through contrasting the two separate stanzas the messages of desire, reality, individuality, fear, and insecurity are all demonstrated. Once the essence of Plathe's attitude is unlocked in "mirror" the emotion behind the writing is seen as the motivation for a tone that displays intense longing or weariness towards life. This becomes epitomized throughout Plathe's presentation as it utilizes age as a catalyst for the deterioration of the human spirit. Works Cited: Plath, Sylvia. ?Mirror.? The Language of Literature: American Literature. Eds. Arthur N. Applebee et al. Evanston: McDougal Littel, 1997. 252.

A dollar a day language analysis Essay

Recently, in the Daily Telegraph Angus McDonald wrote an opinion piece about how Indian children are being exploited for cheap labour and how the government is not dealing with the problem as Angus believes they are accountable for the responsibility. This issue has recently blown up in the media, due to the recent information about the average day of a child labour living in India. Angus McDonald uses emotive language, logical evidence, case studies , appeals to a sense of justice and a photograph, along with an alarmist tone to convey the message that the government need to step up and stop child labour. Angus McDonald uses emotive language to make the reader empathise with the child labourers. McDonald uses a highly descriptive language to convey how Manu (the featured child labourer) lives his life and uses this to create a symbol or generalisation that all Indian Child labourers spend their days the same as Manu. The writer also uses emotive language in conjunction with a highly descriptive writing style to show the vast span between Manu and his products. Angus uses his emotive language to forward the premise of hypocrisy between that of Manu, an underpaid child labourer, and the expensive garments he makes. This makes the reader feel sincere empathy for Manu and all child labourers like him. This empathy that we feel while reading Manu’s story makes us yearn for a better future for Manu. This is the point in the article that Angus mentions how the police are combating the situation. McDonald mentions that they are trying but they are only getting â€Å"the tip of the iceberg†. This phrase makes us believe the government is not doing enough to help Manu and the rest of the child labourers, and therefore directly links to McDonald’s contention about how Indian child labourers are being exploited and government is not doing enough to stop this crime against humanity. The use of logical evidence and case studies within Angus McDonald’s â€Å"A Dollar a Day† essay, provokes the reader into believing that Angus McDonald is highly educated on the matter and that we should agree with him. The use of his case study of Manu gives the issue a small scope on the problem but  as we read through the article, Angus McDonald zooms out and looks at the broader topic. This small scope case study shows us the problem at its roots, then when Angus zooms out and shows us the broader issue of the government not controlling child labour problems efficiently, we feel informed of the matter and connecting to the whole issue because of this case study. The alarmist tone pulls information together nicely with the case study as it gives a real sense of urgency to the issue and this makes the reader side with the writer almost instantly. Angus McDonald uses logical evidence and case studies to push forward that Indian child labourers are being exploited an d the government need to be doing more to help. The writer uses the appeal to sense of justice language device, to arouse anger at the people taking advantage of these children and to make the reader feel as though the Justice Department of India are doing an inadequate job. Angus McDonald goes out of his way to make the criminals mentioned in his article look even worse then what they are. He uses the criminal’s mistreatment of the children to evoke a sense of injustice in the reader by writing sentences such as â€Å"a life of servitude† and â€Å"[a child’s] living nightmare†. These phrases make the reader feel great anger towards the criminals, but just as the readers are most enraged Angus McDonald turns the tables and explains that the criminals are bad but it’s the Justice Departments lack of input that has caused this problem to be so severe. This turns the reader’s anger towards the Justice Department and therefore siding with Angus McDonald’s contention. The writer’ s use of sense of justice helps him manipulate the reader into believing the government should be doing more to stop Indian child labour. Presented to us first in this issue is the picture of a child we are led to believe is Manu. This picture gives a face to our case study. This gives impact to the reader as now we have a much more emotional connection to Manu. This image is linked to the first couple of paragraphs where Manu’s life is described. Once again this makes the issue seem more real and makes the article more impacting. The actual picture is well done as it gives a good contrast between the blue garment and the dirty workshop and the poor  child. It shows the actual society contrast between Manu and the people who buy his clothes. The image is also sloped downwards as though we are looking down upon Manu, meaning pity or guilt. The image used in this piece is a strong device to link the issue to a visual and give it depth into the life of Manu. Throughout Angus McDonald’s piece he explains that Indian children are being exploited as child labour and the government is not doing enough to stop the issue. Angus McDonald uses emotive language, case studies, logical evidence, appeal to a sense of justice and an image to reinforce his opinion that to help children in India the government must do more.

buy custom Military Medical Crimes essay

buy custom Military Medical Crimes essay In the medical field, white-collar crime may include pharmaceutical executives untruly advertising that a vaccine can prevent certain infections which in real sense it does not. According to this video the Pentagon arranged for the United States troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea to receive anthrax vaccines by force (Lordblackhawk1000, 2008). The soldiers were denied the right to refuse deadly vaccines as they were threatened by the Pentagon. This was after the forewarnings that were issued by a number of heroic and patriotic individuals to military and government officials. It was kind of a plan between the Department of defense and pharmaceutical executives who knew that there would be an increased demand for the anthrax vaccine as their plan goes through. Increased demand always leads to increase in the price of goods or services and this is what thepharmaceutical company was targeting. This therefore qualifies to be a white-collar crime. After this arrangement, there was mass vaccination of the United States troops which risked the lives of many soldiers as the live anthrax bacteria was injected into their blood stream (Lordblackhawk1000, 2008). The soldiers should have the right to refuse what is unfavorable to their health. They should not be forced to be injected with a very expensive deadly vaccine for experimental purposes. Air force pilots decided to quit their profession rather than accept the deadly vaccine into their bodies. A caring United States Government, which is truly interested in the safety and health of Americans, would be ensuring that there is progress in public health and educational policies regarding chemical and biological attack preparedness (Pontell Geis, 2007)). It is very contrary when such critical advice and policy is entirely left to independent, usually ill-trained individuals at best. Such individuals convince the government with the aim of selling their fake product at a high price. The government should be aware of such white-collar criminals for the safety of citizens (Lordblackhawk1000, 2008). White-collar criminals always use a convincing language and can do a fatal harm which cannot be realized until very late (Benson Simpson, 2009). The forewarnings of the heroic and patriotic individuals to military and government officials are fallaciously accepted by the government without further investigation. This includes forcing the troops to be injected with a deadly vaccine. The soldiers should be allowed the right to reject the vaccines once they realize the consequences. Buy custom Military Medical Crimes essay

Alias grace dreams essays

Alias grace dreams essays I finished reading Alias Grace a couple of nights ago. I think one of the quotes from the blurb on the back read something like surely, this is as far as a novel can go and I think I agree. Not so much with the plot, which is still brilliant and involving, but by the sheer amount of technical skill Atwood demonstrates. Youll find a number of different writing methods styles that lesser novels pick one of and use all the way through like poetry, letters from characters to other characters and extracts from other (real life) texts of Grace Marks murder trial. What makes it all so impressive is that in one chapter you could be reading straight from the mind of Grace herself and then the next a number of letters from Dr. Simon Jordan (her fledgling psychologist) addressed to his mother, and it all seamlessly connects while feeling relevant to the story. And the story is an interesting one. I have the feeling I wouldve appreciated more if I had heard of Grace Marks or knew a little bit about the case before reading. Theres a sense that Atwood is writing for people who might have wondered about Grace Marks past and needed someone imaginative to fill in the gaps for them. But Atwood still does an excellent job of catering for the ignorant. Alias Grace is also a book that needs to be read all at once in a fairly short period of time; just to process all the information and keep events straight in your mind. My casual reading habits werent much help with that. But either way, like I said before, the book did what I wanted it to do: prove to me that Margaret Atwood is a bloody good writer. I think I now appreciate The Handmaids Tale a little more because it. Sigmund Freud (18561939) is universally considered the father of psychoanalysis, and many date the birth of psychoanalytic theory from the 1899 publication of The Interpretation of Dream...

Are We Too Dependent on Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Are We Too Dependent on Computers - Essay Example In this debate, I will argue that we are too dependent on computers. Progress is a natural aspect of humanity. People often seek new ideas, concepts and theories to support changing needs. In addition, the human capacity to think differentiates us from animals and drives us to want bigger, better, or more efficient tools to facilitate the execution of tasks. Computers are an example of a tool invented to make it easier to perform duties in an efficient and convenient manner. In spite of their contribution to human development, computers have also robbed us of certain aspects of our humanity, especially our social element. Human beings are naturally social; we always seek others for company and support in every possible way. However, computers are taking and have been taking this attribute away from us since they were invented. Today, it is common to see people using computers to perform everything, even tasks that can be carried out without technological assistance. In school, students are using calculators, which are minicomputers, to perform computations even when they do not really need to. It is also common to see people flashing out their gadgets at social gatherings and immersing themselves in online forums when they should be socializing with others. Smartphones, which are basically computers in their own right, and laptops, are now present in every corner of our lives. We have placed these devices on such a high pedestal that we view them as viable alternatives to other people.  

How successful was the strategic bombing of Germany in the Second Essay

How successful was the strategic bombing of Germany in the Second World War On what criteria do you base your assessment - Essay Example The Germans sought to forego the horrors that dominated trench warfare by technically re-engineering the way in which soldiers met with enemy combatants on the battlefield. However, the Germans were not unique in such an alternate approach as the Allies sought to find a way to avoid a protracted ground battle that would likely see both sides grind to a halt and re-invoke the painful lessons and memories of trench warfare during the Second World War. As a means to avert this, the Allies opted for a litany of approaches; however, for the purposes of this brief research, the one that will be focused upon with the most depth will be that of the CBO (Combined Bomber Offensive) which aimed to bring about the combined destruction of German industry, economics, and moral by providing a steady stream of aerial bombardment to Germany throughout much of the latter part of World War II. Though this aerial bombardment has come to be collectively recognized as a key determinant with respect to the Allied victory, this analysis will attempt to define the campaign, categorize its intended and realized goals, and attempt to draw a level of meaning upon overall effectiveness based upon these prior definitions. Thought it would be foolish to claim that the importance of aerial bombardment was determined as a useful means by the Allies completely of their own volition and in a type of vacuum as it were, it would also foolish to fail to consider the means by which the German aerial bombardment of Britain had a profound effect in guiding and directing the way the Allies thought concerning such a tactic (Childers 2005, p. 79). As night after night for nearly an entire year, the cities and infrastructure of Britain was tormented by nearly incessant German aerial bombardment during the Battle of Britain, it is without question that the formulation of what would become CBO took careful note of the means by which such a form of warfare affected the populace, the moral, and was a useful, albeit costly mechanism, whereby the Allies could seek to leverage an advantage over Germany while at the same time seeking to undermine the nation economically, morally, and industrially (Parramore 2012, p. 75). Similarly, before delving into the overall effectiveness of such a strategy in bringing about the end to the war, one must also consider the fact that after the Battle of Britain was all but decided, the strength and potency of the German Luftwaffe had been so seriously degraded that it no longer had the capability to successfully counter the streams of lumbering bombers that pummeled its cities with tonne after tonne of payload. Likewise, the fact that the Luftwaffe was not only degraded from losses from the Battle of Britain but also from the fact that Operation Barbarossa had already begun in the East ensured that a supreme lack of equipment and support for air defense of the homeland was something that was all but assured (Gentile 1997, p. 53). Approaching the issue fro m this light, it is easy to understand why the Allies used this opportunity to leverage the seemingly inexhaustible production strength that the United States was able to supply Great Britain as fighter blames and bombers were replaced on the front lines at a rate greater than the Luftwaffe and supporting aerial defense ground forces could bring them