There is no doubt that a major problem of present day research workers, especially in the life sciences, is the plethora of publications of all kinds, abstracts, short communications, full papers in journals of varying quality, reviews and proceedings of symposia with, in addition, an unprecedented duplication of publications. Even for experts working in the field, it is almost impossible to keep an up-to-date view of all current research articles. The Western grant and career system encourages scientists to publish as much as possible. The editors and publishers of our new series are...

The most prominent function of the central nervous system is the control of motor functions by rapidly transmitted impulses through efferent cranial and spinal peripheral nerves. Besides electrically transmitted neural impulses, humoral mechanisms with more sustained actions are exercised by the brain and spinal cord to regulate body homeostasis. Thus, the brain may be regarded as an "endocrine gland" discharging neurohormones (peptides) either into the general circulation (neurohypophyseal hormones) or into the hypothalamo-adenohypophyseal portal circulation (releasing and inhibiting...

With contributions by Clarke, G.; Lang, R.E.; McKinley, M.J.; Merrick, L.P.; Rascher, W.; Richter, D.; Sofroniew, M.; Unger, T.; Weindl, A.

It is well established that progesterone plays a role in the brain and hypophysis as a facilitator and inhibitor of sexual behavior and gonadotropin release in the female rat (Everett 1961; Caligaris et al. 1971; Brown-Grant and Naftolin 1972; Dorner 1972; Meyerson 1972; Barraclough 1973; Goldman and Zarrow 1973; Mann and Barraclough 1973; Freeman et al. 1976; Feder and Marrone 1977; Goodman 1978; Attardi 1981), guinea pig (Morin and Feder 1974), and primates (Odell and Swerdloff 1968; Spies and Niswender 1972; Yamaji et al. 1972; Karsch et al. 1973; Dierschke et al. 1973; Knobi11974; Clifton...

0 Behavioral Reaction Effect of Effect of Species Route of Dose of Reference - 0 oxytocin vasopressin treatment oxytocin (mol/animal) p r-' 11 Extinction of active avoidance Facilitation Opposite Rat i. p. 2x 10- SCHULZ et al. (1974, 1976); ~ (bench-jumping) reaction TELEGDY and KovAcs (1979a) 0 12 10- < Extinction of active avoidance Facilitation Opposite Rat i. c. v. BOHUS et aI. (1978b) "', 0 (pole-jumping) reaction '" 10 2 x 10- Extinction of active avoidance Delay Similar Rat s. c. WALTER et aI. (1978); (pole-jumping) behavior BoHUS et al. (1978b) 12 10- Acquisition of active avoidance...

With contributions by numerous experts

This volume deals with the various neurotransmitters (amino acids, biogenic amines, peptides) and their role in the control of behaviour and mood, both from the experimental and from the clinical and pharmacological point of view. The book provides a detailed discussion of how biological rhythms relate to changes in mood, and how the hypothalamus and pituitary hormones can be related to mood changes. Basic hints for diagnosis are also considered.

The role of electrical signalling in the control of endocrine secretions by the brain has been clear for many years. Recently, the influences of hormones on synthetic events in neuroendocrine cells have raised new questions concerning the peptides released from such neurons. This volume concentrates on the relation between these two fields and asks how electrical action potentials facilitate secretion of substances from nerve cells which control endocrine events. While stimulus-secretion coupling has been studied extensively in other physiological contexts, this is the first treatment of the...

Latest issue in the CURRENT TOPICS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY se- ries which has been gaining a great deal of reputation as a primary source for reviews in neuroendocrinology and related areas in the past few years.