The objective of this series is to provide concise and critical information on current advances in the different domains of sensory physiology. It will be of interest to all who want to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field - from the level of the receptor to that of the cortex, including neuropsychological and psychophysical aspects.

Stability of the internal environment in which neuronal elements are situated is unquestionably an important prerequisite for the effective transmission of information in the nervous system. During the past decade our knowledge on the microenvironment of nerve cells has expanded. The conception that the microenvironment of neurones comprises a fluid with a relatively simple and stable composition is no longer accepted; the microenvironment is now envisaged as a dynamic structure whose composition, shape, and volume changes, thereby significantly influencing neuronal function and the trans...