As the average life expectancy of many populations throughout the world increases, so to does the incidence of such age-related neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. Rapid advances in our understanding of the molecular genetics and environmental factors that either cause or increase risk for age-related neurodegenerative disor ders have been made in the past decade. The ability to evaluate, at the cellular and molecular level, abnormalities in postmortem brain tissue from patients, when taken together with the development of valuable animal and...

Leading neuroscience researchers offer a fresh perspective on neuronal function by examining all its many components-including their pertubation during major disease states-and relate each element to neuronal demands. Topics range from the dependency of neurons on metabolic supply, as well as on both ion and transmitter homeostasis, to their close interaction with the myelin sheath. Also addressed are the astrocytic signaling system that controls synaptic transmission, the extracellular matrix and space as communication systems, the role of blood flow regulation in neuronal demand and in...

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...

Neurotransmission is a multicomponent process. Transmitters, released by neuronal activity, act on pre- and postsynaptic receptors, and many books detail advances in the receptor field. In addition, after their release from nerve endings, transmitters are removed from the neuronal vicinity by uptake into neuronal or glial cells by specific tra- porter proteins that have been studied intensely over the last 30 years; this information is scattered throughout numerous publishing vehicles. Therefore, the primary aim of this second edition of N- rotransmitter Transporters: Structure, Function, and...

Active neuroscientists survey NSCs as potential tools for central nervous system and spinal cord repair by explaining their clinically significant fundamental properties, manipulations, and potential therapeutic paradigms. Their discussion of the fundamental biology of NSCs illustrates the signaling pathways that regulate stem cell division and differentiation, and defines the methods of NSC expansion and propagation, neuromorphogenesis, the factors determining cell fate both in vitro and in situ, and the induction of self-reparative processes within the brain. They also present strategies...

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...

Bioimaging is in the forefront of medicine for the diagnosis and helps to predict the progression of AD via mild cognitive treatment of neurodegenerative disease. Conventional magnetic impairment (MCI) studies. resonance imaging (MRI) uses interactive external magnetic fields Novel neuroimaging technologies, such as neuromolecular and resonant frequencies of protons from water molecules. imaging (NMI) with a series of newly developed BRODERICK (r) However, newer sequences, such as magnetization-prepared rapid PROBE sensors, directly image neurotransmitters, precursors, acquisition gradient...

As our world continues to evolve, the field of regenerative medicine f- lows suit. Although many modern day therapies focus on synthetic and na- ral medicinal treatments for brain repair, many of these treatments and prescriptions lack adequate results or only have the ability to slow the p- gression of neurological disease or injury. Cell therapy, however, remains the most compelling treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, disorders, and injuries, including Parkinson s disease, Huntington s disease, traumatic brain injury, and stroke, which is expanded upon in more detail in Chapter 1 by...

Cell Cycle in the Central Nervous System overviews the changes in cell cycle as they relate to prenatal and post natal brain development, progression to neurological disease or tumor formation.Topics covered range from the cell cycle during the prenatal development of the mammalian central nervous system to future directions in postnatal neurogenesis through gene transfer, electrical stimulation, and stem cell introduction. Additional chapters examine the postnatal development of neurons and glia, the regulation of cell cycle in glia, and how that regulation may fail in pretumor conditions or...

The evolution in our understanding of opioid receptors and their subtypes is in- mately linked to the development of new pharmacological treatments for diseases/ disorders as diverse as addiction, self-injurious behavior, pain, cancer, infl- mation, eating disorders, traumatic injury, pruritis, and movement disorders. These potential treatments involve both novel chemical entities and classic opioid antagonists with improved drug delivery systems. The contributions contained in Opioid Receptors and Antagonists: From Bench to Clinic represent the efforts from some of the leading international...