The field ofneurodegenerative diseases is undergoing an unprecedented revolution. The past decade has seen the identification of new mutation mecha- nisms, such as triplet repeat expansions, and new genes causing familial forms of common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Cellular and animal models based on this genetic information are now available and, importantly, common mechanisms are rapidly emerging among diseases that were once considered unrelated. The field is poised for the development of new therapies based on high throughput screenings and a...

Physicians, nurses, and safety experts comprehensively review sedation and analgesia to provide a completely new reference guide to safe sedation practices consistent with existing guidelines. Starting with an integrated review of the basic physiology and neurobiology of the sedated state, the authors proceed through clinical guidelines and practices, and conclude with an examination of quality-outcome measures and processes. They also review current mandates for safe sedation practices and address the key clinical issues of pharmacology, monitoring, and recovery. Special tables and figures...

In Glutamate and Addiction, world-renowned scientific experts critically review all of the evidence for the role of glutamatergic systems in opiate, stimulant, and alcohol addiction. Using a variety of pharmacological, biochemical, genetic, and brain imaging techniques, these investigators show precisely how glutamate affects such addictions and how modifying certain elements of the glutamatergic system appear to alleviate particular components of addiction. Their survey takes in both clinical approaches using medications that influence glutamate and cutting-edge preclinical approaches that...

Leading investigators critically evaluate the latest information on how anesthetics work at the molecular, cellular, organ, and whole animal level. These distinguished experts review anesthetic effects on memory, consciousness, and movement and spell out in detail both the anatomic structures and physiological processes that are their likely targets, as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which they operate. Comprehensive and authoritative, Neural Mechanisms of Anesthesia draws together and critically reviews all the recent research on anesthetic mechanisms, highlighting the...

A clear and comprehensive account of how genetic abnormalities, neurobiology, and neuropsychology work together to manifest cognitive-behavioral dysfunction. The authors review the current status of research in autosomal disorders that produce cognitive-behavioral dysfunction and syndromal and nonsyndromal disorders that produce mental retardation. Comprehensive and up-to-date, Genetics and Genomics of Neurobehavioral Disorders integrates the molecular, genomic, neuropsychological, and neurobehavioral factors that produce learning disabilities and mental retardation into a coherent framework...

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder affecting 5-10% of children and adolescents and 3% of adults. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: From Genes to Patients aims to provide a comp- hensive, state-of-the-art overview of the critical aspects of ADHD, and hopefully will serve as a quick and up-to-date reference source for professionals with an int- est in ADHD. The book is divided into three major areas that follow an historical survey. The first group of chapters deals with current theories on the pathophysiology of ADHD, and focuses on...

A comprehensive survey of the many recent advances in the field of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). The authors describe the current knowledge of GPCR receptor structure and function, the different mechanisms involved in the regulation of GPCR function, and the role of pharmacological chaperones in GPCR folding and maturation. They also present new findings about how GPCR dimerization/oligomerization modifies the properties of individual receptors and show how recent developments are leading to significant advances in drug discovery, such as the detection of ligands for orphan GPCRs. Also...

Orexin/hypocretin research began in 1998, as a result of the discovery of a new hypothalamic neuropeptide. In 1999, it was found that mutations in the orexin/ hypocretin-related genes caused a sleep disorder (narcolepsy) in dogs and mice. These findings were soon followed by the discoveries of orexin/hypocretin ligand deficiency in human narcolepsy. The finding of the major pathophysiological mechanisms of human narcolepsy resulted in its reclassification as a neurological, not a psychiatric, disorder. The - portance of early diagnosis and initiation of treatment for human narcolepsy has been...

In this up-to-date survey and critical assessment of transgenic and knockout models in neuropsychiatry and behavior, a panel of leading researchers comprehensively assesses how and whether the genetic abnormalities produced from these models manifest the neuropsychiatric disorders to which they correspond. The authors focus on transgenic and knockout models of neurocognitive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric dysfunction. The discussion of neurobiological problems covers mental retardation, polyglutamate, and speech disorders, as well as disorders that involve cognitive, social, speech, and...