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Psychopharmacology may be defined as the study of the effects of drugs on behavior. As an established scientific discipline, this is a relatively new area of research. Despite its short history, however, psychopharmacology has achieved a considerable degree of sophistication in the variety of experi mental approaches that are currently employed. Consequently, the interpretation of data accumulated through the use of various experimental laboratory techniques has become increasingly difficult and complex. Numerous excelIent texts and review articles are available that serve to outline recent progress in psychopharmacology (particularly the Handbook of Psychopharmacology series, edited by L. L...
The human brain represents about 2% of the body weight, yet it accounts for approximately 20% of aerobic metabolism. This high dependency on energy-consuming processes is mainly caused by the active transport of ions, which is necessary to compensate for the transmembrane ion currents that are part ofthe complex signaling processes in the brain. Ninety-five percent ofthe brain's ATP is derived from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Since that organ' s storage capacity for oxygen is minimal, any interruption of oxygen delivery to brain cells willlead to changes in membrane excitability and, there fore, to disruption of neuronal signaling within seconds. It seems that mamma lian brain i...
Aggression is a highly conserved behavioral adaptation that evolved to help org- isms compete for limited resources and thereby ensure their survival. However, in modern societies where resources such as food, shelter, etc. are not limiting, aggr- sion has become a major cultural problem worldwide presumably because of its deep seeded roots in the neuronal circuits and neurochemical pathways of the human brain. In Neurobiology of Aggression: Understanding and Preventing Violence, leading experts in the fields of the neurobiology, neurochemistry, genetics, and behavioral and cultural aspects of aggression and violence provide a comprehensive collection of review articles on one of the most im...
Since the pioneering discovery of cyclic AMP four decades ago, a multitude of signaling pathways have been uncovered in which an extracellular signal (first messenger) impacts the cell surface, thereby triggering a cascade that ultimately acts on the cell nucleus. In each cascade the first messenger gives rise to the appearance of a second messenger such as cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, or diacylglycerol, which in turn triggers a third messenger, a fourth messenger, and so forth. Many advances in elucidating such pathways have been made, including efforts to link messenger molecules to brain processes operative in health or disease. However, the latter type of information, relating signaling pathw...
Stem Cells and CNS Development critically reviews recent findings on stem cells, their involvement in neurogenesis and gliogenesis, and the therapeutic implications of these findings. It defines by consensus the classes of stem cells in the nervous system, compares their similarities and differences, discusses the gains made in identifying human homologs of neural stem cells, and describes how these cells are beginning to be used for therapeutic purposes. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, this book provides all developmental scientists and neurobiologists not only an authoritative account of the current results in neural stem cell research, but also an incisive review of the rapidly emerging therapeutic uses of stem cells.
An unprecedented review of our current knowledge of the neuroinflammatory mediators and cells involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Beginning with a detailed review of our current concepts of which biochemical mediators are involved in neuronal loss and the mechanisms of cell death, the distinguished contributors critically examine those areas of current research involved in the design of specific pharmacological agents to inhibit at defined points in the neuroinflammatory cascade. They also address the molecular, cellular, and disease model actions of first-generation agents, as well as the potential clinical relevance to AIDS-related dementia, Alzheimer's disease, amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Down's syndrome, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and stroke.
Expert researchers critically review and evaluate the most common and important neurotoxins used today in neuroscience research. Each informative chapter thoroughly describes the significant mechanisms of action of a neurotoxin, as well as fully discussing the limits on their use and their clinical applicability. Several clinically oriented chapters are significant for neurologists treating Parkinsonism, for psychiatrists treating drug abuse and neurodegenerative disorders, and for primary care physicians treating patients with appetite suppressants. Highly Selective Neurotoxins provides all the basic knowledge needed to obtain a predictable experimental outcome with these neurotoxins.
In Neuroprotective Signal Transduction prominent researchers and clinicians focus on how inter- and intracellular signaling mechanisms prevent the degeneration and death of neurons occurring in both acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. Authoritative contributions dissect the signaling pathways of an array of neuroprotective factors-ranging from neurotrophins (NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4/5), to growth factors (bFGF, IGF-1, GDNF), to cytokines (TNF, IL-1b, and TGFb), to secreted amyloid precursor proteins, to protease nexin-1. Also treated are cytoprotective signaling events that occur within injured neurons independently of intercellular signals. Neuroprotective Signal Transduction pr...
Distinguished medical researchers from around the world review novel neural reconstructive techniques that appear to be beneficial for Parkinson's disease and hold promise for treating Huntington's disease, pain, demyelinating diseases, and stroke. The contributors focus on those diseases for which clinical trials are either ongoing or likely to occur in the near future. Among the topics reviewed are results and rationale for some of the leading transplant programs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, the use of PET scanning for patient evaluation, autopsy studies of transplant recipients, transplant immunology, fetal tissue transplantation for Huntington's disease, cellular transplantation for the treatment of pain and stroke, and transplantation of myelinating cells. A full discussion of the important ethical issues surrounding the use of fetal tissue for transplantation purposes is also included.
A distinguished panel of internationally recognized neuroscientists comprehensively review the involvement of and changes in glial cells both during the normal aging process and in the major disorders of old age. Topics range from the cellular and molecular changes that occur with aging-especially aging-associated activation of astrocytes and microglia and its relation to neuronal injury and repair-to neuron-glia intercommunication. The contributors show how glial signals may be modulated by hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters, intracellular metabolism, and intercellular exchanges, as well as by aging of the blood-brain barrier.